Many people think that taking their kids to Europe is something that can't be achieved due to age, money or short attention spans. My rebuttal is that taking your kids to Europe is in fact feasible (when done correctly) and more importantly, it's absolutely life changing. Every year I travel with kids/teenagers and I see their young mind's opening up as they step foot inside the Colosseum, eat their first bite of escargot or play soccer with locals in the French countryside. The impact isn't always immediate or even vocalized, but the lessons learned are sure to be part of who they become. In essence, a trip to Europe (or anywhere for that matter) is the best gift you can give your child.
 
#1 - It Gives Them a Global Perspective of the World 
 
I traveled a lot domestically growing up, but international travel was never within my family's reach.  During college, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy the summer between my junior and senior year.  Sure, I was excited about the experience, but I was not prepared for what lied on the other side of the Atlantic and the impact it would have on me personally - Not to mention my entire career path. 
 
No one told me that people laid in the park for no reason and gathered in lively piazzas until the wee hours of the morning. 
No one told me that three hours around a dinner table is the norm and that cars in Europe are half the size of those back home. 
No one told me that the Pantheon was so absolutely perfect and that Michelangelo's Pieta would bring me to tears.
And even if they had, I probably wouldn't have believed them.  
 
Last year I led two family friendly tours from London to Florence.  Here is a smattering of observations I heard from my younger tour members over that two-week period:
- "You mean you can drink before you can vote?" 
- "Why don't we have trains like this in America?"
- "Everyone here doesn't seem to be in such a hurry like they do back home."
- "No wonder Europeans are so thin.  They walk everywhere!"
- "I feel really safe, even at night. I'd never walk down a dark alley at home."
 
Individually these are just small observations made about a place much different from home, but together they form a much larger perspective of the world and our place in it.  Before my younger tour members left home, they likely thought the American way was the only way of doing things. Slowly their perspectives began to change and they quickly realized that the people on the other side of the Atlantic aren't much different after all.  
 
#2 - It Breeds Confidence & Responsibility
 
At age 40, I still find great confidence in conquering public transportation in a foreign country.  I travel with a lot of smart people, but even the brightest need a little orientation to understand the intricacies on the Parisian metro system.  Now imagine being 12 years old and instead of letting your parents do all the navigating, you take it upon yourself to learn alongside them and eventually guide your family from one metro stop to the next.  There is such power in that!  
 
I think we often underestimate what kids can do and how empowering them with just a little responsibility can turn a rather negative (translate - whiny) experience into something wonderful. Family vacations can be exhausting, but consider incorporating a few of these tips to spread responsibility (and learning) across family lines: 
- Include your kids in the planning process.  Check out books/travel guides from the library and let your kids throw out some of their top destinations.  Consider adding places they have studied/will study in the near future in order to build those connections. 
- Give your kids spending money and have them wear a money belt.  In smaller villages, let them wander around the local market for a while (age permitting) and see what kinds of things they come back with.  
- Give your kids an old-school map and have them help you navigate.  Let them make wrong turns and celebrate when they find what you are looking for.
- Take turns choosing restaurants even if it's not your first choice.  Make a game out of finding good/local restaurants with the fewest tourists. Let your kids pick a few items to share off the menu and eat family style. 
- Visit the book store of major museums before you enter and choose a few postcards.  Get a museum map/interact with guards and make a scavenger hunt out of finding the pieces of interest. 
 
A child that experiences Europe in this manner will likely jump at the chance to travel/study abroad in college because they have enough experience and confidence to know they can tackle a foreign country on their own. 
 
#3 - It Makes History Come Alive
 
Several years ago, I had a young girl named Olivia on my tour.  Olivia was a sharp cookie who could name more Roman emperors than most adults and her working knowledge of Latin wasn't bad either. Olivia was ecstatic about visiting Rome (the last stop on our tour) and I knew I wanted to do something to capitalize on her excitement.
 
When our train subway car arrived at the Colosseum metro stop I primed the group by saying "Are you ready for this?  You have waited your whole life to see the Colosseum and it awaits you.  Get ready to be swept up in its enormity." Then I called Olivia to the front of the group and asked her to walk up the stairs with me.  The look on her face said it all and the tears down her cheek, once she caught her first glimpse of the Colosseum, made it clear that this memory was imprinted in her psyche forever.  These emotions could have never been achieved through the pages of a book.  Although Olivia knew exactly what the Colosseum looked like, it was the experience that changed her and (I hope) continues to change her long after she returned home.

Learning a language is an investment.  I've spent countless hours and lots of dollars trying to get it right and (after three years and four homestays spent trying to learn Italian) I feel like I am finally on the right path.  I'm not close to my desired fluency yet, but I've learned a lot along the way... 
 
Lesson #1 - A Week Is A Waste of Money
 
Restricted by time and money, most of my language study experiences have only lasted a week.  I've enjoyed each for different reasons, but in the end I've never really made much progress.  Working with a language tutor is like dating, it takes a while to get to know each other and establish common goals.  There is no way around this and with just 5 "dates", both parties are sure to end wanting more.
 
I just returned from Italy where I lived with my teacher and her family in the region of Maremma (in southwestern Tuscany). Even though my teacher and I had several conversations (via Skype) related to my learning goals, it took a few days to get in a groove and understand my level and what misconceptions needed to be cleared up before we could move on.
 
This was my best language learning experience thus far for a multitude of reasons, but the single most important factor is that I chose to stay for two weeks instead of jetting off after one.  Three weeks would have been ideal. 
 
Lesson #2 - Go Private
 
When I began studying Italian I chose a school in a little Tuscan town called Montepulciano. The school was well respected and our teachers were good, but the group lessons didn't meet my needs.  Not to mention the one student who monopolized the teacher's time and went on and on about how "we do things in America". Mamma mia!  
 
If you are going to invest the time and money, go private. It allows your teacher to understand your needs much faster, while hopefully allowing you to help structure the class in a way that best meets your learning style/goals.  I recommend going even further and finding a language study program that allows you to live with your teacher.  This gives you easy access to class (down the hall from your bedroom), but more importantly it provides many impromptu opportunities to talk with your teacher and his/her family in real, meaningful ways.  Of course, most language school offer homestays as well, but there is a great advantage to having your teacher there to correct you and encourage you in your learning long after the school day is over.
 
Lesson #3 - Choose Wisely 
 
There are so many options out there when it comes to studying a language and every school/program claims to be the best.  Yes, it's easiest to choose the first option that pops up on Google or Trip Advisors #1 pick, but I highly recommend spending time to find a school/program that best meets your needs.
 
Here are some things I recommend doing before making your final decision:

• Talk to friends (and friends of friends) who have studied abroad and drill them about their experiences. Get the names of teachers/schools they recommend and why.
• Set up a Skype call with your potential teachers (private) or schools so you can talk in person.  Ask for references of former students.
• Ask about teaching materials (books, etc.) and teaching practices. Think about how you learn best and get clear if this teacher/school is a good match. Are they flexible and willing to use materials (besides the same damn book) to meet you where you are?
• What sort of assessment do they use to determine your level before you arrive?  Is there an opportunity to talk to your teacher via Skype to assess your level ahead of time and waste less time upon arrival?
• Ask about the surrounding area. Is it metropolitan or rural? Can you get anywhere on foot or by public trasnport? Does it provide the opportunity to interact with people who do not speak English?
• Ask about home stay options.  I wouldn't recommend living in apartments/dorms with other students because you'll inevitably speak more English than you should.  A home stay is the only way to go if you are serious about learning a language.  

 
No matter how much research you do, your final decision is made partially on blind faith and you won't know if it's a good fit until 2-3 days in.  Last year I had a rather traumatic language study experience.  I found my teacher, who worked for a well-known school in Siena, through a former student of my Italian teacher here in Dallas.  I talked with him on the phone and he raved about his experience, but in the end, it was not a good fit for me.  My teacher was unprepared, did nothing to assess my current level, and basically read from our Italian workbook for 3 hours each morning. At the end of the week her advice was to study harder.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
 
It was a very frustrating experience, but it did come with an amazing Italian nonna who cooked as you would expect an Italian grandmother to cook - A different pasta every day for lunch and a different soup every evening for dinner. We spent hours around the dinner discussing (in Italian!!!) politics, religion, culture, and travel, but the stories I hold most dear are the ones she shared about her experience while living in the Veneto region during World War II. This connection with my Italian nonna completely enriched my experience and is something I will hold with me much longer than a few missed Italian grammar concepts.
 
Lesson #4 - Prepare Yourself 
If you're anything like me, you probably think all you need to do to prepare yourself for your language study is it to show up with a notebook and a pencil. Wrong!  The more time you put into thinking about your experience ahead of time, the more you are likely to get out of it.
 
Here are a few things to consider before you depart:

• What are your learning goals? What familiar things do you want to finetune? What new things do you want to learn?
• How are you going to study between classes?
• How are you going to organize everything you are learning?
• How are you going to keep it in your wheelhouse once you are home and you aren't practicing with a native speaker daily?

 
One sure sign that you need a learning method is that you keep making the same mistakes over and over again.  Sure!  Give yourself a break (Learning a language is hard!), but after while you've got to find a place to store all that new information you are learning. 
 
I can't recommend Gabriel Wyner's book Fluency Forever enough. It's completely altered the way I study! The method of creating electronic flashcards is incredibly time consuming, but the theory behind it makes sense and the payoff bloody brilliant!

Buona fortuna!!!

 Lesson #1 - Italians are noisy!!!

An Italian restaurant is a far cry from a Parisian one in terms of noise, but living with an Italian family takes things to a whole new decibel.

I am spending my week off living with an Italian family in a small town about an hour north of Rome. My main goal is to improve my Italian (Drastically! I give up if this doesn't work!), but I figured a peak into the everyday life of an Italian family would provide me with a few good stories to share with my tour members.  

My host family is very Italian - Complete with a 90 year old nonna that embodies everything you'd expect in an Italian grandmother. Everyone lives a vicino (nearby) and some are living virtually on top of one another. My apartment is below the main house and shares a wall with one of the daughters and her family. I like the idea of the proximity of family (in theory), but the reality of this became all too clear last night when the bambina started screaming at the top of her lungs despite the consoling of her very loud Italian parents. I'm just glad that's all I heard. 

My host mom and teacher, Alessandra, is a widow and the owner of 5 dogs who serve as a nice alarm clock during their morning feeding. I love dogs, but you add 2 Doverman Pinschers to an already loud family and you have one noisy bunch.  The chorus of barking just outside my open door is occasionally punctuated by "Basta Dante!  Basta!" but to no avail... The barking continues. Mamma Mia!

The noise is a far cry from my quiet apartment back home, but in the end it's nice to have family nearby... Even if they aren't my own. 

Every year they bring the cows down from the mountains after grazing at the higher elevations for about 100 days. They are usually accompanied by a big load of cheese produced during this period as well. The cows return is usually marked with floral headdresses and lots of anticipation. My group and I missed the cow parade by just a few hours, but we still caught the costumes. I am still on Swiss cloud #9. I love this place!

Many Italians live in pretty small spaces so they enjoy the opportunity to get out and enjoy some fresh air. Many gather on large piazzas which turn into living rooms during peak hours (usually 17:00-19:00) - Especially on the weekends. This ritual stroll is popular with all ages, but especially the youngsters who enjoy socializing and flirting with one another. Of course, many of the older Italian men don't grow out of this.

While in Rome I started my passeggiata at Piazza del Popollo (near the Spanish Steps) and walked down Via del Corso. It was full of people doing what the Italians do best - Absolutely nothing.

This doesn't come easily to me - The achiever who thrives on getting things done. While everyone else was strolling I was darting in and out of people. What was the reason for my hurry? Habit! Clearly I have a thing or two to learn from the Italian people.

Today I decided to get away from the crowds of Rome and go for a run just outside the city in the Acqueduct Park. I've heard and taught about these aqueducts, but to see them and imagine their ability to bring fresh water to a million people is almost hard to fathom. Another thing that was hard to fathom - The park was virtually empty. If you're looking for a quiet oasis in Rome, this might just be it.

My heart is breaking for these migrants that are fleeing their war torn countries. The news is one thing, but today my trip to Munich brought me a lot closer to the real people that are risking their lives to find safety. Seeing a bus full of women and children loading a bus brought me to tears, but seeing the desperate people behind the fence at the intake center was more than I could handle. I feel a call to action spurring inside me, but I'm not sure where to start.

I found myself rushing around on Sunday after my walking tour, but I snuck in an hour near the Seine with my iPad in hand. I seriously considered this a break, but then I witnessed these people literally napping along the banks of the Seine. France is a pretty secular country, but they have this Sabbath thing down. It's interesting that what I love most about the Europeans is what I struggle with the most myself. Resting/being still just doesn't come naturally to me. I've got a lot to learn!