Wonderful, Life-Changing Experience

My son went to Ghana for two weeks this summer. (Previously he went to Thailand and Costa Rica with GLA.) This trip seemed to have the biggest impact on him. (In fact, it was the subject of his college application essay!) The Ghana trip immersed him in a community that was the least familiar. Drinking water out of plastic bags and taking cold showers was one thing, but it was really seeing the village - the homes, clothes, food, technology, etc. - and meeting the people (kids and adults), that had him evaluating what makes people happy, what creates meaning in life. He saw firsthand that our way of life (middle-class American) is not the 'best' or 'right' way of life. This challenged his assumptions and, in turn, taught him that many popular assumptions might not be completely correct. It really opened his mind, which I think is so important as he heads off to college. He loved working with the kids and was amazed at the rigor of their education. I truly think that his travel with GLA has been one of the most valuable things we have done to shape him into a confident, open-minded, worldly young man.