**Names have been changed for privacy reasons**
It was an average Monday. Spring was here, so cold days were saying goodbye and rainy days were very present. We middle schoolers were in the auditorium, where the woman in charge of us Mrs. Hoda, a brown woman with wavy jet-black hair, was speaking who was speaking to us all. The auditorium had beige seats, some seemed brand new and some seats seemed to be older and wiser. I sat quietly surrounded by students I didn’t really talk to since we weren’t allowed to choose our own seats.
“Good Morning boys and girls, I’ve come to tell you about the latest field trip we’ve been planning,” Mrs.Hoda stated.
“Can I go to the bathroom?” One student loudly asked.
“Miss, I left my bag upstairs!” Another student blurted out.
“Me and a few other teachers will be attending with you, like Coach K, Mr.Bradford, Mr.Sidduh, and Mrs.Steer.” Mrs. Hoda stated, ignoring all the loud interruptions and abrupt comments. I was curious about what kind of field trip it was gonna be. I wasn’t a big fan of field trips like many other students but I was at least hoping the field trip would involve good food.
“This field trip will be an overnight one, from Thursday to Friday.” This immediately caused everyone to break into chatter. I heard one person behind me say “Nah, my mom is not finna let me go.” and another student stated, “I’m for sure going.” I knew my mom would let me go since I didn’t attend many trips and wanted me to go out more. But I wasn’t that close to anyone and I felt like this trip was meant for people with a large friend group.
“This trip will take place at Hale, and I know some of you may have gone there before.” Mrs. Hoda stated. This information left me even more conflicted because I had previously been to the Hale Education outdoor activity park on the first day of school and it involved a lot of nature, which I wasn’t a big fan of at all. However, I also didn’t want to miss out on something that clearly a lot of people wanted to attend. I needed to make my decision.
Finally, as the day of the trip came closer I heard many murmurs about it. A tall brown girl with a high ponytail named Chipotle told me that she was going and that I should too. She was talkative, and had many friends. As chatter about the trip continued going around, I convinced myself to decide to step out of my comfort zone and go. I turned in my permission slip and made a list of things to pack.
The day of the trip had arrived. We all raced to the bus to get to the back seats since those were considered the best. One boy named Starbucks scrunched up his face before saying “On dead dawgs, someone better save me a seat I’m not playing.” He was brown, with black poofy hair. I rolled my eyes and internally told him to shut up. He was really popular and I knew if I said something his friends, who in my opinion were straight-up fans, would get on my back.
We all made it onto the bus, and fortunately, I got a seat in the back. Mrs. Hoda gave out instructions to us on what to do and what not to do as if we were toddlers. I think her rambling about how to be respectful during a field trip was clearly meant for Starbucks and his friend group. The bus ride was filled with jokes, laughter, and overall a good time.
When we finally arrived, I immediately realized there was no need to regret my decision. Hale did involve a lot of nature which I wasn’t a fan of, it was like a bucket full of green. However, spending time and speaking to new people made me so happy! I had spent most of my time with Chipotle’s friend group. The day was filled with adventures throughout nature. With every moment, I knew it was great that I had stepped out of my comfort zone.
As the night of the field trip came closer, I got closer with all the new people I talked to. At night the boys were in a yurt, which was a huge tent, with three teachers. Luckily the girls only had one teacher in our yurt, which was Mrs. Hoda. In the yurt we were having girl talks. We made TikToks and were hyping each other up. Mrs. Hoda had made sure to tell us not to go outside the yurt, and if we needed to go to the bathroom to wake her up. We all continued talking and Mrs. Hoda fell asleep first. We watched a movie together on Wingstop’s iPad. Eventually, we all fell asleep one by one.
As the morning came, the girls went to the restroom and we brushed our teeth together. We went to get breakfast while we were all still in our pajamas. The boys were all seated and ready to eat so we had made jokes about them being dirty and coming straight from their yurts without freshening up. We had a variety of snacks and breakfast options like cereal, bagels, and fruits. After we finished eating, we headed to the bathroom and changed into our normal clothes. Everyone packed their bags and folded up the used items in the yurts and handed them to our teachers so they could be cleaned. Ms. Hoda then once again took our attendance and had us get on the bus after everyone’s name was called. We raced towards the back seats again. This trip brought me many new friendships and encouraged me to try something I’m not used to.
