Educational Tourism of Epic Proportions

My dear daughter, Lizzy, and I are going on a little trip. It's what my husband calls "educational tourism."

The only college he visited when he was in high school was the University of San Francisco, because he could walk there.

The only college I visited when I was in high school was the University of Colorado, because my parents drove me there and because that's where they went to school.

Both of us chose a college that was on the opposite side of the country from where we grew up, simply because we had the overwhelming desire to serve our country as naval officers. (We went to the US Naval Academy...but that's not the point of this story).

These days, good students have so many schools vying for their money that they start mailing students information towards the end of their sophomore or beginning of their junior year in high school. Lots of these schools have "open house" day, or "meet our faculty" day or "come and win a t-shirt" day.

I know, I've been to many of these already with my older three kids who are now safely ensconced in colleges across the country.

But Lizzy seems to know what God is calling her to do more than her older sibs did. She feels called to be a "healer," and she is a good student, so she has already been offered scholarships at several of her top college choices.

She has been invited to compete for larger scholarships at three schools which are located in three different states on three different weekends. We did manage to persuade one of the schools to let us come in the middle of the week, between the other two weekends. But this means we'll be going on an educational tourism trip of epic proportions.

We will be spending three days at Benedictine College, in Atchison, Kansas; followed by three days at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania; followed by three days at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

We're excited, but planning (and paying) for a trip like this is no small matter.

My husband will be minding the manor whilst we're away and he has requested that I not only plan menus for the 9 days we'll be gone, but also freeze some of those meals and include a detailed schedule of events as to what must take place while we're gone including, but not limited to, exactly how to pay the bills should I meet my heavenly reward while on the trip.

Stay tuned for updates.