Expectations

The decision to send Brianna away for a month, to the other side of the whole, came with several expectations. I expected that in some way it would better prepare her for her life away from home when she goes to college. After all, once you've navigated your way around a foreign country and through foreign airports for a month, finding your classroom on the other side of campus has to be a piece of cake! I expected that she'd mature and become somewhat more independent, and a lot more confident. All of these things would make her all the more ready when she leaves for college a year from now. What I didn't expect is how it would possibly prepare me! I didn't expect that DAYS would go by without hearing from her...leaving me wondering how she was, what she was doing. Sure, I knew that there would be times when cell phone service was non existent, but I didn't know that there would be times that she had service and still didn't call! I didn't expect that I would crave the details of her day and yet be left wondering how it went. I didn't expect that days would go by without hearing from her, and then a text would come asking for us to put more money in her checking account! I guess that's just a preview, and we'll get many similar text messages in the years to come :)

........I didn't expect that this trip would teach me how deal with missing her....how to deal with worrying about her....and how to have complete faith that we're both growing and it's a good thing, it's a normal thing.

Yesterday an update was posted on the Travel Log. It simply said that they finished their three days of work at the orphanage and then gave a small detail about each student. It said that "Bri was an awesome leader of the day and got the kids involved in many activities. She was very energetic about it"! Each day they pick a "leader of the day", and I'm sure she was great working with the kids! But I kinda wanted a little more detail! Last night came an email from her saying that the trip leaders had collected their phones (something they tend to do to prevent the students from spending the day sending text messages). She said that she and a few other students have been a little nauseous. High altitude, foreign food, malaria prophylaxis....hmmmm OK, she's a little nauseous. She said she was excited about their upcoming trip up to Namsa Lake....and that was about it! It wrote back typing as quickly as I could, hoping she'd still be near the computer, would get and read my email right away, and answer my many questions. Nothing! UGH!

So, I wish I could share with you all the wonderful details of her time in Lhasa, but I don't have any! Maybe, if we all keep our fingers crossed, I'll get some today! And when I do, you will know it :)