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!
Pre-order The Book of Awesome
The feeling you get when you know you’re about to get a promotion and they don’t even suspect that you know about it.
You start day dreaming about when it happens; how you want to tell your friends and family.
Thinking about the extra cash flow you will have and the things you’ve been wanting to get and the fact you can get them sooner because of the extra pay.
Even if you don’t get a large raise with the promotion you still think about what you’d do for your friends and family, almost as if you’ve won the lottery…a small lottery though. Small lottery or not, you think about helping your friends. Buying one a dinner. Paying for a couple extra drinks at the bar. Taking the parents out to dinner instead of going to their place every Wednesday and letting them cook for you (I still do that, haha).
Hack, even just deciding to save it all and live the same way you always do; yet saving more.
Getting a promotion in anything is great; getting one and the bosses don’t have any idea that a good friend-coworker slipped you the heads up…AWESOME.
Keep your act together and show up on time once in a while…BAM! Promotion.
The feeling you get when you know you’re about to get a promotion and they don’t even suspect that you know about it.
You start day dreaming about when it happens; how you want to tell your friends and family.
Thinking about the extra cash flow you will have and the things you’ve been wanting to get and the fact you can get them sooner because of the extra pay.
Even if you don’t get a large raise with the promotion you still think about what you’d do for your friends and family, almost as if you’ve won the lottery…a small lottery though. Small lottery or not, you think about helping your friends. Buying one a dinner. Paying for a couple extra drinks at the bar. Taking the parents out to dinner instead of going to their place every Wednesday and letting them cook for you (I still do that, haha).
Heck, even just deciding to save it all and live the same way you always do; yet saving more.
Getting a promotion in anything is great; getting one and the bosses don’t have any idea that a good friend-coworker slipped you the heads up…AWESOME.
Keep your act together and show up on time once in a while…BAM! Promotion.
I just got a promotion at work, it definitely is the best feeling, whether you know it’s coming or not. AWESOME!
When you know the *all* the lyrics of a song you love, even all the “ohhs” and “aahs” and “uh-uh” and “yeahs”.
Singing just like the singer (no matter how bad you sound) is AWESOME!
Even when you fill in both the male and the female responses to a song!
When you read your favorite book, that you’ve read over and over since childhood. A flood of memories come back, especially if your holding the same physical copy of the book that you’ve read dozens of times before. Not only does the story bring you back, but suddenly you turn the page and see that stain from when you dropped an oily pepperoni right smack dab in the middle of the page.
The binding may be cracked, the cover held on with duct tape, and the pages so dog-eared and marked up you can barely read it, but that just makes it that much more special.
Getting Christmas packages in March!! We live in Kiev UKraine and every once in a while we get packages meant for Christmas later than expected. Imagine coming home from school and seeing a box on the kitchen table with surprises in it for you!! AWESOME
Moments before you finish something long, painful, and grueling.
You start this journey with the finish line so far away that it is either out of sight or out of comprehension. You sigh, but even that doesn’t have satisfaction because the moment you exhale you are reminded that you have so much to do you can even fit all of it in the shopping cart of a head.
It is that 10 page paper due tomorrow that you haven’t started. It is that Organic Chemistry exam, which counts for everything because you did poorly on the last one, that you start studying for three days ahead. It is that road trip to somebody’s wedding in some city wearing something that you don’t want to wear. Whatever it is… UGH! This is horrible.
You exclaim, “I am never going to finish! Its never going to end!” But what can you do. Nothing. And that makes it worse. Nevertheless, you focus on those small steps. You open that blank word document and write your name. You open that 2 ton textbook. You, like Frodo, take that first small step out of the Shire.
But don’t get your hopes up to high after that first step, or else you end up realizing how much more you have yet to do. Sigh… again, no satisfaction.
Years pass. You have leaped or tumbled through countless hurdles, obstacles, and monsters. You are worked, beaten, and exhausted. You have thought about simply giving up multiple times, but failed to follow though because you know it is simply impractical. After walking dead for miles, you lift your head and look up… you pause. Its right there. The finish line. You are so close.
All you have is that conclusion…
All you have is one chemical equation…
All you have is 39 miles till “insert your home here”…
All Frodo has is that mountain…
You get a little excited, but you oppress it. You know its too early. You take a deep breath, focus, and continue trucking… probably a lot faster than before. Then you realize you are half way through your conclusion, then you realize what compound that something turns into, then you realize you are turning on to “insert your street name here,” then you realize Sam is carrying you into the entrance of Mount Doom… At this point you realize you are close. At this point you are too excited to hold it in. You smirk with satisfaction and joy as you are typing those final words to that cheesy, but perfect last line, as you briefly look over your exam, but are not actually re-checking anything, as you walk up the stairs to your room, not really taking the time to realize how weird being in your home is again because you haven’t been there in a while. Your heart pacens and your stomach clenches… your mind says, ” awww man! We are sooo clooose!” And mili-seconds before you are there, you think, “wow… this is going to be
AWESOME!”
It is funny because i actually have a written assignement due for tomorow while I write awesome things that cross my mind.
+1
This really is awesome.
Last year, at the end of October about seven other kids, two instructors, and I went on training for the CRUX (Challenging Recreation Unleashing Experience) program at my school. For training, we were to go backpacking up the AT to a certain point, in which we would set up camp for a few days and learn a thing or two about cimbing.
BUT, when we got to our destination, it began to rain and was supposed to keep on raining for the rest of the nine days we were supposed to be out.
SO, we decided to continue backpacking, which was great for a while until we couldn’t feel our hands, we were drenched, and we were freezing.
At one point we decided to just backpack back to school because we were sick of being out in the wet and the cold.
This walk was long and tiring, but knowing our final destination was right around the corner, and then actually sighting a couple of the buildings was AWESOME.
Being alive.
Pretty awesome…
Yeah thats pretty good I’d say
Good one. :}
Sleeping in just-washed sheets. They’re all soft and a little bit cold and still unruffled and completely awesome.
You’re going to be having sweet dreams tonight!
http://1000awesomethings.com/2008/07/29/973-sleeping-in-new-bed-sheets/
I’m a college student, and I find that even after living on my own for so long, the convenience and comfort of something as simple as having my daddy pre-cut, slice, dice, or peel my fruits for me makes my visits back home just that much more AWESOME.
YES! :) Or coming home and your parents offering to do your laundry. Or not having to buy toilet paper. Oh the list goes on and on of the little things I didn’t appreciate when I lived at home but appreciate so much now!
Wing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_%28singer%29
She is AWESOME!
When your three year old falls asleep the first time you put her to bed for the night… and your laundry is done, and you only have a few dishes to do, and that leaves time just for you to…..log on to 1000awesomethings.com. This makes you soo happy, and is of course soo Awesome!
going to the grocery store and realizing that, yes, it’s that wonderful time of year again – Girl Scout Cookies! Look into those cute, little faces and buy a couple of extra boxes to keep in the freezer…you never know when you’ll need a little pick-me-up in the form of coconut, caramel, and cookie. :)
AWESOME!
While I was home for spring break about a week ago there were Girl Scouts everywhere I went.
My sister and I bought countless amounts of Girl Scout cookies that week.
Girl Scouts stole our money.
Here’s to realizing just how many blessings we have. Look around and be grateful – there are tender mercies and random acts of kindness everywhere. Notice them. Do them. Life is truly awesome.
The moment when you finally get all the knots out of your hair when you are combing it. You struggle and yank and wince and grimace and pray and then finally, FINALLY, the knots start to give, and then they untangle, and then all your hair is sleek and soft and your head is relieved you are done yanking. The comb goes through so smoothly!
Finally bursting that pimple!
Learning to do the two-fingered whistle.
Everyone’s seen it done. You watch as they stick two fingers in their mouth, take a deep breath, and release that ear-splitting shriek. And no matter how many times you’ve been the unfortunately one sitting right in front of the offender, you secretly envy them, wishing you had those skills.
Oh you’ve tried. Pointer and pointer finger. Middle finger and thumb. Different combinations, different angles. Blowing and blowing but only managing to achieve light-headedness from hyperventilation. Until that fateful day, you insert those fingers, inhale as much air as you can, blow like you’ve never blown before, and let one rip.
Welcome to the League of Two-Fingered-Whistle-Blowers. Sit up straighter. Lift that chin higher. You have been blessed with these newly acquired skills. Never again will you have to shout across the room to get someone’s attention. Never again will you feel lame hailing a cab. You command the spotlight. YOU are now the person everyone glances at during the game. YOU can smugly smile back, “Why yes, that WAS me. Jealous, much?” And even though they might look at you with annoyance, you know in your heart, your skills are AWESOME.
Driving with the windows down and music playing
YES! That’s the best part of the beginning of spring.
when you hide money around the house from anyone (siblings especially) totally forget about it, and then find them while clearing out the house
Yup.. even though it was your money to begin with, it feels like FREE MONEY!
http://1000awesomethings.com/2008/06/27/995-finding-money-you-didnt-even-know-you-lost/
when you win something! :D
When you’re about to tell your friend something, and then all of a sudden you forget, whether it’s a distraction, loss of thought, whatever; and then all of a sudden it comes back to you. It makes me feel a whole lot better and a little deal smarter ^^
That first sip of beer or [insert favorite (non)alcoholic beverage] during happy hour after a long day at work.
You know that moment – after you’ve gotten your beer, grabbed a seat, laid down the briefcase, took off your jacket, sat down, took one long gulp and swallowed. Beer has never tasted any better.
Ordering that Belgian Waffle with chocolate, whipped cream, AND strawberries on top while completely forgetting about your diet for that one, beautiful moment :)
When you are driving open thinking what to have to tea. You ponder what you have in the fridge, some milk, butter and errrrr thats it. In the cupboard, nothing much better, maybe some rice and a half a pack of biscuits.
You open the door down hearted, and there it is, your favorite take away has a new menu that has been put through the door, and then you see it, a voucher for said take away with 50% off! All is well with the world once more – awesome!
Burning that perfect cd before a really long drive.
You don’t have to worry about surfing the radio stations to find a song you actually like, and if you hit traffic, it’s not as bad when your jammin to your favorite tunes. There are no commercials to listen to, especially those local commercials with really bad jingles. Also if you have a MP3/CD player, you can burn hours of music onto one cd and never have to change discs!
AWESOME!
Not having to wait for the tube.
There’s always that random part of having to use the subway, you don’t actually know if you’ll have to wait 1,2,3,4,5 or even 10 minutes for the next train.So when you come down those stairs,dash through all the different dark corridors,and end up on the platform just as the train’s coming in,well that is just AWESOME!
It’s like the underground version of this!
http://1000awesomethings.com/2009/05/29/755-when-you-arrive-at-the-bus-stop-just-as-the-bus-is-coming-around-the-corner/
when the clothes you wore last spring still fit.
a butterfly kiss
finding money in the pocket of your pants
(that you havebn’t worn since last year)
How about when a total stranger tells you they like your outfit/your glasses/your bag/your shoes…….
When you find out after twenty-five years that the boy you liked in junior high used to have a crush on you, too. Awesome!
Finding out class is canceled BEFORE showing up to class. You have an extra few minutes in the morning before rushing off to that early morning class. Decide to check your email and that’s when you see it…”Class canceled today.” So go ahead, curl back up in bed, enjoy that extra hour of wonderful sleep, Class is canceled!!!!! :)
Awesome teachers that send E-mail when they “won’t be in class today”.
Having your idea posted on 1000Awesomethings.com
Can’t think of a single person here who wouldn’t say that’s AWESOME :)
Upbeat or kind conversations with strangers. I’m a chatty person, and I find that I really do get enjoyment and an uplift in mood when I have nice conversations with people I come across. In the check out line, waiting for the bus, in the elevator…It tickles me pink to feel like the universe is still finding ways to connect people to each other.
Brain fusion.
I get it with my boyfriend a lot, but I assume it can happen a bunch with anybody you are with a lot and who is totally AWESOME.
After spending a few days somewhere, like a weekend trip or something, my boyfriend and I will be on completely the same wavelength. We finish and start sentences for each other, and eventually when stuff happens we just communicate by looks, by laughs, by smiles. It’s like I can’t even tell anymore where my thoughts end and his begin. Our other friends look at us and go “Are you two communicating telepathically or something?”
Well we are. And it’s AWESOME!
That AWESOME feeling you have after getting a haircut that is long over do. My hair feels so nice and light that it makes me feel like a whole new person!
It is AWESOME when you get in your car to go home from work and your favorite song comes on the radio just as you turn the car on and you get to hear the whole song. What a way to end a day!
the first day of summer break
you get up early,thinking you need to rush to get up but you realize you can just relax all day…AWESOME!!
That one item of clothing that you’ve had forever, and still look good in.
No, I’m not talking about the ratty pair of sweats you’ve had since 1995. This is the garment that has managed to survive years of wear and changing fashions, and come out alive. Like the skirt I’m currently wearing, that I bought in grade eight (I’m currently a senior in high school) and still get compliments on. Or the suit that my eighty year old grandmother bought in university, and still wears. Yes, if you’ve made a piece of clothing last this long, you can truly give yourself a pat on the back, because not only do you look great, but you feel like you’ve really got your money’s worth. The only way to make it sweeter is if you bought it on sale in the first place. Yes, that’s just pure. . .
Awesome.
Hi, my name is Thomas, and when I saw that you could get one book mailed even in Belgium (that’s where I come from) there was no way
I was going to miss that chance to explain myself on the most awesome time you can have with a friend. So here it is…
Give the world a makeover….
I’m a student in Mons, Belgium, and well, unfortunately I find it sometimes too far from my hometown to get on that train and ride back and forth in one weekend. So from time to time, I stay here on the weekend and wait for it to end….
But not that time, when my slowly passing weekend was interrupted by Spanish sounding cheers and very bad euro-trance coming from my downstair Spanish exchange student neighbour.
Spanish +drink+not very elaborated French vocabulary= World Makeover, that’s the equation. When the trappist kicks your liver in the guts, your colon has taken all what was left of it and your bladder just let go that scary translucent piss like your kidney has gave up on you and your alcohol habits, that’s when your inebriated brain start wondering about geopolitical conflicts, capitalism and what the hell women that clutter the public bathroom are talking about.
And that’s when the foreigner comes handy. both drunk, sentence on both sides don’t make any sense, you just assume that, at his best, your one time time drinking buddy is on your side.
You both speculate about the future of Palestine or Kosovo, trash talk on Belgium constant political cluster-fuck and hypothesise what the secret bathroom talk are all about.
Knowing that statements won’t be remembered ,except a few things on cultural shock and immigration policies, you and your once-upon-a-time drinking buddy, cheer up at the sight that humanity has something left to offer and that the light at the end of the socialist tunnel is far away from fading out.
AWESOME!!!
stepping out of your house after being in there awhile and smelling fresh air and feeling the sun on your body
seeing an old friend after a really long time and realizing they’re just as you remembered them
Awesome thing #549: Discounts you didn’t know were coming—
You search and search and finally find something in the store you want badly enough that you are willing to pay the full $20 for it, but the whole time you are wishing that this item was included in the big blowout sale. You search for signs, hoping for such a discount, but no such luck. With only slight hesitance you head to the checkout counter where the cashier rings it up. You glance up from your wallet or purse to realize that this item was 50% off!!! And now you have 10 extra dollars to do anything your little heart desires. AWESOME.
Awesome thing #549: Finding the perfect pair of sunglasses.
While it doesn’t look it, my head is unusually small, making the search for a new pair of sunglasses near treacherous. When I find a good pair, I guard them with all my life and take them with me on every new adventure. But it never NEVER fails when it comes to sunglasses. We lose them. We break them. But we are so lost without them. When this happens, we realize just how bright the sun really is and the search is suddenly on! Must find new sunglasses!! It is a long long process full of embarrassment and laughter until FINALLY- the ones. You found them. They fit just right, and you are hardly outside the store doors when you slip them on, stare the sun straight on and regain that feeling of endless possibilities. This, my friends, is AWESOME.
when you get pass a 1000 comments on a 1000 awsomes things website….
Hi, my name is Thomas, and when I saw that you could get one book mailed even in Belgium (that’s where I come from) there was no way I was going to miss that chance to explain myself on the most awesome time you can have with a friend. So here it is…
Give the world a makeover….
I’m a student in Mons, Belgium, and well, unfortunately I find it sometimes too far from my hometown to get on that train and ride back and forth in one weekend. So from time to time, I stay here on the weekend and wait for it to end….
But not that time, when Spanish sounding cheers and very bad euro-trance coming from my downstair Spanish exchange student neighbour interrupted my slowly passing weekend.
Spanish +drink+not very elaborated French vocabulary= World Makeover, that’s the equation. When the trappist kicks your liver in the guts, your colon has taken all what was left of it and your bladder just let go that scary translucent piss like your kidney has gave up on you and your alcohol habits, that’s when your inebriated brain start wondering about geopolitical conflicts, capitalism and what the hell women that clutter the public bathroom are talking about.
And that’s when the foreigner comes handy. both drunk, sentence on both sides don’t make any sense, you just assume that, at his best, your one time time drinking buddy is on your side.
You both speculate about the future of Palestine or Kosovo, trash talk on Belgium constant political cluster-fuck and hypothesise what the secret bathroom talk are all about.
Knowing that statements won’t be remembered, except a few things on cultural shock and immigration policies, you and your once-upon-a-time drinking buddy, cheer up at the sight that humanity has something left to offer and that the light at the end of the socialist tunnel is far away from fading out.
AWESOME!!!
sorry for the spam….
To find out that it actually paid off to be a geek during High School
To find out that it actually paid of to be a geek during High School
Going to sauna is awesome, especially on wintertime. It’s really relaxing and good for your skin.
The feeling you get when you finally get to stand up and stretch after sitting for a long time.
This is particularly true for me after really long car trips!
http://1000awesomethings.com/2009/01/27/843-getting-out-of-the-car-after-a-really-long-trip/
I amazed that my grandson will be 4 in May. He was born at 1 pd 7 oz yes that is what I said. Seeing his smile on a regular basis is AWSOME and so are the Nurses and Dr’s at Wesley Medical Center. The child is totally Healthy and Wonderful now that is AWSOME!
Mountain refuge that serves you Ice cold beer after that 8 hour trek to get up there.
When you’re on a date and the guy takes your hand for the first time…and it makes you happy.