Hello EK and thanks for your comments. Regarding Ghostt I re-read the sentences he wrote leading up to the word cult, and I agree with everything so I mentioned it. A true “Tea Party Conservative” would agree because before the Tea Party was co-opted into what it is today, that was a movement to end military adventurism and bring troops home, pursuing limited govt libertarian policies. I consider myself fairly conservative in that respect (as in cut govt spending to balance the budget, respect property rights, free market, etc).
Regarding overseas study: as a kid, my relatively poor family had a modest home full of kids cats and dogs, and we hosted a foreign student who lived with us for 2 years and went to the local high school. He’s still in touch 30 years later! What an experience for us as hosts and for him as a student. More often, foreign kids come here but I don’t know of any American kids who leave to spend 10th grade overseas like my daughter did. We helped get it set up but only because she was so thrilled to embark on the journey.
We have two other (younger) kids and they’re not the Reed type. One is quiet and very “mainstream”, the other is super athletic and wants to become an architect. But our daughter, the creative and curious bookworm who loves academics and finds joy in Mother Nature, I hope she gets into Reed College and I know it would be the perfect place for her to grow. If it’s not meant to be, she’s been accepted into two universities that offer programs she likes also. We shall see! I love Reed College regardless. Thanks Reed for being Reed.