The village had a tradition. Every youth spent a year traveling abroad. It was a rite of passage that signified their adulthood. The children would choose their destinations, and their parents would make the arrangements.
Most boys took apprenticeships or jobs on ships or caravans, and came back having learned a trade. Most girls stayed with distant relatives or family friends, and many came back with husbands. Some never returned, and were mourned as though dead.
The practice ended when the War started. After the village was bombed, friends from all over the world came to mourn and help rebuild.

We are so back!
Welcome to Everyday Drabbles, a daily 100-word short story. After participating in The Dog Days of Podcasting by recording some of my favorite stories from my original run, I got inspired to get the project going again. Please bookmark this site to read a new story every day, and subscribe to receive a weekly summary email in your inbox!

Today’s image is “Old Village” by John Neven, shared under a Creative Commons 2.0 Attribution License.

My first collection of Drabbles, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Thanks for reading, and have a fabulous day!