It is a little scary

Mavis said to me yesterday, “everybody tells me I’m so lucky to be going to Paris. But I don’t want to go”. 

It got me thinking, why would an 8-year old want to go away for a one year sabbatical? In her mind, everything that is important to her is in Calgary: her family, her friends, her school, and her community. And they all speak English. We were taking her to a new country, with new foods. We would not know anybody. We would have to learn French. 

Her parents would want to travel, and explore and try new things. There would be lots of walking. 

To me, it sounds amazing: the biggest and most exciting thing I have ever done. But I am 48 and have lived almost all of my life in Calgary. I can understand why Mavis is less keen. She is eight. Sophia is ten and while she shares Mavis's fears, there is a piece of her that already knows this is a worthy adventure. My hope is that we come back and when they are 15, 20, 30 and 80 they will look back on this year and say it was worth it. That they are better people because they did it.