GAP Year begins - Sept 2016

Forrest has been planning his Gap year for a long time, but it didn't all come together until the end of his senior year.

So, here's the deal. A GAP year for a Holcombe child can't be a brain GAP where you do nothing of any use. First, Forrest had to apply and be accepted into a college.  He had to have some service for an organization. And, he couldn't wonder around traveling the world (he's been doing that for a while).

First, he took care of university. Thankfully, HKIS is crazy helpful in this realm. He chose American University and then deferred until fall 2017. ✓

So, he talked to people and he researched and he made a really good year-long plan that came together.  ✓

He planned eleven months divided into three sections: Pass It Back (public health in Laos), Legacy Discipleship School (Birmingham, AL), and JH Ranch (working in the camp in Etna, CA).

On September 10, 2016 Jeff and Forrest flew to Vientiane, Laos. Jeff spent the weekend moving Forrest into an apartment and teaching him how to ride a motorbike. This is what Jeff fears the most, the motorbike. I think this is too much TV. And, it's actually a bit of an irrational fear if you ask me. 

Home sweet home for almost four months.

His job was not to play rugby. Truly, he was there doing service. Pass It Back is a great organization and Forrest was there to teach first aid and CPR and also do concussion clinics and much more. His job was a bit more complicated (not for the blog). 

This is straight from the website (personally, the rugby players I met in college should have been sent to Laos because they didn't meet any of these criteria - just sayin'): Pass It Back delivers an integrated rugby and life-skills curriculum, providing important learning opportunities with a focus on leadership, gender equity and planning for the future.  Across all sessions, learning is linked to rugby's values and what they mean on and off the pitch.

Off to the northern part of Laos for holiday. This is the scary beard. I swear I actually screamed one night when he popped up on the FaceTime screen looking like this

This is Luang Prabang, Laos, which is at the confluence of the Mekong River and the Nam Khan (Khan River). He was able to travel with other expats living in Vientiane, doing great things for the world, like Forrest.

He also traveled with the Lao Rugby team 

Vietnam

And, he had visitors. Ellis and Daniel made it for a long weekend in November. 

He doesn't even like running.

Without training, Forrest decides to run a
10K on the morning after Ellis and Daniel
arrive. Of course, Ellis stayed in bed and
Forrest racked up 33,000 steps by the end
of his day (10K and giving E and D the
tour of Vientiane).

He got those genes from Gran.

I'll just leave this photo small. Forrest will soon have a stomach of iron.

This outing happened after Ellis left. Apparently this is the embassy house for a not so friendly Asian country.

If I was doing this at 18 years old, I think my parents would have had few more restful nights.