Balancing Discipline with Freedom- but always providing Assurance

Taking students on international trips is an incredibly energizing, entertaining and challenging affair. I have always thought about how much freedom to give to students and how much discipline I should impose. On this trip I was not the leader so I did not have the task of imposing discipline. But I did find that on occasion the students needed to feel that their concerns were being heard, even when not much could be done about the issues. Giving them a shoulder to lean on and reducing their anxieties while also enforcing the rules- certainly kept me engaged.
When students write that "you truly helped make the trip a wonderful experience. I so enjoyed racing you every where!Thank you for all of your insight and humor" and "Hahaha, you are too funny! ...It was great to have you along on the Turkish Adventure!!" I think I did a reasonable job.
Of course, when a student says that "It was so great to have you on the trip with us! You humor and knowledge really added to the experience. It was so fun for me to have someone along with such great musical taste!" it is icing on the Turkish cake..