Isaac's Home Schooling Around the World Trip

Latest News I Related Links I Isaac's Jobs I Isaac's Writings

As part of his home schooling experience, Tim's son, Isaac, took an Around-the-World Trip.  He returned to the United States April 6.  He raised the money himself through his part-time jobs. This is his second international trip during 2004.  Isaac traveled to Israel during the Spring.

Latest News

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

We have been having a wonderful time with Isaac.  He leaves tomorrow morning to visit his sister for a few days before taking the train back to Albany.  We're waiting now for a reporter from the local paper who is coming to interview Isaac about his trip.  Isaac has also posted his photos to the web.  You can find them at http://www.idecny.com/nzfiji and http://www.idecny.com/indiathai

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 12:10 p.m. ET  Arrived HOME!

	Isaac's plane arrived six minutes early!  We gathered his bags and headed home. He looks good, albeit tired, and his sense of humor is intact.  He brought Indian attire home for his mother and I. He expects us to wear it to church on Sunday.  We spent the afternoon catching up and looking at pictures of India.  Tomorrow, we look at pictures from New Zealand.
Tim and Maggie model gifts from Isaac.		Isaac and Mom wait for luggage.

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 9:15 a.m. ET We're leaving in a few minutes to drive to the Columbus airport and get my Baby Boy!  Please God, make his plane be on time.  I don't think I can wait one extra minute to hug that tall boy with the furry face!  Gotta go...

Monday, April 4, 2005  early evening  I picked up the following e-mail from my father:

Hi,

Your boy arrived in great condition. We looked at pictures of India this morning and then went to lunch. He is now napping. Has been for over 2 hours. I'm sure he needs to get his days and nights back in line.

I only have info about the time of his flight Wednesday. I checked on line and I am assuming he is scheduled on AA. Let us know if this is correct.

Take care and be patient. He will be home soon.

Dad

I want to scream, "PATIENT?!!!??"  I am so jealous of my own father that he gets to see Isaac already.  I'll live.  I think this is great for both of them but I'm still jealous.

Monday, April 4, 2005  9:15 a.m. ET/8:15 a.m. CT  Isaac has landed in St. Louis and been picked up by his grandfather.  And my body relaxed.

Saturday, April 2, 2005 approx. 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m.  Isaac is situated in his motel room.  The idea of the time change tonight is almost more than he can handle.  He says he just needs a hug.  He and his Mom plan his menu--both for when he gets home on Wednesday and for tonight's meal.  They agree on comfort food for tonight.  I heard something about pizza and jalapeno poppers. Jalapenos wouldn't be my idea of comfort food but, hey, if that's what he needs!  We arrange for me to call him at 1:00 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT tomorrow so he can get to the airport and check his luggage and wait for hours and hours until his redeye to St. Louis where Grand-Daddy anxiously awaits.

Saturday, April 2, 2005 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT  The caller ID says "California"  IT'S ISAAC! He's back in the United States.  He is exhausted and has just realized that he has a 32 hour layover in LA.  He tried to change his ticket without luck.  Finally, after several back and forth telephone calls, he and I have him set up to go to the Motel 6 near LAX. 

Isaac is totally exhausted, "I'm living the same day all over again!"

Saturday, April 2, 2005 4:20 p.m. ET/Saturday, April 2, 2005 1:20 p.m. PT  Isaac should have landed at LAX.  We should here from him within a few hours.

Saturday, April 2, 2005 5:00 a.m. ET/Saturday, April 2, 2005 10:00 p.m. FIJI  Isaac leaves Fiji for Los Angeles.  WOO HOO!

Friday, April 1, 2005 ET Happy Birthday, Isaac! You're 18 now.  Let's see he's missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, My birthday, Easter, and now his own birthday.  But that doesn't matter!  We'll see him in a few days.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:50 p.m. ET/Wednesday, March 30, 2005 3:50 p.m. FIJI  Isaac is in Fiji.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005 late afternoon ET/Wednesday, March 30, 2005 NZ  Isaac is on his way to Auckland and then on to Fiji.

Monday, March 28, 2005 ET/Tuesday, March 29, 2005 NZ Isaac called and talked with me for a long time.  He is getting ready to leave for the airport in about twelve hours.  He was packing and reflecting on his trip.  He gave me information about where he will be staying in Fiji.  He will be staying at the Seashell Cove Resort, tent camping.  Inexpensive at a fancy place for three nights.  He said that he really would prefer to just get home instead of two days in Fiji.  As he said goodbye he promised to call when he got to LA.

Thursday, March 24, 2005 6:45 p.m./Friday, March 25, 2005 11:45 a.m. NZ  Isaac caught me as I was getting ready to go to Maundy Thursday service.  He sounds good.  He wanted to be sure that his mobile phone was in Wheeling when he arrived. (His sister has it right now at college.)  He also said he has decided that he would like to fly back to Albany on the 16th rather than taking the train.  Undoubtedly, his sister has finally gotten through to him: she is not going to take him to the train station in Cleveland at 3 in the morning when she has classes the next day. He needs me to "spot" him the price of the ticket until he gets back to work in New York.   Isaac is talking about a History degree at college next year.  He is thinking that that relates well to his interest in international studies.

He had his last day today at Tamariki School as a teaching intern.  They gave him a wonderful send-off.  He felt appreciated for his efforts.  He leaves early, early on March 30 (NZ time) for Auckland and then on to Fiji (ahh, poor baby) where he'll spend three nights before he flies to LA, St. Louis, and finally Columbus where we'll pick him up and bring him to West Virginia.  It's exciting but the anxiety I always feel when he is enroute is already building. 

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 US/Wednesday, March 23, 2005 NZ

I came home today to a voice message from my baby boy wishing you a happy birthday.  In quintessential Isaac humor, he pointed out that while it wasn't my birthday yet in the "states" that it was where he was in New Zealand.  It is so nice to hear his voice.  I am getting anxious to hug him and hear his stories.

Friday, March 18, 2005 9:20 p.m. ET/Saturday, March 19 3:20 p.m. NZ

Isaac and I talked for quite awhile this evening.  He is beginning to have those mixed emotions that we all tend to have as a trip draws to a close: ready to move on and yet sad for those we will be leaving.  In just under two weeks, he will begin his multi-day journey through Fiji (ah, poor baby), Los Angeles, St. Louis (where he'll visit his grandfather), Columbus, and finally arriving in Wheeling.

I challenged his eating habits while we talked: how come you go to Subway so often in New Zealand?  He pointed out that it was only occasionally and it was convenient.  I asked him about some of the other places and foods he has had.  He said he hasn't had processed cheese (I guess he's still thinking about the mac and cheese) and doesn't plan to ever eat it again.

He also told me that this trip seems to have helped him to solidify his decision to begin college in the fall.  Of course, in his NZ way, he called it "university". 

He also tells me the time change in NZ is this week.  We couldn't quite figure it out but I have since.  To figure out his time now: switch am to pm or pm to am and add five hours.  For example, 6:30 a.m. Monday (when I am writing this), I switch to 6:30 p.m. Monday and add five hours making it 11:30 p.m. in Christchurch.  Of course, when our time changes next month the calculation changes again.

Sunday, March 13, 2005 11:00 p.m. ET/Monday, March 14, 2005 5:00 p.m. NZ time  Isaac called and talked to Maggie.  He is doing well but is anxious to get home.  He was busy making macaroni and cheese (a food that he has always considered a taste of home).  He was having trouble because he couldn't find velveeta to make it.  He found a cheese called "soft colby" and was asking, "Mom, do you think it will work?" 

February 17-March 5, 2005 Multiple brief phone calls.  Isaac is doing well but with each call Isaac talks about the number of days until he begins his trip home.  Seems he is ready to be back. 

Thursday, February 10, 2005 11:00 p.m. ET/Friday, February 11, 2005 5:00 p.m. NZ time

What's that line in The Little Mermaid?  "Someone's got to nail that girl's fin to the floor"?  Well, someone has to nail the time difference to that boy's brain.  He woke me out of a dead sleep...again.  I'm not sorry to hear from him and I'd rather this than not hear from him but sheesh!  He was quite chatty and I was having trouble focusing as I awoke.  The highlights as I recall:

--He had a great Friday!  He had just gotten out of the teachers' meeting.  I told him my Friday had not started yet.

--He told me  he's not sure he wants to start out studying to be a teacher at college next year. He talked about how tired he is at the end of the day.  (Yep, been there done that!  There is nothing quite like it.  I remember my mother been exhausted at the end of the day.  I never fully understood it until I began teaching.)

--He said it is a lot like when he is Camp WaWa in the summer.  He loves the kids in his group.  He says he finds himself thinking about them all the time.  (Hmmm.  Sounds like a teacher to me.)

--He has had several long weekends that have enabled him to do some sightseeing.  (I don't know if he didn't tell me what he saw. I was try to become alert...)

--I asked him about Waitangi Day because I saw it on my calendar.  He tells me that there were a lot of protests on that day because it represents colonialism. I did a quick google search and found two different perspectives on the day.  You may want to check out the government version at government version and another, apparently more comprehensive version at http://www.waitangi.com/ 

I really, really miss that boy.  I can't tell you how much I ache to stand on my tiptoes put my arms around him and kiss his rough cheek.  April is a long way away.

Geography 101: Where is New Zealand? Where in New Zealand is Isaac?

Click on the map on the left for a larger version.  Isaac is at Tamariki School, located in Christchurch. Christchurch is on the east coast of the southern island.  Isaac flew through Auckland, on the northern island enroute to Christchurch.

Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Isaac called about his clothes.  He spoke to his mother as I was working.

Tuesday, February 1, 2005

Isaac left a message on the voice mail.  He wants some of his clothes and copies of the IDEC 2003 magazine sent to him in New Zealand.  He also reports that he had a successful first day as a teacher at Tamariki School.

Sunday, January 30, 2005 9:00 p.m. ET/Monday, January 31, 2005 3:00 p.m. NZ

Isaac called again.  This week before we had dozed off.  He and I discussed the phone bill.  We had a good laugh.  What else can you do??  The $200 conversation on Christmas Eve was worth it.  The one minute message on our home phone that cost $17 seems a bit over the top.  It does feel like we were taken by Verizon.

Isaac has been camping all week with the folks at Tamariki School.  Apparently, they start off the school year with a week of family and staff camping.  Sounds like a really cool idea to me.  He says he had a good time.  He begins as a teacher tomorrow at Tamariki.  I am anxious to hear how he feels about that.  I know he has all the sensitivity and instincts to be phenomenal.

He has decided to keep Christchurch as his home base after his stint at Tamariki.  Only two more months until he comes home!

Friday, January 28, 2005

The phone bill with the calling card calls from New Zealand at Christmas time arrived!  The moral of the story: Verizon's fine print is important because it includes lots of EXTRA charges. Isaac is able to buy calling cards in New Zealand at a 20th of the per minute cost as Verizon.

Sunday, January 23, 2005 11:00 p.m. ET/Monday, Jan. 24, 2005 5:00 p.m. NZ

Isaac called to check in and woke us. He described his sheep shearing experience and something that they had to check on the rear end of the sheep.  Sounds like fun.  He is now finished with the organic farm and will move on to a week of camping with the folks at Tamariki School in advance of the start of the school year.

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2005 7:00 a.m. ET/1:00 a.m. Friday Jan. 21, 2005 NZ

Isaac called briefly.  He is doing well.  We made arrangements for the last leg of his trip.  He'll be home on April 6th.  It can't come soon enough for me.

Sunday, Jan. 16, 2005

One of my jobs is to monitor Isaac's funds while he's overseas.  I noticed that he had a meal at Dux de Lux in Christchurch.  Being the webby I am, I googled it and found a website.  I must say it looks like a great place to eat with lots of vegetarian choices...something those of us who are veggies don't always find when we dine out.  Check it out at http://www.thedux.co.nz/home.htm

Friday, Jan. 14, 2005 3:24 a.m. ET/9:24 p.m. NZ

We received several e-mails from Isaac this morning.  Below is the one he sent to the Hoodnote listserv (the Free School Community in Albany) that gives a nice description of what he's up to as he begins working on an organic farm.

Hey all,

I'm writing from a farm outside Christchurch right now. My first WWOOFing experience. They've got me spreading compost, grubbing thistles, chopping wood, holding lambs for sheering (tomorrow), and sharing scones with family, so it's been a great experience.

We had Christmas with Di Scullin and family, (principle of Tamariki--she was at our IDEC and passes on a warm hello), and I had New Year's with some graduates of Tamariki at Gore Bay, a beach an hour north of the city.

We've been to hot springs, gone tramping, explored Christchurch city, and had some of the best fish and chips around. Granted it wasn't as magical for me having only chips. We also stayed with friends of Michael's for a little less than a week only a few kilometers away from the farm I'm currently at. They have a very large "garden" as they called it. We had our fill of fresh veggies all week and freshly picked strawberries. They also let us borrow their car which led to my first left side of the road, sitting on the right, and shifting with your left experience. No one died, and I was able to drive around the city, so I think it went well.

On Monday we head to the west coast with a mother of a few Tamariki graduates. I met her at the 2002 conference in NZ and have been in occasional contact since. Elizabeth is staying with her right now and Michael headed to her house from the farm this morning as he's looking to rest a bit as he's been under the weather of late.

In late January I'll be starting my first somewhat official teaching experience at Tamariki. I may be playing a bit more cricket than baseball with the kids, but I've already been given multiple lessons in the sport so we'll see.

March is left open for exploring and how much cash I have left will dictate how far I go, but I'll be sure to write again. Elizabeth, Michael, and myself have been discussing a possible pot-luck, slide-show, hey-did-you-miss-us sort of thing for when we all return which would be April at some point, but I'm the only one who really enjoys planning things ridiculously far ahead, so we'll keep you posted when we have a proposed time to throw at you......

Much love from down under,

-Isaac

Saturday, Jan. 8, 2005 ET

Isaac writes that he is not in frequent e-mail contact now so I should not worry if he is slow to reply to my messages. He reports that he'll be back in Christchurch January 21 or 22.  He will be working at Tamariki School as a teacher "if you can believe it" starting the 26th.

He has been driving on the other side of the road and shifting with his left hand.  Writes Isaac, "Quite weird, but I managed."

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2005 5:15 ET/Monday, Jan. 3, 2005 11:15 a.m. NZ

I'm on the computer doing my thing and an e-mail comes through from Isaac.  I send him a quick reply and we meet via IM (instant messenger).  Isaac is fretting about money.  (He does that so well.  He must get it from me.)  He is especially concerned about the cost of calls he placed using our calling card.  He is much more worried about this than his mother and I are.  We're still talking about the last leg of his trip from St. Louis to home.  I convince him to give me a few days before we make a decision about how that will work.

Otherwise, he seems to be doing well.  His plans for today are to go see a movie with his friends. We chat about his cat.  He says, "My cat is amazing!" We talk about all types of everyday matters.  It is really nice to talk with him in real-time. He's such a great kid!  Only three more months until he's home!

Saturday, Jan. 1, 2005 New Years Day

Struggling with the Images of Destruction (Tsunami, Part 2)

The morning rush to turn on the computer to see if we've heard from Isaac begins.  Yes! Several e-mails!  The mood turns grimmer as Isaac's topic today is the Tsunami in Southern Asia.  He writes that "we've been getting some pretty disturbing images here. pictures of bodies laying dormant on the beaches....piles of shoes that have washed ashore eerily reminiscent to the image of the shoes of holocaust victims...."

Like so many of us he is struggling with the enormity of so many people dead and the impending disease.  He writes: "what do we do??....i've sent money, but i feel like i should be doing something...."

I want to reach out, stand on my tiptoes and kiss my baby boy's 6 foot high cheek and give him a hug.  In some ways this is harder than when we thought we'd lost him in Tel Aviv last spring.  (Long story.)  As a dad, you want to protect your children from the pain that is the world.  I can't really do that but I want to...

Wednesday, December 29-Friday, December 31

I return to work and am greeted by colleagues before I get to my desk who are concerned about Isaac.  They are unsure whether he is still in India or not.  It is nice to have friends who care.  Erika has had her church praying for him. 

What a blessing!

Maggie receives many e-mails inquiring about Isaac's safety.

Wednesday, December 29 and Thursday, December 30

Tsunami News from India on the AERO Listserv

The following is posted on the AERO listserv by Jerry Mintz:

This is a dispatch to our lists from Niru, a 16 year old homeschooler in
Southern India. She was one of the editors of our daily newsletter at the IDEC in Bhubanishwar--Jerry


Hi! This is just an update on what's going on with the tsunami victims. You can send this to the listserve if you want.
 

The hardest-hit areas were near Chennai, Nagapattinam and Kanyakumari. The official statistics put the deaths as beneath ten thousand, but it's probably much more. Nagapattinam district has had over six thousand deaths. The beach at Nagapattinam used to be over three kilometres from the town proper, and it penetrated the suburbs and fishing towns. Unlike other places along the coast, the surge took the form of an actual wave, and the horror stories are still piling up.
 

The refugees are pouring into towns in the landlocked districts, and the town nearest to where I live - Tiruvarur - is one of these. The temple halls, marriage halls and even some schools are packed with refugees. Food and clothing are pouring in from all over the coutnry - the response of the public is truly heartwarming.
 

Very few buildings within the reach of the tsunami are left standing, and entire villages have been razed to the ground. One of the worst results of the tsunami is that there is no drinking water for anyone. The seawater has penetrated the wells, the ponds, and there is no way to know how far into the water table it has descended. Though a lot of bottled water is arriving, it is far from enough.
 

Another problem is that victims who were separated, either in the tsunami itself or in the flood or its aftermath, have no way of tracking their relatives and friends down. Since small children were a disproportionately large section of victims, this need demands immediate attention.
 

People have already begun rescue services, but the effort is still inchoate and disorganised. It will probably take a few more days for the government and
the private help to work together. More tomorrow.

Love,
Niru

Jerry Mintz posts Niru's second report to the listserv on the next day.  Niru writes:

This is my second report on the aftereffects of the tsunami in and around
Nagapattinam.
 

Official statistics now place the number of deaths in India at seven thousand; four thousand of those are in Nagapattinam district.

Some interior areas have yet to receive aid. Though clothes and food are arriving by the truckload - I saw whole convoys of them going to Nagapattinam yesterday -not all of them reach the people who truly need it. The affected areas along the bigger roads, which are well connected, are receiving as much aid as they could wish for, but the villages which are isolated - yes, even overpopulated India has isolated settlements - have not seen paramedics or teams that dispose of dead bodies yet. It is in these villages that disease could begin to spread; once begun, they are not easily stopped. Drinking water is being provided, but it is not enough.

Most of the fishermen and traders around Nagapattinam are reasonably well off; the larger teams make about a thousand rupees a day in peak season- not at all a bad sum, especially in the rural. These people had expensive jewellery; wore good clothes, and made merry on a grand scale when they had to. The main problem seems to have been that they were mistrustful of the government and did not put their valuables in safety deposits or avail of savings schemes. As a result, they were penniless at one stroke - or one wave. To these people, receiving food and clothes as alms from strangers is undignified, to say the least. On finding a few cast-offs and torn clothes among the clothes sent to them, one woman says, 'We, too, were rich. I had lots of gold and silver ornaments. Why should I wear something I would have thrown away before without a thought?' What they want, these people say, is not food or clothing, but means to restart their lives. This, too, is being provided. Mr Gopalakrishnan of Tiruvarur, sponsored by the Chennai chapter of the Ramakrishna Mutt, is arranging for a few basic necessities to be distributed among the smaller
kuppams or hamlets in areas which have seen very little aid. Their packets consist of a sari for women, a dhoti for men, a bedsheet, cooking utensils and a towel. In his own words, 'These people don't want to be on aid forever; they want to restart their lives. Five thousand packets may only be a drop in the bucket, but we're trying our best to help them stand on their own feet.'  People are in general agreement that NGO assistance is better than anything the government can do. No corruption, no red tape, no scams......the reasons abound. The government is doing all it can,
but on such a widespread and comprehensively devastating scale, that is limited. The Rapid Action Force (RAF) evacuated people promptly after yesterday's warning of a second tsunami following a 5.5 earthquake in the Andamans. I was one of the
few people who were crazy enough to go to Nagapattinam yesterday from my safely landlocked village despite this, and everything less than 3 kilometres from the sea was deserted. Police and military personnel were everywhere, coordinating food
distribution to the people huddled in marriage halls and temples. Clothes which had been rejected by the refugees lay in tangles on the road. Other people are moving inland in a steady stream, carrying what they can.

According to the locals, 'The tsunamis hit at roughly fifteen-minute intervals. The first wave came in and took all the people, mostly children, who were on the beach- playing as it was holiday Sunday and Christmas vacation. The wave was fifteen feet
tall, and the water came in two kilometres, past two streets of houses, and went back immediately. As people ran out to search for the missing people, the second and third waves hit. The timing was as bad as it could be.' I could believe them. The walls around the beach houses, which are 2 kilometres from the shoreline, are completely destroyed.

The railway tracks near the beach look like a pair of snakes, and discolouration from saltwater can be found on buildings up to 2.5 kilometres from the sea. An Ambassador car was lifted whole from a garage and is almost buried in the sand. The sea itself has come in almost three hundred metres.

My father is setting up a group to help the victims. The first thing is to clear the affected area of dead trees / remains of houses etc. Then to set up clean and good drinking water, which will cut the chances of disease in half. Then raising funds for putting up small houses ; temporary perhaps - until the govt in its own inimitable way finds the way to solve the problem - but anything to get the people off the streets. He has decided to adopt two very remote villages and concentrate there, because the less diffused the effort is the more effective it will be.

I have yet to see any of the rural areas which have been affected by the tsunami, and I will write when I do. If anybody wants to help however way they can, they can contact me at this id.  If anyone has eyewitness accounts, please mail them to me as well.

Love,
Niru

Tuesday, December 28

Isaac e-mails us an early draft of the article he is working on for Disciples World (our denominational journal).  He is impressed about the hospitality he and his traveling companions received while in India.  He sees a connection between this and the biblical concept of hospitality.

Sunday, Dec. 26 US/ Monday, December 27 NZ

Tsunami Concerns from Isaac's Companions

Isaac's traveling companions send out a plea for information on the IDEC listserv.  They write: Hello friends from Abacus, Rob and Webb from Colorado, Sofie from Trichy in Tamil Nadu, Amukta, Ranjan De from Chennai and the folks at the Lumiar School in Brazil who know Carol:

We are writing to see if you are okay after hearing about the tsunami that hit in and around the areas where you are potentially still travelling or living. We understand that each of you were planning on travelling onwards from IDEC to areas that either were hit or might have suffered reprecussions from the quake and flood. Please let us know if you have made it out okay and whether there is anything we can do to help you out if you're facing any problems.....

With hope and prayers for your safety,

Michael and Elizabeth from the Albany Free School (we are currently in New Zealand)
 

Both the AERO and the IDEC listservs are active with concerns.  One post that struck me particularly is from a student at the Abacus School in India.  He writes:

hi
i live in Chennai (in a sea-facing house!!!) and i'm a student of Abacus.
i'm okay- although the tidal wave that hit us came rushing through with all its fury at about 14 ft and broke down the compound wall of the plot before ours. it was so scary as there is just nothing you can do. i felt so helpless. luckily, the wave just stopped in front of our house(thank God!!!). we're all just shocked and right now, too scared to go back and so we've moved to our old house which is no where near the sea.

i hope everyone who came here is as lucky as we were.

Sunday, Dec. 26 Tsunami Strikes Southern Asia

Isaac e-mails.  He is fine but worried about the people who have allowed him to visit their countries in the last month.  He writes,

it's weird, you usually here about overseas disasters 20,000, 30,000 dead and they don't usually resonate, but after visiting a number of the places in India where dead bodies now lie on the beaches....damn...makes you think quite a bit....if you would bring a prayer concern to church for me on sunday for the 21,000 (as of now) that have died throughout southern asia i would appreciate it...we also know of a number of people (locals and idec people) still in that part of india (chennai, pondicherry...), so we're anxiously awaiting word from them...

It is upsetting as a dad to realize that Isaac was only days away from this tragedy.  I am proud of him as I read his e-mail.  He not only wrote the above he has already been in contact with Johnny Wray, the head of Week of Compassion (our church's disaster response/relief organization) and has made a donation to aid in the relief for southern Asia.  I am impressed that my baby boy turns to the church and acts...even before he e-mails us. 

Saturday, Dec. 25 Christmas Day approx. 5:00 p.m. CT/ Sunday, Dec. 26 10 a.m. NZ time

Isaac calls with brief greetings to me but he speaks to his grandfather, his aunt, his cousin, and every one else in the household.  It is nice to have Isaac as part of our Christmas Day.

Friday, Dec. 24 Christmas Eve 11:15 p.m. ET/ Saturday, Dec. 25 Christmas Day 5:15 p.m. NZ Time

Isaac calls us at our motel in Columbus, OH where we are staying overnight before our flight to St. Louis Christmas morning.  He is quite chatty and we talk for well over thirty minutes. He is my baby boy.  This was the Christmas gift I needed.

He says he and his traveling companions are being treated very well by their Tamariki friends.  He said the Christmas food was amazing. He promises to call us again on our Christmas.

Friday, Dec. 24 Christmas Eve 7:00 p.m. ET

I send my final e-mail greetings to Isaac before we head off to church and begin our journey to Christmas in St. Louis.

Thursday, Dec. 23

Isaac e-mails and is in a "lets figure this all out mood".  He wants to plan the final leg of his trip in April from St. Louis to home.  He talks about his plans in New Zealand--mostly the fun things he wants to do in addition to the interning at Tamariki School and working on the organic farm.  He writes: "did you know i could bungee jump for a little under $100 (just thought i'd share the thing that made you feel most comfortable....)...i don't think i'll do it, but if i do i'll wait until after to tell you...hehe....like those israeli buses....the one thing i'm definitely doing is going to the north island at some point to visit the waipoua kauri forest....the have a tree that's 100feet wide...they're comparable to the redwoods in that sense...."  His comment about the Israeli buses is because he traveled all over that country last spring on buses but neglected to tell us that until his return home.  He asked for telephone numbers of where we will be over Christmas so that he can call us. 

I sent Isaac our numbers and itinerary via e-mail and ended with: "P.S. No bungee jumping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Wednesday, Dec. 22 1:30 a.m. ET/ 7:30 p.m. NZ time

Isaac called and woke us but we're glad for it.  He has arrived in Christchurch.  He will be with Di from Tamariki School for Christmas. 

Tuesday, Dec. 21 ET

Isaac is traveling today from Bangkok to Singapore to Bali, Indonesia to Brisbane, Australia to Auckland, NZ to Christchurch, NZ.  I am pacing.  I am always so nervous when he is traveling.

Sunday, Dec. 19, 2004  Yo from Bangkok!

We awoke this morning to several e-mails from Isaac.  What a wonderful pre-church surprise.  He is in Bangkok.  He is staying at the Thai Cozy House. When I read the website, I noticed that it advertises that it has hot water.  (We are spoiled as Americans, aren't we?  We just take all that we have for granted.)  It looks to be a very comfortable hotel.  Isaac writes in one of his e-mails:

[India]...was an amazing experience, but i was ready to leave....very tired...i think we crammed 3 months worth of stuff into little under a month, so while it was amazing....physical and mental exhaustion caught up to me....enjoying a couple days in thailand before heading on the new zealand.....can't wait!....so excited....i'm having the time of my life....thanks for being so supportive...

He gets points from me just for being appreciative of us.  He has ideas of what we can give his sister for Christmas.  It sounds like it is starting to hit him that he won't be home for Christmas.  It's hitting me, too, but I can't imagine having said "no" to him.  This is such an education for him.  I am anxious to be able to chat with him.

Oh, by the way.  The forecast in Bangkok is for the 90s and sunny.  It's 3 degrees here in Wheeling tonight.  That boys gonna miss all of winter this year.

Saturday, Dec. 18, 2004

Friday, 12/17

I came home from work today to a postcard from Isaac.  He wrote it when on his way to IDEC.  Click here to read his postcard.

Friday, 12/17 4:30 a.m. ET/3:00 p.m. India

Isaac has been visiting a university in Mumbai.  (SNP? I couldn't understand what he was saying, it was 4:30 a.m. after all.)  He told me he had spoken to someone who is involved in early childhood education and that she would be sending me an e-mail. Isaac is looking toward the next leg of his Around the World Trip.  He will leave for Bangkok, Thailand Saturday.  He will be there for two nights before he proceeds to Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia enroute to New Zealand.

Tuesday, 12/14 afternoon ET

Isaac left a message on our home phone.  In his upbeat, charming, humorous tone he chided us for not waiting by the telephone 24-hours a day to receive his phone calls. He is in Mumbai staying at a hotel--didn't mention the name of it.  Apparently, some man is paying for them to stay there and feeding them.  He didn't say why or who this man was.  He actually seemed a little confused about why.  He will be in this unnamed hotel until he leaves India.

Saturday, 12/11 4:00 a.m. ET/2:30 p.m. India time

After waiting to hear from Isaac all week.  He finally sent an e-mail this morning.  He said that this may be his last e-mail until he gets to New Zealand.  He said that he will try to call  "but if not please don't worry....the next 2 weeks will be absolutely insane...."  I'm worrying already.
 

Monday, 12/6 and Tuesday 12/7

I sent Isaac an e-mail early Monday morning with the subject line: Your cat.  I proceeded in the message to tell him about the bad things his cat had done.  I received an e-mail back Tuesday in which Isaac said, "please never have that be the subject of an e-mail, because with our history you know what the first thing that came to mind was.....".  I quickly returned an e-mail apology. 

Sunday, 12/5 1:15 a.m. ET/Sunday, 12/5 11:45 a.m.

Isaac woke us.  He seems extremely upbeat. That is about all I got from my conversation with him because, frankly, I was not awake and responsive to him and he could tell.  He said he would try to call me at a better hour next time.

He spoke first and longer to his mother. They apparently talked about his college admission process to Hiram and what was going on with that.  He wants an ACT study book sent to him so that he has it in New Zealand when he arrives.  He did say that his travels are confirming his desire to go to college next year.

Saturday, 12/4  7:27 a.m. ET, 5:57 p.m. India Time

Isaac has reported in and responded to my e-mails from yesterday.  He writes to his mom, his sister and to me in one e-mail sharing many things and concludes:

The conference has been amazing. I had to go on stage during the opening to talk about last year, which surprised me a bit, but I think it went well. I've been mostly playing sports though since I got here.  I've attended a couple workshops; we'll see how it goes.  [There are] about 150 international people here, so it's a good sized conference...

love you guys,
isaac

Friday, 12/3 9:00 p.m. ET

really appreciated a shower after that.  It is nice to have him back on e-mail and get more details. With all the holiday decorations going up it is hard to realize he won't be with us but I guess, as we told him before he left, "more presents for your sister!" 

Friday, 12/3 early morning

I woke to several e-mails from Isaac.  He is in Bhubaneshwar and will have e-mail access for a couple of weeks (but he will be very busy at IDEC).  I have to run to work but will post more about what he's up to this evening. 

Thursday evening 12/2

We have not heard from Isaac for a few days. He should be in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa for the IDEC by now.  Last night, as I went to sleep I said to Maggie, "I hope Isaac lets me get a full nights sleep."  I feel a little guilty but I really needed a night with uninterrupted sleep.

Monday, 11/29 11:30 p.m. ET/Tuesday, 11/30 10:00 a.m. India time

Isaac called home.  He spoke first to his older sister who is home from college for the Thanksgiving break.  He talked at length to her about many of his reactions and experiences.  He commented upon not being used to seeing people living in the streets and hungry.  He talked to his mother and told her about a religious festival he attended with thousands of people.  He washed his feet in the sea and walked through a temple at the festival. In Chennai, today he planned to visit a Montessori school that Amukta Mahapatra had started. Isaac talked to Dad about the balance in his account.

Monday, 11/29 3:54 a.m. ET/2:24 p.m. India time

Isaac posts to Hoodnotes listserv.  (He does not send a private e-mail to his parents. Hmmm.)  His message:

Hello from India!

Michael, Elizabeth, and myself have had quite an adventure thus far....I have only a minute before I need to head out, but we've visited some amazing places, such as the concerned for working children project, many schools, and the most stunning beach i've ever seen.....We're in Bangalore for the day and will be heading to chennai by train this evening for a night before meeting up with the rest of the dem ed community in bhubaneshwar for the idec....Just had our first Indian bus experience so our stomachs are still settling.....i'll try to upload some pictures when we get to new zealand......the people we've met thus far are the nicest, warmest i've ever met....we're being treated so incredible.....Will write more when we get to the conference (hopefully)....

Shanti,

-Isaac

Saturday, 11/27

Isaac calls at 8:00 a.m. (India time)/9:30 p.m. ET.  He will be leaving Kundupur for Chennai, then Bangalore, and finally onto Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India for the International Democratic Education Conference.

Friday, 11/26

Isaac's mother receives an e-mail from Amukta Mahapatra, one of the organizers of IDEC 2004.  Amukta writes, "I spoke to Isaac yesterday morning at Kundapur, on the campus of the Concerned for Working Children. He is well and excited and will call you in the next few days."

Thursday, 11/25

Isaac telephones his parents' house around 4:15 a.m. ET

Wednesday, 11/24

Isaac telephones his parents' house around 3:30 a.m. ET

Tuesday, 11/23

Isaac leaves a message at his parents house around 2:00 p.m. ET  He also calls his sister at college and leaves a message. He says that he has had trouble finding a telephone and making his international call.

Wednesday, 11/21-23

Isaac's parents fret and worry as they wait to hear from him.

Monday, 11/22

Isaac arrives in Mumbai via London and Delhi in the wee hours of the morning.

Sunday, 11/21

Isaac leaves for Mumbai (Bombay) India from JFK airport in New York City.

Saturday & Sunday, 11/20-21

Isaac calls his parents several times as he makes his way from his apartment in Albany, NY to JFK.

Links to Related Places on Isaac's Trip

Isaac will be attending the International Democratic Education Conference in  Bhubaneshwar, Orissa in India from December 3-12, 2004.  Learn more about IDEC 2004 by clicking here.

Isaac visited the Concerned for Working Children Programme in Kundapur.  Learn more about the Concerned for Working Children Programme by clicking here.

Isaac slept here.  To see where Isaac stayed in Bangkok, Thailand, click here.

Isaac sent money here.  To see where Isaac sent his Tsunami contribution, click here.

Isaac is teaching at Tamariki School in Christchurch, New Zealand.  To visit Tamariki's website, click here.

Isaac ate here.  To see where Isaac ate in New Zealand, click here.

Isaac's Writings

Isaac wrote about his trip to Israel and was published in the DisciplesWorld, the journal of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  To read his article, click here (PDF).

Isaac wrote about democratic education and and was published in the DisciplesWorld, the journal of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  To read his article click here.

Isaac's Part-Time Jobs

Internship at the Alternative Education Resource Organization.  Learn more about AERO by clicking here.

I.R.G. Designs.  This is Isaac's web design business.  He has designed websites for several alternative schools.  His most recent jobs are:

The International High School at Prospect and ACES.  One of his first websites for schools was the Brooklyn Free School.