Don't know what you have until she's gone

Talked to Nan (she was our exchange student from Aug. to June from Thailand) today. She is so busy with school. The school year she spent here is wasted. They are not counting it towards anything. She is repeating the 11th grade again. She is so busy and all she does is study. School was already in session about a month or so when she returned home, so she didn't get any break.

I miss her so much. I didn't think it would be so hard. I hear her and she doesn't sound happy and it breaks my heart. She doesn't even have time for drawing. She did say she is going to try and join the newspaper, she really seemed to enjoy that while she was here.

Eric and I are always talking about how other countries treat school as more important then we do here in the states. I don't think our schools are anywhere up to standards, but this is crazy. She is so behind. How could she spend a year here taking advance classes that our children will probably never take (maybe college) and be so behind in 11th grade back there. As much as I know school is important and must be a child's job, I don't think a child should have to spend all waking hours with a school book. I know Nan, I have seen her study, if she says she is always studing and is behind, she must be. She will not even be able to e-mail for two weeks because she has to study for a test.

I want Nan back. I want her to be able to continue and expand her art. She is amazing. It seems as though, in Thailand, art is not important. I don't want her upset everyday.

On the up side, she misses us too. She heard Diego in the background while he was eating (he is a loud eater). I miss her and wish I could hug her right now. We all miss you Nan and think of you each and every day.