#549 School field trip day

Neil Pasricha

It all starts with the permission slip.

Yes, when teachers send them home before the bell rings so parents can rubber stamp the bumpy yellow bus trip to the museum, then it’s on, my friends, it’s on.

Soon the days count down and the buzz builds up as the class gets ready for the day away from school. The middle-ages unit wraps up at Medieval Times, paintings are handed in before the art gallery, and everyone mails a friend a letter before the tour of the post office.

On the morning of the big day you wake up with some extra pep in your step because you know we’re all going far away. It’s time to skip the portables, soggy sandwiches, and long afternoons with the Spanish teacher.

It’s time to do something different.

It’s time … to go for a ride.

Yes, whether it’s the petting zoo, chocolate factory, or a long hike in the woods, it’s time to enjoy the school vacation with some of the following perks:

1. Subs in the house. Taking thirty screaming seven-year-olds to the planetarium is a bit much, so most teachers call in backups in the form of parent chaperones. These subs act like a sweet and sweatered army of substitutes and don’t know enough names or have enough power to mess up the fun. Of course, that’s assuming they’re not your mom or dad. If that happens, your day is done.

2. Wheels on the bus. They go round and round on the way there and back. Yeah, we all gang rush into the slippery seatbelt-free seats and enjoy a loud, laughing party on wheels. There are loud screechy songs, secret makeout sessions, and some friendly gestures at passing motorists. This is also when the classroom’s social structure is on display too — from the cool kids at the back to the nerds sitting with the teacher up front. I really did love sitting up front though. I mean, how about that view?

3. Sealing it in. A friend and I were strolling quickly through an art gallery a couple years back when we stumbled on a group of kindergartners holding a rope and looking at splotchy art paintings. I’ll never remember the jaw-dropping look of pure head-tilting amazement from the little boy at the end of the group — eyes twinkling, mittens hanging out his winter coat, and his whirring brain soaking and swallowing up something beautiful on the wall. And it’s true: field trips often help seal in the learning. Chalk one up for school.

So… let’s enjoy the memories, let’s enjoy the moments, and let’s enjoy the parking lot speed bumps. Yes, let’s all love those special days when dusty chalkboards fade away and buses wheel us down the freeway, far away, far away, far away.

AWESOME!

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Photos from: here, here, here, and here

2,210 thoughts to “#549 School field trip day”

  1. The comment section of this post is ridiculously AWESOME!
    You just have to be a blogger for one day to know how exciting receiving a comment can be.

    1. You’re right Rosalina.. this comment thread has been amazing! All the contributions have been terrific – the readers of this blog are an amazing group!

  3. Public libraries. In these tough economic times it’s such a awesome gift to go into your public library and come home with free entertainment; reading to your hearts content! Libraries have so much to offer for free.

  4. When you go to the dentist, and get told you don’t have cavaties, and you get one of those really cool stickers. =]

  5. The moment you spring out of bed thinking you’re late, just to realize that it’s the weekend and you get to sleep in.

    1. I LOVE that feeling. :) Of course, the fact that you’re already out of bed isn’t fun, but still.

  6. uhhh wow there are a lot of comments. you have so many fans! :) how are you ever going to read all these and pick a winner? you should just randomize both winners. make life easier for yourself.

    and for that, my awesome thing is:
    Making Choices Easier For Yourself By Using Random Selection

  9. Whoa, what’s really awesome are the pictures that show up next to each comment! Such pretty tesselations (if that’s what they are)

  12. Dance songs that tell you exactly what you have to do.
    We’re always supposed to be creative on the dance floor, so it’s a relief when that one song comes on with lyrics that also serve as instructions. The Cha-Cha slide, the Cupid Shuffle, the YMCA…they’re a blessing to generic dancers everywhere. Even cousin Eddie with 2 left feet can manage to get up and break it down when the dance song that tells you exactly what you have to do comes on. AWESOME.

  13. Quickly Getting Across Hot Pavement When You’re Barefoot

    It’s a hot day in July and you decided to not put on some shoes. Maybe all you’re planning to do is get the mail or reach the nearby neighborhood swimming pool. No point in putting on shoes for that right? Being the dare devil you are, you decide to take the challenge. Oh, you know that cement has been baking in the blistering sun all day, but you’re tough enough to reach your goal without frying your feet off. You probably take some shortcuts in the grass along the way, but at some point you’re dashing or doing a weird jig to keep your feet off the hot cement for as long as possible. The bottom of your feet get hot, then hotter and hotter and HOTTER UNTIL — ahhh, you reach your cool destination of hardwood floors, water, or soft grass.

    Congratulations, Dare Devil. You made it. Now let the soles of your feet enjoy those refreshing sensations.

    AWESOME!

    1. today was the first day this year that it was warm enough for me to walk home from school barefoot. the little children of the 1800’s had it right walking barefoot is the best way to spend that time right after school

  14. Taking time to wrap up in a warm blanket just out of the dryer instead of putting it to the side and rushing on the the next chore.

  15. Awesome thing #549

    Finding your elementary school year book when you are older and looking at all the hearts you drew around your crushes heads or your friends comments.

    Even if you lose contact with your friends or if you never hooked up with your crush, there is a good chance that they may be looking at the same book and thinking of you!

    Awesome

  17. My awesome thing is when my dog curls up against me on his back and snores. Not dreams, not twitches, FULL. ON. SNORES. And you can tell he is just having the best sleep of his little puppy life.

  18. Mixing all your Lego sets together.
    Lego sets are made to be put together “properly” once, and then disassembled and tossed into a cardboard box/footlocker/anything-that-will-hold-them-all to create a veritable melting pot of spaceship parts, pirates, dragons, castle parapets, multi-colored bricks, and those tiny little pieces that you can never find when you need them, but are everywhere when you don’t. Don’t deny yourself/your children the freedom of building a medieval fortress guarded by lasers and ninjas! Letting your Legos mingle.
    AWESOME!

  19. Putting the last piece in the puzzle.

    After hours, days, and maybe even weeks, your hard work has paid off. The picture is complete and you’re the one who did it. I’ve even gone so far as to hide the last piece, just so I can say I finished it… Awesome!

  21. That first day when you realize you like someone new …

    listening to all the happy love songs again, smiling through your somehow fortuitously sunny day, being reminded every few seconds of something cute about that person, the endless possibilities of relationship stretching out in front of your imagination…

    AWESOME!!

    1. ooooh I know that feeling. when you’re dancing round your room with every little songg… i like this one a lot girl!!

  22. Also, when a kid says something completely inappropriate that he or she doesn’t know is completely inappropriate. You can’t explain to them why it’s funny. It’s like an inside joke with yourself!

  23. My awesome thing is finishing a particularly difficult essay (or other homework assignment) earlier than you planned – ie, earlier than 5 am the day it’s due. There’s nothing like that satisfaction and pure glee that sweeps through you once you do that final spell check and hit print and watch as those glorious 12 pages you just slaved over for the last 7 hours print on shiny white paper.

  24. An awesome thing for me is when you get a phone call from someone special right at that moment when you need to just talk to someone.

  25. When you elegantly untangle a particularly nasty knot of cords with MacGyver-like speed. You momentarily consider a life as a sailor. Of course, the opposite situation is pretty awful, but who says we always need a middle ground. Until the formidable forces of tangle take over once again, the decluttered foot space is…yes…pretty AWESOME.

  26. Having a heart-to-heart with a kid.

    It can be easy to forget that kids are just small people, until you find yourself in a conversation saying “Yeah! Exactly!”.

    AWESOME!!!

  27. i dont think i have ever seen so many comments on one post! …
    i just seen it at 1234 comments :)
    LOL

  28. I love those moments when you are able to communicate with someone without having a shared verbal language.

    You find yourself on a dusty street in a foreign country, unable to speak Nandjere or Oromiffa or Quechua, but through sign language and smiling and gestures and laughter, you are able to have a conversation with the people around you.

    I’ve been to dozens of countries, but never visited one where people didn’t understand smiling and kindness and gentle friendliness. It’s so cool when the community pitches in and wants to help you out and guide you on your way.

    I love how in small ways, we all speak the same language.

  29. When you listen to your favorite song over, and over, and over again.
    That glorious moment when you know all the words, but only mouth them so you can still hear the singer and remember every note, every background twang, and every rare time the artists voice may crack or waver even the slightest bit. For those lively people out there, making up dorky and entertaining dance moves that match up with each word. So the next time someone asks if you know the song, you immediately begin to sing the words or at least tell them. “Yes, yes I do. That song is

    AWESOME!

  30. Cheering on anything with a group of good friends. Like back in jr high when we would go to the high school basketball games and we’d all be wearing school shirts and everyone would be doing the clapping thing totally getting into it. Or in university when my roommate’s boyfriend was in that band and had a gig in a dive bar and we would all scream our lungs out yelling and cat calling and whistling. Or watching Next Top Model with my mom, eating chips and salsa, both rooting for the girl who is short because we are both short and really want to see a change we can believe in. Just look at the past olympics- how much did you want to be at the opening ceremony, screaming for your country amongst others rooting for their own countries, sportsmanship and cockiness rolled into one? Or star wars in the theater with all the proud to be geeks and nerds clapping with the credits.

    No matter the venue, no matter the event, it feels good to be part of something bigger than yourself, to be rooting for something other than yourself, and to totally have the freedom to paint your face, yell like a banshee, and stand united with friends and strangers alike.

  31. Awesome is knowing that we’re all connected. Through reading 1000awesomethings, postsecret, and other great blogs, we’re reminded that we all share the everyday miracles that make our lives so rich. They also remind us that we share the tragedies that make our lives hard, yet bind us together. We’re reminded of our humanity. We’re all in it together…none of us is alone…Awesome.

  32. Cold Leftovers from a great night. They kind of night where you go out for dinner at 7 and stumble home around 2am with a togo box and memories.

    A few days later you pull out the leftovers and a fork, not taking it out of the container or even warming it up. When you dig into you get a smile on your face as you remeber everything that happened on that great night.

    AWESOME!

  33. Splashing through deep puddles with your car.

    Springtime comes and you’re desperate to enjoy the sun. However, the temperature isn’t quite ready to let you enjoy it on your own. Accompanied by your noble steed (or the same car that refused to start a few months before) you’re ready to hit the streets and blast the tunes! Sure, it might cost you extra the next time you go to the carwash to get the mud off the roof, but when the dirty water splashes up on all sides of the car its hard to hold back a smile on your face.

  34. When you go to leave your friends house in the car, and they pick up their cat/small dog from in the driveway so that it doesn’t run under the wheels…and they hold one of its paws up and make it wave goodbye to you :)

    Oh! And dogs in sunglasses. In photos, in real life, whatever. If someone put a pair of sunglasses on their dog and then made it wave goodbye to me as i was leaving, it would absolutely make my day!

  35. Your favorite sneakers

    Everyone has them. They may lurk under your bed, or in the back seat of your car, or they may proudly be on display by the front door. They have been molded from hundreds of miles of walking on all sorts of terrain. Each stain and rip and splatter holds a flavorful memory- there’s that mud spot from when you frantically sprinted to make it back to your car to be home in time for curfew in your high school years, and over the right toe is a smatter of blue paint from when you painted that house after freshman year. The backs have been trampled and stomped so they are perfectly flat, but you love them anyways. And they love you.
    Even though they have more miles than your car, they’ve seen you through a lot. From when you first picked them out in that crowded, rubber-scented shoe section at your local store so many years ago, they have faithfully staid by your side. Sure, they’re a little worse for the wear, but the memories they hold are irreplaceable. And although your spouse may try to hide them, your dog may try to bury them, or your parents may try to put them out with the trash, you proudly bring them back out and wear them, because you know they are…

    AWESOME.

  36. Moving home.

    Because you moved away from home to go to school, because “education is important”. But after leaving your family, friends and the one you love, you realize it wasn’t worth it. But after 8 miserable months, you realize you are back with the ones you love.

    1. I actually feel the opposite at this point in my life. Leaving school for the summer is so exciting, because I can’t wait to see my family and friends from home again. But after just a couple months, as much as I love everyone at home, I start counting down the days until I take the long drive back to my other home, where my friends ARE my family.

  37. Awesome thing #549 SHOULD be The Book of Awesome. I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t want a book full of this stuff? Plus, it’s a great way to promote yourself. Eh? Eh? A little marketing deal. You know you love it.

  38. Another option is the “Satisfying Stretch”. Sometimes a yawn is involved, and sometimes it’s just leaning back, stretching until your ears ring a little, and having your whole body relax after holding that tension for a moment. After that quick, three second re-adjustment, you feel awesome!

  39. My awesome thing:

    That funny thing you friend says to make you squirt whatever you were drinking out of your nose.

    1. Oh god, I still remember when I did that once with chocolate milk in 4th grade – it hit my friend in the face, which just made me laugh even harder! My friend was not as amused, though.

  40. It’s pretty awesome when your favorite TV show has a Saturday or Sunday marathon – not only do you wear pajamas all day and relax in front of the TV, you get to rewatch your favorite episodes, and maybe catch a couple you missed, too.

  41. Reading the last page of a book, then closing the cover.

    Going into a store and finding that one thing you’re looking for without any help.

    Watching a movie on DVD at home all the way through, no breaks or pausing

    Waking up before your alarm goes off

    That character everyone loves to hate

    Finishing a giant jawbreaker

    Tap water that actually tastes good

    When the next book in a series comes out

    When your cat stretches and makes that squeak noise

    When everything just works out.

  43. shaped ice cubes

    honestly, seeing mickey, a goose, or even french fry like ice floating in my drink makes life AWESOME.

  44. When the milk left in the carton is the perfect amount.

    You head downstairs for a late night snack, going for the cupboard first. It’s slim pickins – it’s the end of your week and you don’t usually go grocery shopping until tomorrow.

    Luckily for you there’s still a box of your FAVORITE cereal. You can’t quite remember when you bought it or WHY you haven’t been eating it, and when you pick up the box there is still PLENTY left inside.

    You walk past the fridge and eagerly go for a bowl, a misstep that will soon induce waves of panic. Thinking about the SCRUPMTIOUS crispy/soggy treat that lays ahead, you just go on blissfully pouring the contents. You give the box the last few shakes, roll up the bag, and fit that little TAB THING into its slot and suddenly it hits you: MILK.

    You have NO IDEA how much milk you have.

    With a sense of urgency now you fling the fridge door open and scan its contents. You spot the semi-transparent plastic gallon and your worst fears could be realized: The gallon is mostly empty with MAYBE an inch and a half of lactose-filled goodness left on the bottom.

    Two scenarios race through your mind:

    1. There is enough milk to fill the bowl plus a TINY, MICROSCOPIC bit of it left on the bottom of the jug: Sure, you’ll use that little bit in the next bowl/glass when you buy a new gallon, but in the meantime it will just sit there USELESS. It will tease you with the prospect of dairy with the added annoyance of reminding you that whenever you get more milk and have a tall frosty glass you’ll have to deal with rinsing out the empty jug. Filling it with and pouring out water several times, crumpling it and throwing it in the proper bin.

    2. There is nowhere near the amount you need: After pouring you’ll stare at the only HALF full bowl – in fact the levels will be so low you can’t even SEE the milky white underneath your flakes/loops/squares/pebbles/puffs. It’s too late to pour it back and you’ll grudgingly choke down the stuff while pathetically trying to soak each morsel in a futile attempt to enjoy it. Not only that, but adding insult to injury, you’ll have to rinse out the empty jug immediately while you’re totally BUMMED OUT.

    Trying desperately not to think of #2 you grab the jug, twist off the top, and to your delight you get a different scenario…

    There is, somehow, the PERFECT amount of milk: You’re skeptical at first as you examine the bowl. Milk level LOOKS to be spot on but you can’t be sure until you chow down. You become cautiously optimistic as you take each bite. As you near the end what has transpired becomes crystal clear. Your spoon grazes the bottom of the bowl and along with the last few specks you ALSO get the very last of the milk. You can’t help but think this was the greatest milk-to-cereal ratio of all time. Not only was there was no rationing of the milk with each bite to make it last until the end, but also no ridiculous amount of sugary/corn-flavored/oat-infused white runoff on the bottom. Heck, after that, just leave the milk jug rinsing for tomorrow morning.

    Sure, scenario 1 might also leave you with a properly filled bowl of cereal, but there is only one outcome that will truly be

    AWESOME!

    __________________

    (I was just going to leave the one sentence idea but I got so EXCITED I just started writing more and more. I REALLY want some cereal now.)

  45. Pingback: #549 Your idea here « 1000 Awesome Things « RSS Search Engine

  46. When a zipper gets caught but you’re finally able to get it to work again. This happens to me way too often, so it makes me that much happier whenever I get the zipper to function again!

  47. I love the feeling of standing in a crowd at a concert and knowing that all the people around you share a love for the same thing at that moment. You know the moment when there are thousands of people moving as one in the crowd to the song that they all love. It is like all of a sudden you are part of the hugest group of friends in existence.

    For that one moment it doesn’t matter who you are, for that one moment you are not just one person, your most important attribute is that you are part of a crowd, something bigger than before. I guess music connects us in that way, you know? Music puts us all on the same level, i cant think of anything else that makes everybody see so clearly eye-to-eye. its awesome.

  48. When you finish everything you had hoped to get done that day, when you get even 15 free minutes from busy life to relax with the satisfying, acomplished feeling!

  49. When your grandchild hugs you tight, kisses you and says “I love you, Gramma” without any prompting from anyone… it takes your breath away!

    Awesome!

  50. The very first friend you make after moving to a new place, starting a new job or a new school.

    awesome.

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