Being the mom of two of the travelers on this blog I find myself preparing for a trip as well. I will be taking four middle school students to Fort Collins, Colorado on May 31 until June 5. They are a group called the Future Problem Solvers and I am their coach. We are going to the International Competition where 5,000 other FPS students will gather to share their talents and understanding of the FPS process. I have coached teams for the past 5 years and really think the process is valuable in real life when it comes to looking at problems both large and small, in the present and in the future. It is a 6 step process that stimulates a variety of options and solutions ending with a plan for action. We've all been there and eventually we have to have a"plan for action!" May all of our actions be born of a thoughtful plan at some point or another!!