All Aboard! Taking the train to Washington DC

Last Tuesday we packed our duffel bags and headed east more the 700 miles on the Amtrak Cardinal. With the price of gas and travel time being about the same I thought the train would be a great relaxing way to see the country. It was although for Julius, Alex and I a cut into the reality of America. Julius had been studying some of the places we were going to see however I am not sure he nor I were prepared for the America we did see. We saw poverty that hurt, people that made us wonder and compassion for others that actually brought a tear to my eye.

For the first time Julius showed empathy for someone other then our family as a man on the train struggled with his luggage, Julius jumped up and helped put the luggage away without any prodding from me. The man was disabled, most teens shy away from these situations I have found, Julius stood up and was gracious and kind, I knew then that he was growing into a great man.

The Cardinal travels through the Appalachian Mountains and as it is beautiful it can be real and depressing at times.

Washington DC was not exactly what he expected it to be either. It is mostly a city of historical sites and not really a city like NY. We were lucky enough to get into the Capital for a tour thanks to our congresswoman and her assistant David who gave us a great and informative tour. Then we hit the Library of Congress and if you have been raising a avid historian be prepared for some watery eyes as you can only get into the actual library if you are 16 with a pre-approved pass. The next day we fought the March winds and did a private tour at the Pentagon(special thanks to my brother-in-law for putting that together), again make time for security and invitations, this is not a walk up. From there we walked to the Lincoln Memorial, down to the Washington Memorial to the Holocaust Museum, (I took my chances here, my student is from Germany and my husband lost his family in Germany WWII, two different sides) It went well but be prepared for the emotions this museum can evoke on may levels all different which each person no matter age, race or class.

We finished up our visit with our return on the Cardinal four days later, although the conductor and staff were really great we were delayed for more then three hours.

Julius has not said much about the trip, when I have asked him he says he is thinking, as he learned more about who we are as Americans, and we as a nation are not what he thought we would be.

Tryouts and Character

I have to give him credit. Julius is constantly trying to push the limits of what he can do. The words I cant are not in his vocabulary. He has decided he will go out for baseball and not for just any position he wans to be a pitcher. So he gets a glove, balls and a net and starts practicing everyday for three months, he works out tirelessly and falls asleep most nights with his books in his lap. He drinks protein shakes twice a day and eats more bananas then your average chimp. He has gotten taller maybe a bit broader as well. His strength has increased more than 40%. But with this said he walked out onto the field yesterday for Pitching tryouts and actually asked the pitching coach to show him how to throw. I had to admire his spunk yesterday to go to tryouts with dozens of other guys and then say basically I know nothing about your sport and I am not afraid to ask you learn or try out. Such character, such a character.

"I am not always right I am just positive I am right" J.B.

Medical school at night?

I have wondered what my student has been doing up at night on the computer. Now I know.

Julius and I have been butting heads the last few days. Apparently he has been going to medical school at night, not really but he is a 16 year old teenager and is sure he knows everything. He has a severe sinus infection and although he has not gone to school for 6 days because he has been terribly sick he is sure that he does not need to see a physician or get medication.

After dragging him off to the Dr.s yesterday afternoon, I explained I don't think he passed the medical boards as he is pretty sick and needs medication, although I found it funny he did not understand.

Julius's infection has shown me that although I thought his paperwork was up to date, it was not. These things happen and the outcome could have been worse.

We had asked for and received and extension from both the group here in the US and the group in Germany. But somewhere along the way his health insurance had not been renewed.

Remember when you have a student keep the paperwork together and in up to date order.

I considered this a lucky break that we only had a sinus infection and some antibiotics instead of a broken bone, as we all know Julius and at any given point he can be found walking on banisters, doing flips on his snowboard or seeing just how slippery black ice is when you have sneakers on.

Lesson learned here...make sure your students paperwork is up to date.

"Did you know I was supposed to leave today?"

December was a world-wind month. We had so much going on. Chen seems to have settled in with his new family and is doing well. Julius has kept us in forward motion never giving us much of an opportunity to look back. Normally we have a regular artificial "plastic" tree for Christmas. To say that this year would be different was an understatement. Julius manage to convinced us to march out into the woods during a classic snowstorm and cut our tree down. Right before Christmas Julius decided to take up baseball, luckily like skateboarding and snowboarding he only injured himself lightly. He had hurt his wrist with snowboarding(It looked like a hairline fracture but luckily it wasn't). He received a black eye with baseball for Christmas(he was playing catch during a snowstorm). So far weight training has not given us any cause for injury just sore muscles, (I say this last bit softly as I knock on wood). Although late last week I was making breakfast as he wandered into the kitchen and began making his protein shake,

"I should be leaving right now." he commented rather matter of factual.

"OK where are you going." I answered, always on guard, with Julius he is independent and one can never tell what he is going to do next.

"Nooooo, I should be leaving back to Germany right now." Julius has a long drawl on certain words when he needs to make a point.

I stopped, it hit me like a lead balloon. Where did the time go? Half way already? The last two months had passed like the wind. My heart sank as I thought how our lives were made so different by this young man and how different they will be when he leaves. Will we ever see each other again? Will we ever laugh in the same room? Probably not. My eyes welled and I turned to wash dishes so he would not see what I knew to be inevitable.

"Did you know I was supposed to go back today?"He continued on as only Julius can, I just stared into the sink of disappearing bubbles, realizing like the bubbles, Jules would be gone soon from our life, leaving an deep imprint in a Julius sort of way quickly, lightly, happily.

I am already crying at the thought of there will be no more words of wisdom, "Like you must live every moment in happiness" or "I have many small accidents so I will never have a big one" (that one has me worried.) or why don't Americans take the time to write wishes? What he doesn't understand is although he is here to learn from us and our lives, he has taught all of us so much more about life.