Teen Voices

By Connor Thompson, Special to the Town Crier

People to People Ambassador Connor Thompson enjoys the view from the London Eye during his trip to the United Kingdom.

Lots of kids go to sleep-away camp during their summer vacations, but most don’t need a passport to get there. This summer I was given an incredible opportunity to visit the United Kingdom as part of the People to People Student Ambassador Program, established by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 to promote international understanding.

I was the only student from Los Altos in the Bay Area group of about 25 fifth- and sixth-graders and two adult leaders. Our group met monthly for half a year to get to know each other and the countries we were going to visit.

“We did research on things related to our trip and wrote in our journals to practice for daily required journal writings. We learned useful travel tips on packing, budgeting, money conversion and airline and hotel travel.

Finally - after six months of preparation - our trip began. Joined by about 20 delegates from Ohio, we traveled to four countries - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - from July 4 to July 17. We stayed about three days in each country, moving to different cities and hotels by bus. An average day began at 7 a.m. and ended at 10:30 p.m. We met a Member of Parliament and visited museums and tourist sites, including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, the London Eye, the Tower of London, Trinity College and Edinburgh Castle. We also learned Irish and Scottish dances and attended a play in London.

The terrorist bombings in London happened while we were in England. Fortunately, we had left London on a bus the morning that the bombings occurred. When we were on the outskirts of the city, our leaders interrupted us to tell us the terrible news: Four terrorist bombs had gone off in London and in the Tube. We had ridden on the Tube the day before. We were not too concerned by this news, because we did not understand the full extent of the damage. I think our leaders did not want to tell us in detail because they did not want to scare us and ruin the rest of our trip. They did have each of us call home when we reached the hotel to tell our parents that we were fine.

On my last day in Ireland, I was lucky enough to find a copy of the newly released “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” before I got on the plane. It kept me content and busy for most of the ride. I finished it after my 12th hour of flying. The European version of the book has a different cover, smaller size and print and a few different English words.

Even with the impact of the bombings, the trip was a great experience and an unforgettable two weeks. I enjoyed experiencing different cultures, eating different foods, visiting historic places and participating in unique events. I would love to participate in a People to People trip again, either to other parts of Europe or to Australia. It was a spectacular chance to immerse myself in the cultures of the United Kingdom and a great chance to make new friends from the Bay Area and Ohio.

Thirteen-year-old Connor Thompson is a native of Los Altos, a seventh-grader at St. Nicholas School, and a member of Boy Scout Troop #33.