We spent a delightful evening with long-time friends last night, and topics of conversation ranged from the political scene (we encompass the entire spectrum in our group, which makes for interesting discussion!), to the weather (snow is coming) and, of course, the latest in our and our children’s lives. There were plenty of reminiscences, too, of past experiences. At some point the topic came around to opportunities some there had had in living abroad. Several others of us have had children who have had the chance to study overseas. There were several benefits we agreed could be earned from spending an extended period of time living in a country not our own, whether the dominant language was English or not. While some were overseas to work, to study or to fulfill a military obligation, all shared in the sense that such an experience broadened their view of the world, helped them to appreciate other cultures and histories and be more tolerant of different opinions. All agreed that when it was time to return home, they really would rather have stayed longer. There was great appreciation for the new foods and beverages they were exposed to, and all have maintained lifelong contacts with friends they met while traveling the world. Although I never traveled outside of the U.S. until I was in my forties (and then for only a few weeks at a time), I was able to observe firsthand the effects of months spent living abroad when my older daughter spent a semester in England during her sophomore year in college. This was only a year after the events of September 11, and while we felt some anxiety about her traveling on her own so far from home (and really having not done so at all before), we were excited for her that she should have such an opportunity. By the time we visited her during spring break, about three months after she first arrived in London, Sarah was a pro at reading train schedules, finding the lowest airfares to destinations all over the Continent, and dealing with snarky hotel managers in Paris. We could see the new confidence and maturity she had gained, and discussions with her “Meet a Family” parents, local folks assigned to students to help them acclimate to the area, exposed her to ideas and views of the world that she had not considered before. She took advantage of the three days off the students had each week to travel near and far, in groups large and small and by herself. Her memories include the delightful (actually singing for her supper in a London West End Indian restaurant) and the scary (having her ATM card “hijacked” at a machine and her account drained in Rome), but I don’t believe she would ever regret any of her experiences because of the new perspectives they gave her. For these reasons I always encourage parents who have kids who have the opportunity to study abroad to let them do so. “Make the kids earn whatever extra cash it will require–that’s part of the growth that will come with everything else they will experience–but it will be well worth whatever it might cost,” I tell them. So if you’ve got a child looking at colleges, add to the list of questions to ask of the admissions officer one about overseas study programs. Even if it is only for a month or two, I can guarantee the lessons learned in that short time will probably provide the equivalent of all the other things learned in four years on campus.  Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader