Teens flying unaccompanied: what to do when things go wrong

On Pit Stops for Kids, we’ve written tips for parents whose kids are flying solo. But what about teens? Most airlines allow kids aged 5-14 to fly as unaccompanied minors (with kids 5-7 restricted only to direct flights), which leaves kids 15 and up in a completely different category. When kids 15-17 fly solo, they’re still every bit as unaccompanied…and are still minors. But basically, they’re on their own. Pretty scary for parents, and even more so when things go wrong.

We decided our oldest, Nate, at age 15, was old enough to fly unaccompanied. The route: San Francisco to Dallas/Fort Worth, then DFW to San Jose, Costa Rica. Yep, it was a biggie: a non-direct flight through big airports to an international destination. Was he ready? YES…but unfortunately, we were forced to learn this the hard way as Nate was tested severely on his travel day.

Here’s what happened: I escorted Nate to his departure gate in SFO (it’s easy to get an escort pass!), and his flight departed on time. When he arrived in DFW, he found his connecting gate without a hitch, even though it involved a shuttle ride. He even boarded his second flight without a problem, texting me updates all the time. However, he never left the tarmac. As happens occasionally, his plane experienced mechanical difficulties. First it was some sort of brake fluid issue, then an engine overheating. He sat on the tarmac for two hours before his plane was taxied back to the gate. He deplaned, and moved to a new gate as instructed, but the flight continued to be delayed. Finally, the inevitable occurred: the flight was cancelled. The earliest he would leave the airport was 6:30 am the next morning.

Nate found himself facing the prospect of sleeping overnight, by himself, in Dallas/Fort Worth, with his chaperones far away in Costa Rica and his parents nearly as far away in Southern Oregon. He was a seasoned flier, but suddenly felt very, very alone. He faced several immediate problems:

  1. In the chaos that always accompanies a cancelled flight, he didn’t know to get online and try to book a better flight immediately. Even if he had, he lacked the resources to pay for an upgrade.
  2. The travelers on his flight were being issued hotel room vouchers by the airline (American Airlines), but as a minor, the Marriott they’d partnered with didn’t want to issue him a room.
  3. He was tired and hungry, and the long line of impatient travelers trying to get vouchers and demanding answers intimidated him.

Here’s how we helped:

  1. We stayed on the phone with Nate nearly constantly. Thank goodness for cell phones! If you have a teen flying solo, I strongly recommend sending him or her with a phone, even if he or she normally doesn’t carry one.
  2. I told Nate to give his phone to the gate agent, so I could speak with her directly. I was polite but insistent that he receive instructions, and more importantly, be issued a room. The American Airlines agent I spoke with was helpful and sympathetic. She got it done.
  3. I got online, and looked for any other flight that would save him from an overnight in Dallas. There was none, but in the case this happens to your child, be proactive: the airline would rather give any available seat to a minor than have to figure out what to do with him or her all night! Every airline I spoke with after this incident told me that minors do get priority over other travelers, when at all possible.
  4. I asked for the name and phone number of the hotel the airline had put Nate up in, and I called their front desk. I explained that Nate was a minor (which they already knew) and asked the questions I thought he may have forgotten: when does the morning shuttle back to the airport begin to run? Does he need a reservation? Can I place a wake-up call on his behalf? The Marriott Dallas/FortWorth Airport helped in every way possible, and gave Nate a toothbrush, to boot.
  5. The next morning, I followed the flight’s updates via texts from American Airlines. All I needed was the flight number to ensure any gate or time changes would come directly to my phone.

Nate and I both had restless nights, but in the end, he got through it. Without help, he found his airport shuttle, checked into the Marriott, woke up on time (at 2 am PST!), made it back to the airport, and got on his flight. It’s not the way either of us wanted his travel day to go, but he’s now a seasoned soldier in the battle of air travel.

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Before embarking on your teen flying unaccompanied, I suggest the following tips (learn from us!):

Teen flying alone? Ensure you have stellar support from chaperones at the destination. When Nate’s travel day from hell occurred, he was flying to Costa Rica for an Adventures Cross Country trip. I cannot say enough good things about ARCC’s home office. When I called just before business hours ended, I got an immediate answer from Brooke in the office, and my updates were relayed immediately to Nate’s leaders in Costa Rica. This line of communication was so flawless, it was clearly protocol. When the afternoon turned to evening, and then night, Brooke gave me her cell phone number and continued to help. I was able to reassure Nate that his leaders hadn’t left him (of course not!), and that they knew what had happened to him.

Send your child with a debit card for teens, such as Buxx. Even though Nate’s flight was cancelled due to mechanical issues, and he therefore received vouchers for lodging and food, he spent more than we’d planned in the airport. We were able to look at his balance on his Buxx card and add to it from home. Had he needed to purchase a hotel room himself (perhaps due to a weather delay), we would have called a hotel directly and booked it for him, or put more cash on his card. I am not paid by Buxx in any way; we use this service personally for our teen.

Emphasize to your teen that he or she needs to be a self-advocate. It’s not easy to stand up for yourself, but it’s imperative that your teen is able to approach airport and hotel personnel and ask for help. Nate continually said to people, “I’m a minor flying alone, and I need some help figuring this out.” Even the most nurturing agent can’t assist if your teen has blended into the background and is unnoticeable.

Let your teen practice. In anticipation of Nate’s trip, we let him ‘take the wheel’, so to speak, during an earlier summer cross country air travel day. Even though I was present, I had Nate check us in, hand out boarding passes, direct us through security, and find our gate.

Absolutely wait until you think your teen is ready to fly alone. While we anticipated a long travel day for Nate, and prepped him on procedures from going through customs to finding his gate, we had no idea his day would become two days. But we should have been prepared for the possibility. Thankfully, I trusted Nate could navigate the situation because he’s flown many, many times with his family. Even though he’d never been asked to figure everything out himself, he was already familiar with boarding passes, security, customs, and yes, hotel shuttles.

We hope your teen never experiences a solo flight like Nate’s! 

Why travel is an excellent form of education

“Nothing develops the mind like travel,” said Emile Zola. And you can find great numbers of similar sayings from famous and ordinary men all over the world. What force makes people leave their safe and comfortable places and condemn themselves into all those unpredictable inconveniences during their life far from home. There is no one answer- it’s a curiosity for someone and a spirit of adventure for another, but no matter what, first of all, travel is one of the most beneficial forms of education. Let’s investigate some reasons.

You learn foreign languages

Everyone knows that theory and practice joint together gives the best and the fastest result in any study, especially concerning languages. After learning the basics with teachers, books, applications, or videos, you can improve your colloquial skills by talking to native speakers. And just immersion in the language environment is the best way to improve your speaking abilities. Sometimes it’s enough to spend a short time in a foreign country but get a strong push to start to speak without any fear.

And sometimes it occurs when you visit the countries where natives speak the language you don’t know and don’t study, but you may fall for the melody of the language or be attracted by the possibilities to come here again and communicate without problems, so it will be challenging for you to start learning one more language, who knows? Surely, in common, English is spoken in almost any part of the planet, and most often, it will work for you. Nevertheless, it is always better to know the language of the country you are going to visit. So, traveling makes you learn different languages. 

You get acquainted with other cultures

While traveling, you always get new information about the world we are living in and get an acquaintance with different people with different cultures, traditions, and ways of life. It’s the best way to learn a lot of interesting things, and it’s in human nature to adopt new and take the best to make life more exciting. You may have been learning and reading and investigating the other country’s culture through books and films for a long time, but only meeting alive with sounds of cities and towns, cuisine flavors, and smells in the air can make your perception of the country complete.

Unfortunately, traveling also can bring some risks. It is a time consuming and rather tiring activity that requires preparation, attention, and sometimes it can even make you sick. If you find out that your writing routine is threatened, and your trip is not close to its ending, address a professional essay writing service, such as https://writemypaperhub.com and get your paper done online in no time by someone who are genuine experts. 

You explore history through sightseeing

Yes, you probably studied ancient civilizations and major historical events as part of the educational program, but nothing compares with a personal visit to historical attractions, coupled with the discovery of many interesting facts.

You may know so much about everything in 10 days, which no one school program can propose. For example, you may wander through the ruins of the ancient Greek city with a map in hand and imagine how this island lived thousands of years ago. You may examine the maps and compare them with reality. At the same time, you may try to figure out why this particular island, despite its tiny size, the ancient Greeks chose as a religious and commercial center. And it’s much more exciting and useful than to look through the pictures in the textbooks.

You understand better what the world looks like today

Traveling tells you not only how the world was in the past, but also what it is today. You needn’t read an analysis of the economic situation in the region when you open your purse and spend your own money on buying food and making payments for transport. You may see by your eyes whether this country is so prosperous and totally calm as it was written in an encyclopedia or it is overcrowded with refugees and social situation is very tense at the moment. We must admit that not only the weather is changeable.

You learn about nature

Well, the Discovery channel is always there for you if you don’t like to travel. But it is much better to see at least some natural miracles on your own. Nature smells, nature inspires, nature breathes, and you cannot feel all that fully if you just watch everything online. So, get your backpack ready!

Travelling can cause a desire to get a deeper knowledge about the world around us, about its history, about its problems and ways to make our life better. And all this is impossible without education.

Why study abroad: how to help your teen travel

As my children grow and become more experienced travelers, I’ve been thinking and writing more often about teen travel and study abroad experiences. Last year, our 15-year-old flew solo to Costa Rica to join an Adventures Cross Country trip, which proved to be an enriching, deeply impactful two-week adventure for him. The experience left us wanting more!

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Jessie Voigts, publisher of Wandering Educators, a travel library for people curious about the world. She founded and directs the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program, and has published six books about travel and intercultural learning, with more on the way.

I wanted to hear from Jessie about the importance of teen and college-aged travel, and how to get started. For many, including myself, the sheer range of study abroad options can be overwhelming. Here’s what Jessie has to say about both the WHY and the HOW of teen travel.

Q: What age did you first travel abroad? Where did you go, and what were your most lasting impressions from this trip?

I first went abroad to Japan when I was in 8th grade. We had hosted a Japanese exchange student the summer before, and I was eager to go visit her! I was very happy to be going somewhere I’d always wanted to go, and also very surprised at how different Japan was from what I’d researched. This was before the internet, and so all the research we could do was in books, encyclopedias, and movies. I loved the food, the house structure (the toilet separate from the rest of the bathroom, taking off your shoes), my host family, and all of the wonderful things we did together. It instilled in me a love of discovering new adventures, food, friends, and places. It also taught me that there’s nothing like sushi.

Q: How (and why) have you instilled a love of travel in your own child? 

We definitely have instilled a love of travel in our daughter, who is now 12. We have always had global meals, art, music, friends, and culture in our home – it’s just a part of our lives. When she was small, she was enamored with Paris. (Still is. Don’t blame her, I love Paris, too.) When she was three and at gymnastics class, the teacher asked the kids to imagine they could go anywhere…where would they go? Answers included McDonald’s, the playground, a friend’s house… and Lillie said Paris. Most of the kids there didn’t even know what that was!

Get your kids started early in being curious about the world. There’s more to the world than what’s in your town – show your kids that!

It’s easy to strew your house and lives with both intercultural artifacts and curiosity, and by living your own passion for different places, foods, and the arts. Once your kids see you being interested in the world, they will become so, too.

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Jessie with her family

Q: As an educator, what benefits can you see from travel in your own child or students you come across? How does the experience of studying abroad translate to better study habits or learning at home?

I think the most important thing that travel and international experiences teach is that difference exists, and it’s ok to have different world views – this is called ethnorelativism. Any time people learn about the world first-hand, they have a personal stake in that place, culture, and people. Wars are personal, because people we know and love can get hurt. Natural disasters mean more, because our friends or places we love might be forever changed. A meal we loved in a new place can be recreated at home, for our friends and family. This makes the world smaller, and peace possible – connection by connection.

Global knowledge is also a necessity in the workplace – because the workplace is global! Your coworkers might be located all around the world. There’s, of course, the focus on flexibility, adaptability, and nimbleness to change – all things that travelers learn first-hand.

But when someone speaks multiple languages, and understands how different cultures work, they not only become a critical asset to a company, but also showcase how international business should be run – with experience, wisdom, and intercultural sensitivity.

Also, it’s been proven that study abroad makes you smarter.

 Q: Studying abroad is very expensive. What would you say to the parent who might argue that for the price of one child studying abroad, the whole family could travel together? Is this more beneficial?

There are so many grants and programs for studying abroad that this is not really true for those who are willing to put in the time to research it, and who fit into the guidelines for these programs. Our government runs many programs that are free to participants.

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Jessie with daughter Lillie in Chicago

Can’t find a grant or program? Crowd-fund! Teach your child how important it is to work for something they want. Maybe they will take photos and print them for donors, or learn to cook a meal and prepare it for them, when s/he gets home from abroad. Or work hard mowing lawns, babysitting, or shoveling snow. Have them cook meals when you want to go out to eat – and put that money you would have spent into their travel fund. There are many ways to earn money – and this will show your child the benefits of hard work. Saving $40 on a meal here will buy them plenty of espresso and gelato in Italy. Tip: read this article before deciding teen travel is too expensive!

And while I love family travel, there’s also a time in your kids’ lives where they need to learn to stand on their own two feet. You’re there for them, but really, that adventure should be their own. They’ll emerge remarkably strong, with a resilience that should be cherished.

Save money yourself and take the family to visit your overseas child at the end of their time abroad – not only will they be showing their family a place they love, but it will also show your child that you are excited about their new experiences, explorations, and life changes they’ve gone through.

 Q: How can parents best identify the right study abroad programs for their teens? There are so many out there!

I’d suggest sitting down together and discussion what they’d like to get out of it. Do they want to study a particular field? Or are they more interested in being in a place – and fulfilling some general education credits? Is there a professor they’d love to work with, or an experience they can’t get anywhere else? Once you’ve narrowed that down, and put some thought into it, then google will be your friend. There are so many programs out there that by knowing what they want before they dive in, they’ll be better able to target the exact programs that fit their needs.

Tip: Help kids have success wherever their academics take them by teaching them how to construct well-written essays with programs like https://www.customessaymeister.com

Don’t forget direct enrollment – many students do this, and gather credit for their home university, or graduate from an international university (with full scholarships!). This is also a good option for those committed to a certain place, field, or faculty.

Q: What are your thoughts on traveling in groups (a school class or select friends) vs. traveling solo (meeting up with a group you don’t know)? Do kids get more out of the experience when they’re not with friends?

First, I’d like to say that any international experience is a good thing! However, there are ways to inter-culturally maximize your time overseas, and the main way is to immerse yourself in the culture as much as possible.

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My son Nate making new friends in Costa Rica

Go without a group of friends, and make friends there – from the locale in which you’re living, or with other international students. Don’t stay connected to home so much – and I know you miss your friends and family! But calling and texting all the time won’t get you out the door and experiencing life where you are now. It’s a crutch that keeps you from living.

Figure things out yourself, go explore, make new friends, and be willing to try new things, foods, experiences. You’ll never be in that exact place again – take advantage of it, and you’ll have a rich, challenging, life-changing adventure.

Q: Your site is so clearly focused on lifelong learning. How does travel naturally facilitate learning at all ages?

The genius thing about travel (and life) is that you’re always learning! Whether it is culture, history, literature, music, food, languages, geography, anthropology, sociology, religion, architecture, art, sports, media, and more, travel packs a learning punch like no other. It can teach us at any age, and will always teach us. That’s the beauty of the world, isn’t it? We’re always learning!

Thank you, Jessie, for taking the time to talk to Pit Stops for Kids readers! 

Jessie Voigts is a mom who loves sharing the world with her daughter. She has a PhD in International Education, and is constantly looking for ways to increase intercultural understanding, especially with kids (it’s never too young to start!). She has lived and worked in Japan and London, and traveled around the world.

Photo credit: Visions Service Adventures and Jessie Voigts

Teen travel checklist: Preparing your teen to travel abroad

Last week, our teen departed for three weeks in Italy, without his parents. He traveled with a small group of student ambassadors for a cultural exchange and school program, and while chaperones will be available, they won’t be with him 24/7. Because our teen is still under age 18, there are some things he needed us to prepare for him before his trip.

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Teen travel checklist: Preparing your teen to travel abroad:

In addition to packing appropriately for the length and location of a teen trip, these practical steps should be taken before departure:

Make color copies of:

  • Color copies of your teen’s passport to be distributed to 1. his or her trip leader or chaperone, 2. into teen’s own bag as a back up, 3. to you, his or her parents. Remember that your teen’s passport should be valid for at least six months past the date of the trip.
  • Photocopy of all credit cards or debit cards, both front and back, to be distributed it 1. you, the parents and 2. teen.
  • Copy of any doctor note needed and health insurance card (especially if your teen is on any prescription medication), distributed to 1. you, the parents, and 2. teen. Remember, all prescriptions need to travel in their original bottles.
  • Copy of any travel insurance plan to 1. teen and 2. parents.
  • Copies of health insurance plan.
  • Make paper copies of phone numbers needed, both at the destination and at home. Include parents’ contact numbers, host family numbers, chaperone numbers, and the teen’s cell phone number (since it may differ than the usual).

Make a phone/communication plan:

Parents and teens have several choices when it comes to a phone plan abroad.

  • Cell service plan: You can check with your cell service carrier to see what types of international plans are available to you short term. Ours used to be $30/month data plan, with no sign-up cost, with AT&T, but it’s recently switched to a less desirable $9.99 per day.
  • SIM card with unlocked phone: If you have an unlocked cell phone (such as an old phone that’s no longer attached to a plan), you can have your teen bring this phone and purchase a SIM card once in the country he or she will be visiting. SIM cards are fairly inexpensive, and allow teens to use a short term local data plan that’s prepaid.
  • Cheap new phone in destination country: Of course, teens can simply purchase a cheap phone with a local pay-as-you-go plan in the country they’re visiting. Pick one up at most pharmacies and convenience stores.
  • WiFi only plan: If your teen will have WiFi access in the form of hot spots where he or she is traveling, you could opt for him or her to simply bring a phone that’s kept in airplane mode, for WiFi use only. Buy a mobile WiFi hot spot plan, or rely on free WiFi in hotels, cafes, and the like. Whether this route is an option for you will depend on the destination.

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Make a money plan:

How will your teen access cash and pay for things on their own? Savvy travelers know that it’s best to use debit cards for accessing cash from ATMs, and credit cards for other purchases and reservations, provided said cards have low foreign transaction fees. However, if you have a teen who is travel at under age 18, some banks in the US will not issue him or her a debit card in their name. Instead, before the trip, add your teen as a named user on one parent credit card. The teen will be issued a card in his or her own name, which can be used for emergencies.

Then, we suggest purchasing a prepaid travel gift card, such as Visa TravelMoney, which teens can use like debit cards. These cards are travel-specific, so they come with low currency exchange fees and low ATM fees (look for ones with ATM fees of less than $4). Even better: if you’re a AAA member, go to your local branch and buy a AAA travel card. You will need your teen’s driver’s license or passport, plus date of birth and SS# in order to get the card in his or her name, but this card has fewer fees attached to it than the ones you can buy in any pharmacy or grocery store. Parents can add money to these cards as needed from home, and view the balance at any given time, which is a nice feature.

Tip: If your teen is supposed to start his or her trip with foreign currency already in hand, make the request for the exchange at your bank at least one week ahead of time.

Enroll your teen in STEP:

First, you’ll want to check the CDC for any needed vaccines for travel. Next, head to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, to enroll your teen for their destination. All STEP does is alert you to any travel warnings, with the peace of mind of knowing that your child’s travel plans are noted with the Department of State. Should he or she need any help in case of emergency while traveling, alerts and instructions will automatically be communicated to her.

Stock your teen with over-the-counter medications:

I always create a personalized first-aid/medical kit before traveling abroad, because it can be challenging to find the same medications in foreign countries (or at least the same brands, so you can recognize their uses). I include standard over-the-counter medications for headaches, nausea, sinus colds, and flu, plus band-aids, medical wrap/tape, and vitamins. For teens, I write the use of each medication on the back of the boxes clearly in sharpie pen, just to make it easy. Of course, if your teen needs to take prescription medications, have them carry them in their carry-on luggage in their original containers.

Talk with your teen before departure:

Make sure your teen knows that he or she will be acting as an ambassador for our country. With international relations tense in this era, it’s more important than ever that your teen act with respect, kindness, and awareness while abroad. Encourage them to embrace the new, to look for commonalities, and to forge friendships while traveling. Pack thank you cards for your teen to fill out and hand to people who help them or host them during their travels.

Discuss any laws or rules that may differ from your home country. For instance, we talk with our teens about our family rules for drinking alcohol abroad, since the legal age limit differs in most countries, and we remind them of laws they may not be aware of in their destination countries. We encourage trip leaders to require ‘code of conduct’ type contracts with teens, to ensure respectful and safe behavior.

Tip: Read our post on travel safety and getting past the ‘fear factor’.

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Do you have tips for preparing teens to travel abroad? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

Tip: Check out our other posts about teen travel!

Educational Travel: Sending your child on a teen service trip

Remember that post from a few months back, where I discussed our preparation for our teen Nate’s teen service trip with Adventures Cross Country? We’re back with a full trip report! If you’re considering sending your teen on a service trip next summer, read on! Spoiler alert: he loved it!

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Last July, Nate embarked on Adventures Cross Country’s Costa Rica Classic trip, which comprised of 14 days of awe-inspiring jungle, cultural immersion, new friendships, and character-building insects throughout rural Costa Rica. Were we nervous when we sent him so far from home, without anyone he knows? I’ll admit it: yes. Even though we travel fairly extensively, it was harder than I anticipated to leave Nate solo at San Francisco International, en route to San Jose, Costa Rica (where he met his leaders and group). He had a rocky travel day, which turned into an overnight delay in Dallas/Fort Worth (which you can read about here), but thanks to stellar communication from the Adventures Cross Country (ARCC) team, he was quickly caught up with the group and off and running.

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Service, adventure, and fun:

I really like the structure of ARCC trips, which combines service projects with cultural interactions and fun outings. Nate’s trip was basically broken down into four sections of approximately three days each:

  • river rafting along the Pacuare River, including zip lining and a river lodge stay
  • teaching English at a rural grade school, which including play time with the kids
  • helping better a mountain community as they harvested crops and repaired buildings
  • learning to surf at a Costa Rican surf camp

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During each of these travel segments, Nate’s team leaders, Sally and Bolo, built group community and bonds without the kids even realizing it was happening. They had fun everywhere they went, engaging local kids in soccer games, playing silly games among themselves, and taking side trips to waterfalls. So much was packed into their two weeks, in fact, that even now, over a month later, Nate is still remembering details and regaling us with tales of adventure.

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Read about Nate’s day-to-day itinerary in his own words.

I’ve detailed what to look for in a teen service trip, and why we picked ARCC. But what I could not have known before Nate’s trip is this: teen travel changes lives. True, service trips may or may not change the lives of the local residents of the countries visited on a long-term scale, but one thing is undoubtably clear: it changes the life of the teen. Nate was a responsible kid before ARCC, but after, we noticed a quiet confidence in him that wasn’t there before (or at least wasn’t well established). He told us that while in Costa Rica, he observed other teens who “knew who they were, and were strong enough to be themselves,” a trait he decided he wanted to own himself.

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In order to get himself to San Jose unaccompanied, he had to be strong, make decisions, and be responsible for himself in confusing airports, stressful situations, and sometimes, in a foreign language. He had to navigate customs solo, and meet a brand new group of people on the other side. Was he nervous? You bet! Did he come out of it stronger and more self-assured? Definitely.

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Nate talks about his time in Costa Rica with a smile or a laugh as he tells antedates about snakes and bunkmates and funny jokes, and sometimes, with downright wonder. “I learned how different cultures can be, and how that’s ok,” he told me, “and I was so grateful how the Costa Rican kids accepted me and brought me into their world.” Will the service projects Nate helped with stand the test of time? Maybe. He hopes the beans he picked in the mountains can be sold for insulin for the farmer, Pepe’s, wife. Will the kids remember the English nouns and phrases he taught them? Perhaps. He’s optimistic, as he reports “all his kids were super smart”. But either way, the change in Nate is permanent.

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Still not sure about sending your teen on a service trip?

Consider this: before Nate left, he knew no one (some kids arrived with friends from home), and had never been out of the country without his parents before. Even so, he was not homesick (they’re too busy!), and at the end of the trip, he said he’d recommend it to anyone and everyone he talked to. Check out his video:

Nuts and bolts of an ARCC trip:

I can’t speak for every ARCC trip, but on Nate’s, here’s how things broke down:

  • Nate’s Costa Rica Classic trip comprised of 13 kids (4 girls and 9 boys ages 15-16)
  • The trip lasted two weeks (14 days)
  • The trip cost was $3895, plus airfare, and included all meals, accommodations, projects, activities, everything
  • Nate had two leaders (check out ARCC’s leader criteria)
  • The kids on Nate’s trip were from all over the US, and lasting friendships were formed
  • The ARCC home office is quick with communication and assistance, professional, and competent
  • We were given a very detailed packing list, and offered everything we needed to prepare
  • cell phones were permitted for planned phone calls home only, and held by leaders otherwise
  • recommended spending was about $75 per week: Nate didn’t spend all of his
  • communication between phone calls came in the form of a private blog to parents, with updates

I felt very comfortable with ARCC at all times, and never questioned Nate’s safety or well-being. Yes, I worried about him so far from home (I told him I was homesick on his behalf!), but my worries were unfounded. Nate grew up profoundly in two weeks, and we highly recommend ARCC to others. In fact, Nate’s younger brother is now eying the catalogue!

Disclosure: Nate attended his ARCC trip as a guest of the company, for the purpose of review. Our opinions are our own.