Still influencing my life

I traveled with Up With People in cast 82B. I expanded my world view, learned to make the most of each moment, good or bad, and made friends I still consider precious. It was interesting, difficult, fun, crazy, exhausting, uplifting. My tour was 4 months in Mexico, allowing me to learn another language), then to the southern USA. Being immersed in families different from my own, yet with similar goals, allowed me to grow and become more tolerant. My final host mom picked me up in a car held together with masking tape, wearing socks, but no shoes. The children were wild and filthy. We arrived at the mobile home, where several people lived. I had been given my own room, in spite of space restriction, with a lock on the door. A friend of theirs came over, as I was known to give haircuts, and he'd not been able to get one for a while. As we chatted, he said he was out for the weekend. I asked out of where? The county? The town? Nope, the jail. Okay then....Dad was a pastor, the rest of the family and significant others were all ex-cons (or current cons). After my 2 days with them, I left the town, on the bus at the highway, into Atlanta, then flew home. Do you know, that host family, with no funds to spare, called my parents to make sure I was home safely? I expected my time with Up With People to expand my music career, but much more importantly, it expanded my personality and my humanity. I like to think I've never lost the openness to other cultures and situations, over the years. Oh, by the way, a very good friend from that year kept in contact. 11 yrs later, we reconnected and married. This year we celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary.
Kimberley McLean, Aurora, ON, Canada