If you're a bird, I'm a bird

Halong Bay, Vietnam I sent a letter to Vietnam today. Their 16-year old son will flying 20+ hours in August to live with us for 10-months. What do you say to the parents that have entrusted their care to you? I don't know what it feels like to be in their shoes. I know what I would want to know as a parent. One day, maybe our children will want to go away to see the world. I hope so. My parents know the feeling. When I was 21 years old, I took at teaching job in the People's Republic of China. I was gone a whole school year. I went to undergrad to be a missionary. I think I love this job of placing exchange students in host homes so much because I am using my degree. I get to prepare students for culture shock. Not only do I know about it, I have experienced it. Classes like Cultural Anthropology and the Religions of the World seem more relevant. I have enjoyed being the Academic Coordinator so much this past year, that I wanted to experience being a host parent too.  So ...

I wanted to get a manicure before work. Since I work on Lady's Island, I found a place close by. I picked out my nail color and soaked my hands to soften my cuticles. The lady was speaking another language to the male co-worker, as usual. It sounded similar to Chinese. I asked her where she was from. She said Vietnam. I was so so excited to tell her about our exchange student coming in August! I asked how to pronounce his name and if the Saigon restaurant in Bluffton was authentic Vietnamese food. She said that she would be willing to help with translating if he needs help or cook for him if he gets homesick. She has a 12th grader "who is a good boy." I told her which high school he would be going to and her son goes to the same one. Her son will be going to college 1.5 hours away, but I'm sure will visit on the weekends. Then if meeting a Vietnamese woman with a teenage son wasn't cool enough, she proceeds to tell me that she lives next to the high school. It...