Countdown to Korea: In the End........

It's been a week since she's been home, and what a week it's been.

This has been a life changing occurrence, one that neither of us will ever forget.

We have done some pretty phenomenal things together, seeing various people, places and things. I believe that everything we have experienced has prepared her for South Korea on her own. But never have I seen her float the way she has since she's been home. She describes the trip with enthusiasm I didn't know existed. I can tell when she's reminiscing, a smile-a genuine wide smile spreads across her face and her eyes light up.

There is a chance she can go again next summer. Now I know, in entirety, how the program works: In actuality KLACUSA takes about 80 kids a summer. Half of those are selected and awarded a scholarship while the other half pay a larger part of the program fee (and there is no application/essay required). This year the "other half" paid $1300. One of the students on the trip has been three times. Her first time was scholarship sponsored, the other two trips her parents paid for. So...depending on interests, time, money and life happenings she may go again in summer 2013.

The first 2 days back she spent glued to Facebook. Every few minutes a fellow student turned friend was either requesting her friendship, accepting her friendship, adding new pictures, tagging her or requesting a tag. Based on photos alone they all look like they had a ball!!!

She is still jet lagged. Over the last two days she has slept a little longer during the night. Every morning when I wake up she is up. Dressed, hair done, make up perfected-and smiling. There have been several nights that she has woken me up at 2 or 3am to share a story about her trip or show me an item she'd forgotten to share. And I live in the moment, not ever wanting this excitement to end.

She came home with wonderful stories, a new level of maturity, a new nickname (The girl with the hat and red nails), and an appreciation of the hard work it took, as a family, to get her there.

These last 3 months have been wild. For us both it's been a mixture of nervousness, excitement, denial, confusion, happiness, satisfaction, relief, pride, sadness, fear, trust, anger, but most of all love.

I am beyond proud of Tenaysia and her accomplishments.

Until next time.......