Caleb Martin of Italy, Hilary Martin of Germany, Kay Fisher of Mexico, Kaitlyn Zimmerman, Jeff & Deana Swanson of Shalom Supersonic Airlines, and Brandon Nolt (Jeff's 7th grade Bible teaching apprentice) of Switzerland.
We began the evening scanning their luggage and stamping their passport invitations. The students then stayed in the waiting area until we boarded the plane. The teachers had made an instructional and safety video for the students to watch.
We enjoyed appetizers in Mexico: chips, salsa, and nachos. We planned to have the students bring four items in their suitcases, one to use in each room with an activity. While in Mexico, the students donned hats and learned the Mexican Hat Dance.
After learning about the intercepted Zimmerman Telegram, we hurriedly left Mexico and dashed back to the plane. The flight attendants served drinks, pretzels, and peanuts to very polite students. (They had paid attention to the instructional video, perhaps?)
The next stop was Italy, where we enjoyed Olive Garden salad and olive, tomato and cheese kabobs. The students then were put into groups and tried to see which group could get the tallest stack of luggage. After hearing that Italy had joined Germany and Austria-Hungary in WWI, we left Italy and ran back to the plane.
The cabin air pressure dropped too low on the next flight, and we had to secure our oxygen masks. We took several pictures to put in the yearbook of the students wearing these.
Our next stop was Germany, where we ate sweet pickles, cheese cubes, bratwurst, and sauerkraut. Then we traded pieces of chocolate from our suitcases. It was at this point that we heard the Nazis were coming (okay, a quick jump to WWII-- it is still history) and ran out the back door, up the hill around the school, and back into the airplane.
Our last stop was neutral Switzerland where the students sat on sheep skin rugs and listened to yodeling music. They pulled mugs and spoons from their suitcases, stirred their hot chocolate, and ate homemade apple strudel and real European chocolates.
Next we learned one of my favorite old campfire songs, "An Austrian went yodeling on a mountain top high . . . " and refined our yodeling skills. (The students asked if we could sing it again the next day at school :-).
It had taken us over two hours to set up four rooms and an "airplane", but with the help of our students, we had it all cleaned up in about twenty minutes. That was a real blessing to the very tired, but very happy teachers.