going to Dresden

I left the dance last night before it was over and went back to my room.  Sarah had a sleepover in the palace with her friends.  I saw her at breakfast, but didn't talk to her, other than to remind her that today we turn in our dirty laundry.  I haven't spent as much time with her over the past week as I did during the first week.  But, she is having a great time being a teen-age girl with Robin, Kyrie, and Christina, so I'm glad she is having fun.  At 13, she needs to have a different experience in Poland than I need.  Her Polish experience of negotiating the price of earrings and learning Polish pop songs is just as valuable as my experience of learning about a 400-year-old cathedral and finding train tickets to Warsaw.  They are just different experiences.  I think it is far more important that she come home remembering that Poland is a fun, exciting, and interesting place where she got to be independent than it is she spend all her time with me.  Plus, I don't really like hanging out at school dances.  If Sarah learns to love Poland, in any way that is best for her, then it is more likely that she will want to come back someday.  I know, because that's what happened to me 23 years ago.  Maybe 30 years from now, she will bring her kids to Poland.   ******   On Wednesday this week, we are all taking a day trip to Dresden, German.  Dresden is a sister city with Columbus, Oh, so we will be thinking about Andy while we are there.   Daniel