Member-only story
PERSONAL GROWTH
Remarkable Life Inspiration Results From Spreading Your Wings
How I learned to master fear and gain confidence as a teenager
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Summer 1975 challenged me to set aside personal fear, build self-confidence, and spread my wings. It changed my life. Every young person should endeavor to venture out on their own at least once to see how high they can fly and how much they gain in perspective and self-worth.
I was completing my last year of preparatory school in the Northeastern United States and eagerly awaiting college. I had already decided to pursue a degree in two languages, French and Spanish. At my parents' urging, I enrolled in a summer abroad program with a group out of Brattleboro, Vermont, called The Experiment in International Living, which still surprisingly exists.
As it manifested, the idea was to leave the safety of friends and family to accommodate a four-week homestay in France and travel for two weeks afterward. On June 21, I joined a small group of twelve 17-year-olds and an adult group leader at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. We had flown from multiple states (California, Iowa, New Jersey, Massachusetts, etc.) to begin our travels together.
