At the moment, I'm still trying to get over my jet lag after returning from France last week; however, I was just glad to see all the kids make it home in one piece.

I've been overseas many times by myself, but this was my first experience as a 'chaperone'. Before we left, I simply thought, "As long as nobody gets sick, everything will be fine". However, I didn't realize how stressful it would be to worry about the well being of eight teenagers in a foreign country! Words cannot express my relief as the children all safely boarded the plane back to Japan.

Overall, I think the kids had a good experience: they made some new friends in France; they saw some famous spots and museums; we even went to Belgium for a day. Personally speaking, I most enjoyed the time that I spent with my host family. I was fortunate enough to stay with the family of Marion Lecroart, the French student who stayed in Kosaka last year. They were very kind to me, and I sincerely hope that I'll have a chance to meet them sometime again in the future.

The children will be recounting their stories of their trip on April 24th in a presentation to follow the KIS general meeting. All are welcome!(R.M.)