Our class consists of both undergraduate and graduate students, and I’ll be the first to admit I was nervous about the potential age difference between my classmates and me. I’m 30, married, and I work full time, so I’m only a part-time student in GW’s Master of Tourism Administration program. The majority of students in my program tend to have started grad school immediately after undergrad, so I’m generally one of the older students in my classes. That isn’t a big deal in daily life, but I worried that any undergraduate students traveling with us in Russia would look at me like I was their grandmother. It’s been such a happy, unexpected surprise that one of my best friends on this trip has turned out to be my 19-year-old classmate, Giuliana. We may be an unlikely friendship, being both the oldest and the youngest women in our class, but of all the great things I will take away from this international experience, this new little sister of mine is one of the best.
