Bonus Blog from London

I get the opportunity to share a bonus YMAD blog from beautiful London England. With all of the maneuvering precipitated by our cancelled direct flight home from London to SLC on Saturday, I became one of two lucky leaders who got to lead a mini expedition to explore a few London sites during our layover. For most of the group it was their first experience riding aboard the double decker red buses synonymous with London followed by an underground adventure on the tube, including a very packed ride back to our hotel. We visited Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abby, Big Ben and the icing on our cake, the 5 Guys on Kensington High Street.
For me, our special day in London brought back a wave of wonderful memories from my time spent living and working in the city.  For the teens, it was the icing on the cake of what has been an amazing adventure spanning three continents from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam to Delhi to Kullu to Manali to London and back to Salt Lake City. Each of us have grown, created lasting connections and shared experiences that will surely carry through with us into our next post-YMAD chapters.  We have emerged from this experience as better leaders; more compassionate, more helpful, more attune to life around us, more capable, more humble and more prepared to change the world one day at a time.
In London, our group was able to experience a cultural melting pot of ethnicities and were pleased at how many people from India call London home. As we finished our dinner a young man from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was so excited to see Devin, Anna, Cori and Sloane in their traditional Indian attire, and many other group members In our YMAD expedition Ts.  He expressed how much he missed his family back home and his longing to help provide a better life for them and hope for a permanent reunion in the not too distant future. His mastery of the English language opened a door for him to lay hold of an expanded set of economic opportunities for his family.  Perhaps our work in India may be the beginning of something similar for the kids we met and taught.  His longing for home was also a poignant reminder that each of us long to be back home with you. We love you, we have missed you and cannot wait for the warm embraces that will shout family upon our return Sunday afternoon and in the wee hours of Monday morning.  A big thank you from all of us for your support!

3 Responses to “Bonus Blog from London”

1. Camylle Darby, on June 23rd, 2024 at 3:16 am Said:

   Thank you for taking such good care of our kids!!! And for sharing this last experience, the icing on the cake.

2. Debbie Foster, on June 23rd, 2024 at 3:21 am Said:

   Appreciate knowing they were able to experience a little bit of London! Thank you SO much for sharing and taking care of everyone!!

3. Gaylynn Mauss, on June 23rd, 2024 at 5:21 am Said:

   This is a dream for sure! So amazing! Thanks for sharing!