As soon as Lucas turned 15, he flew from Bucharest to Italy with several of his worldschooling friends to attend the Speak Teens camp, and what an adventure it turned out to be!
Speak Teens is a week-long English immersion camp where international teens help Italian kids improve their English through conversation and fun activities. Lucas and his friends were not only responsible for guiding their younger campers; they also got to enjoy activities including kayaking, swimming, soccer, volleyball, and even drama workshops. As you might imagine, pasta was on the menu every single day—an unofficial perk of camp life in Italy!
The days were intense—16 to 17 hours long!—and we barely heard from Lucas while he was gone. Not because anything was wrong, but because he was completely immersed in the experience. Between camp duties, nonstop activities, and hanging out with friends, he was in his element.
One highlight for Lucas was finally solidifying his backflip (yes, the one he learned at Forever Wild in Bali!) with the help of his friend Kayson. Another win from camp life!
We missed all the boys while they were gone, but we knew they were having a blast. What we didn’t expect was the dramatic turn things would take at the end of the week…
The Ryanair Saga ✈️😬
After we booked the boys’ tickets home, Ryanair changed their unaccompanied minor policy without any warning—and we found out that Lucas and Camden, both under 16, could no longer fly alone with Jake (17) and Gabe (16), who didn’t meet the new guardian age requirement (18). Cue panic.
We caught the policy change just in time—thankfully!—and Camden’s dad, Mel, saved the day. He booked a same-day round trip to Italy to bring the boys home. It still took hours on the phone and in the live chat with Ryanair to link their bookings, and there was still some drama at the airport with their flight being delayed. The whole crew didn’t get home until after 2 a.m., but they made it—and they came back full of stories and smiles.
I even wrote Lucas a goodbye letter, just in case he got stuck in Italy with Ryanair. (You can read it below.) It was a wild ending to an unforgettable week.
We’re so proud of how independent, responsible, and adventurous Lucas has become. Flying internationally without parents, stepping into a mentorship role, helping others learn, pushing his physical skills, and navigating unexpected challenges—he grew a lot in just one week.
He will be holding onto these memories for a long time.
Here is our letter to Lucas when we thought he might be adopted by Ryanair.
Dear Lucas,
Well, it’s been a lovely 15 years being your mom. Your dad, Michael, sends his warmest regards and says he’s proud of the young man you’ve become — even if your Ryanair citizenship now technically supersedes your American one. We are forced to say goodbye. Not because we want to. Not because you did anything wrong, but because you boarded a Wizzair flight to Italy in June, and due to a tragic combination of mid-year policy updates and the fact that you are not yet 16 (but also not a baby?), Ryanair won’t let you fly back to us. You now legally belong to Ryanair or maybe Italy. Possibly both. The paperwork is unclear. We’ve asked. Repeatedly.
Henry says he’ll “sort of miss you,” but he’s already started moving his stuff into your room and has claimed your computer. He says he’ll “keep it warm” which is a weird thing to say about a graphics card, but he’s coping in his own way. We’ve assured him that you’ll write from your new home: the departure lounge at Bologna Airport.
As you’ll recall, back in March, we booked you and your buddies — Camden (15), Gabe (16), and Jake (17) — on a trip to Italy. At the time, Ryanair’s policy said anyone over 15 could escort other under-16s. Totally reasonable.
But then came May. Ryanair, in its infinite chaos, decided that now only passengers 18 and up could escort minors. So suddenly, your group of capable, worldly teenage boys became, in Ryanair’s eyes, a rogue pack of unsupervised children — despite the fact that you all travel the world, have lived on your own, and you can explain the stock market better than your father.
We tried everything to fix it. But Ryanair’s system, much like its seat cushions, offered zero support. Unfortunately, by the time we figured that out, it was too late. You had boarded. You had flown Wizzair. You had — against all odds — arrived in Italy.
We tried to fly Camden’s dad to Italy from Bucharest just to retrieve you like you were a lost suitcase full of live animals— because retrieving one’s child from Ryanair custody now requires international intervention. BUT. You’d already made it to Italy. You’d crossed the Ryanair Rubicon. And now, because of a bureaucratic paradox and a backend system that’s somehow coded in ancient Sumerian, you’re stuck there.
We spent over eight hours trying to reach customer service. We tried calling. They said, “You need to talk to live chat.”
Live chat said, “You need to call.”
One chatbot named Patricia told us you might need to legally emancipate yourself, then immediately offered to sell us €29.99 priority boarding.
At one point, Vicki spent 45 minutes on hold listening to what we can only assume was Ryanair’s original Nokia ringtone on loop, only to be told she would need to pay to remain on hold.
It was like trying to navigate the IRS or Hogwarts blindfolded, with only a chatbot for help.
So… we accept your fate.
You now live in Italy. Or in a Ryanair supply closet. Camden is stuck with you too, since he’s also 15, and Ryanair has adopted him as well. Please take care of each other. Remember to hydrate. Don’t accept unsolicited Ryanair scratch cards.
We’ll think of you often — especially when are only rolling three suitcases instead of four, or when we smell airplane peanuts and feel a single tear roll down our cheeks.
We hope that in one year, when you are 16 and officially “old enough” by Ryanair’s constantly shifting standards, we can be reunited. Until then, we’ll send care packages: socks, milk chocolate bars, and an extra charger.
We love you endlessly. Even if your legal guardian is now the Ryanair help bot.
Mom, Dad, and Henry
(currently on hold with Ryanair, again)
