#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. When you were a kid: the moment the school bell rang on the last day of school in June. Nearly three whole months of summer before you – oh, the possibilities! Nothing compares. It’s AWESOME!

    1. The day after the last day of school. It’s like the last day of school, only without having to go to school.

      AWESOME!

  2. When somedays draws “pictures” on your back with their finger and you have to guess what it is!

  3. Spring nostalgia.

    That stuff is the best. Bike rides to bagel shops on sunday morning, the ability to lay on that perfect patch of grass without your butt getting soaked, the satisfaction of sipping fizzy lemonade, and most of all spending all of that with good friends.

    Oh, so AWESOME

  5. Going on to 1000awesomethings.com and finding not just one, but two (or even more) new awesome things entries.

    One may satisfy, but two is like going to the vending machine and getting double the bags of chips you paid for. Three is just simply…

    AWESOME!

  7. Putting the batteries in something.

    Everybody’s been there, having to get up to change the station, not being able to play pokemon, not having batteries is a very helpless feeling. But the liberating feeling of putting those batteries in and not having to wait five minutes to get to that show you want to watch that happens to be on a high number channel is very

    AWESOME!

  8. Returning home unexpectedly late and instead of being required to forge a detailed, analytical explanation you are instead greeted with welcoming arms, a warm smile and three gentle words: “I missed you.”

    AAAHHHHHHHHHHh………..

  9. Kicking a pebble all the way down the street.

    When you’re strolling down the street, alone or with a friend, and you find that one lonely pebble. You give it a little nudge with your foot and it goes rolling down the street right and stops right in your tracks. You continue to kick it, turning it into a small game of soccer, while you keep kicking it straight ahead until that little pebble rolls off your path (bummer) or you arrive at your destination. What’s even better is when a friend joins in and you find yourself passing back and forth between your partner. It sure makes your walk a lot more enjoyable!

  10. Awesome Thing #549

    Dislodging that kernel of popcorn from between your teeth.

    (I haven’t read ALL of the above comments, so if someone already mentioned this, I truly apologise)

    It is SO gratifying when you’ve been trying through the whole movie to get it out, and when you finally give up, it comes loose a little while later. See also: getting miscellaneous food stuffs out of teeth with varying apparatii).

  11. When you climb into a bed made with newly washed sheets that are still warm from the dryer. Awesome!

  12. The feeling when you have the moment of something you worked so hard for (a performance, game, grade, etc.)
    Happy because you’re done with all your hard work, but sad because it was so rewarding!
    awesome!

  13. When your favorite episode of a tv series just happens to be on TV when you’re ‘flipping around’. .
    awesome!

  16. The End to a Sleep Hangover
    Whether you just pulled an all-nighter or were simply tossing and turning. . you have headaches and droopy eyelids all day. That moment when you finally shut your eyes at the end of the day is so gratifying!

    . . I have a feeling this is already one of the list

    1. Ham – actually, it’s not on the list. But it IS super awesome.

      I used to work really long hours, and finally laying down after being wake for what feels like days on end is sooooo amazing.

  17. … i dont know if my last post worked… so here it is again…

    That moment when you are sitting in a plane on the tarmac… and it feels like the pilot has just but his pedal to the metal and you get pushed back in your seat….

    1 way ticket to awesome :)

  18. Realizing the task at hand is way easier than you’d originally thought
    That term paper, cleaning the downstairs closet, getting your car inspected. you’ve been putting it off until the last second, dreading it, but when you finally get around to it, it’s really only a minor inconvenience. In fact, you could’ve done it weeks ago.
    awesome!

  19. Running around naked in your own home with no one around.
    However it happens, when the moments right and you’re home alone, it’s just awesome.

  21. Watching Your Toddler Sleep.

    Face up, face down, doesn’t matter what position they lie. The serenity, the calm, and the feeling of awesome accomplishment in having cajoled, coaxed, and nudged your youngster to this point.

    Go ahead, watch their tummy rise and fall as they dream on.

    Awesome!

  22. Realizing someone else has the same embarrassing problem as you
    You don’t want to remember how the topic first came up, but finding out that someone else you know has 11 toes, a drunk tattoo, or herpes is great. Now you guys have a little secret between you.

  23. When you get one of those free tshirts (from some running race or volunteer event) and it FITS!

  24. When you are eating peanut m&m’s and you pop one in your mouth and suddenly realize there was no peanut in it. It’s just a round ball of solid chocolate with a hard candy shell that is slightly more delicious and exciting than plain m&m’s……..And then you find another one in the same bag of peanut m&m’s.

    AWESOME!

  25. When you have to poop and walk into a public restroom and realize you have it all to yourself.

  26. when your passport photo doesn’t look too darn bad.
    if there’s one thing i’ve learned from tyra banks, it’s that you can book a modeling job by meeting a fashion exec on an airplane and showing him how you smile with your eyes on your passport.

    or when it’s obvious that you were trying so hard not to laugh when they were taking the photo. i think it shows a little extra sense of humor.

  28. Internet sites that know what time of day it is and change their greeting accordingly.
    ie. Signing onto a website and it saying “Good Morning, Amanda” but then hours later, when you return — “Good Afternoon, Amanda” as it realizes

    This also goes for websites that say “Welcome Back!” as if they remembered you from before.

    Awesome :)

    1. Nope! Everyone can enjoy the book of awesome. Just make sure you’ve got your parent’s permission!

      Give us an Awesome thing! We need the perspective of more 9 years olds around here!

  30. The feeling of sitting down on your warm pants after standing infront of a hot fire place for a while.

    It almost hurts for a second, but feels oh so good!

    Awesome!

  31. Having others admire your awesome movie collection.
    Suddenly it becomes a topic of conversation and envy.

    Awesome!

  32. green lights..
    so your in a hurry, or there seems to be no end in sight to your dreadful drive. theres turns and twists and bumps in the road, when suddenly the light is green and you slowly accelerate (being very careful not to fly into the car in front of you of course) and the trip suddenly gets a little better.

  34. funny faces
    you’ve got that one friend that can curl their tounge, or that one friend who can cross their eyes. oh and dont forget about the guy you pass everyday on your way to work (or school) who gives the biggest grin and the scrunch of his nose. no matter the mood your in, and no matter how you got that way, funny faces always make you laugh. the fact that someone just looks so absurd is enough to make you realize that sometimes life can be
    AWESOME

  35. 1. All-you-can-eat
    Reasons:
    – eating as much as you want
    – eating what you love as much as you want (i.e. sushi, ribs, wings, etc.)
    – having the restaurant being so busy that everything’s fresh
    – having the restaurant make it to order
    – Make-your-own sundae bar = AWESOME!
    – All-you-can-eat waffles = DOUBLE AWESOME!

  38. Maybe it’s strange, but I find cleaning my glasses awesome. I guess sometimes you just don’t notice how dust/smudges are accumulating when you’re wearing the glasses all day, or when you try to clean them with your clothes, it gets smudgier. But once you pull out those special lens-cleaning cloths and go at em…when you put them back on, it is (seriously) like seeing the world through a new lens. Every time I do this I let out a big satisfied sigh and think it is awesome to see things so clearly again.

    1. not strange at all .. it’s amazing how clear the world looks after just a little puff of air and a rub – but doing the whole thing with the proper equipment is like a new lens, for sure

  39. The satisfaction of sleeping in your room the night after you do an all day cleaning…after putting it off for SO long.

    Awesome!

  40. Seeing a movie you haven’t seen since you were a kid, but still remembering all the words.

    “Captain’s Log, stardate 23.9, rounded off to the… nearest decimal point. We’ve… traveled back in time to save an ancient species from… total annihilation. SO FAR… no… signs of aquatic life, but I’m going to find it. If I have to tear this universe another black hole, I’m going to find it. I’ve… GOT TO, MISTER. ” – Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

    Classic.
    Awesome!

  42. I really like the ” … “in writing. Its not really the end to a sentence or saying anything specific, but it definitely means something when you use it. It can change the whole meaning of what you are saying, for instance:
    “that movie was great.” or “that movie was great!” means that movie was great
    “that movie was great…” means that movie probably wasn’t so great, actually it was probably really bad
    three little dots can say a lot.
    it also saves you a lot of time, stick one on the end of the list and all of a sudden you’ve included everything possible and more
    “today we went to the store and then the movies and then out to eat and then…”
    On top of all of it, I just like how it looks.

  43. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that have been in my lunch bag all morning and the peanut butter and jelly have soaked through the bread. I love this. I think they taste so much better. I realize other people don’t’ really like this, but maybe its a gift that God created for me. Thank you for the the mushy, messing, soggy sandwich, it tastes so good.

  44. Today I am thankful for the “feels like” section in the weather. The actually temperature is never true, especially up here in wind-ville. It keeps me much more prepared on blustery days. Thank you “feels like” for being brutally honest with me.

  45. The huge chunks in puppy chow are awesome, the bigger the better. They are so packed with peanut butter and chocolate and that pretty much explains it all.

  46. Waking up before your alarm and realizing you still have another hour to sleep. I’m not talking about waking up like 5 or 10 minutes before, I mean waking up 1 or 2 hours before, seriously one of my favorite and most awesome things.

  47. When you expect something to be really cold, and then it isn’t. (Sunscreen, park benches, tile floors.)

  48. The moment that you do something completely amazing ( ie. make a ninja worthy saving catch) and someone is there to witness.

    Because lets face it, most times we can only be ninjas when we are completely alone. Time for some cred!

  49. Solving and satisfying a deep, mysterious craving

    Throughout the day, you may crave this, you may crave that, and for most of them you know you shouldn’t or its just not a big deal whether you get it or not. But every once in a while, you get out for lunch, or your last class of the day, and you have a strong craving. Really strong. But when you try to see what it is, all you see is a question mark.
    It can be a food or an activity, but whatever it is, you just can’t quite grasp what it is. Sometimes you settle for something almost as good, but not really, sometimes you just can’t figure it out so you put it off, letting it only resurface later.

    But rewards are given to those who wait. And if you did… here you go. The moment you realize exactly what you want to eat or what you want to do. And at that moment you want nothing more. Whether it is a bag of chocolate pretzels you haven’t tasted since you carried around a plastic ‘Mutant Ninja Turtle’ lunch box or sitting on a couch watching an episode of your favorite show that you forgot about. Whatever it is, enjoy.

    You go home, open that laptop, hit up some website that has your show, plop onto the couch, relax, take a deep, satisfied breath because you made it, you are here. Or…
    You walk with a purpose into that corner store, scanning the shelf like a hawk, and grabbing whatever it is quickly with your hand and with distinction. Then you go to the counter, without even looking at anything else. You buy it and walk out.

    It doesn’t matter what day it is, how the weather is, how your day went, or what you have to do later, what matters is the thing in your hand or the thing you are watching or the many other things the variable ‘?’ equals. What matters is the craving walking up to you, shaking your hand and saying “touche, congratulations, and have a great day! You deserve it!” So go ahead. Indulge! You open that crinkly bag, pick out a pretzel and you go ahead and pop it in to your mouth. You settle into your seat and click that ‘play’ button.

    Why does this moment feel sweet? Because you just solved the mystery. You got out (clean or with struggles, it matters not). And most of all, you saved the day with the girl in your arms. Ya… pretty sweet… or maybe even….

    AWESOME!

  50. The next post should be something along the lines of:

    Breaking the Pattern

    Every once in a while its great to switch it up, just because you can.

    POSSUM!

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