Bad Night Turned Okay

So I was having a crappy night. My brother used most of my gas (again), and I had to go to work in the evening for only three hours (when I have to drive 20 miles to get there and 20 more to get home). I was not happy, even after listening to my "happy" playlist loud for about ten minutes after hearing the news on NPR, which I like a lot.

But AHA! One man asked if we still carried disposable cameras, which sadly we do not. The push for digital has destroyed that medium so well in so many places, even though plenty of people can still benefit, like kids going on a field trip where the parents either don't have or don't want them to use a digital camera. At first I just thought it was odd, but then later, another lady asked for a flashlight, bug repellant, and....a disposable camera. For her daughter who was going to a science camp for three days. I asked my regular customer as I was helping her choose a flashlight what grade her child was in, and it turns out she was in sixth. Then it it hit me. The sixth graders of the Etiwanda School District still go on that three-day trip me and my friends went on back in 1998, the fabled trip that we had heard about for so long and that cost the parents of those lucky enough to afford it $150.

Awesome.

I remember the cabins (same gender, of course). I remember the amazing dining hall where my tablemates drank shakes 'til we all got headaches. I remember the night hike and eating mints, which sparked in the dark as we all learned how to work together while we walked with our hands on each others' shoulders and our eyes closed. I remember the time we all made creatures and had to come up with their biology and habitat. I remember Dana Point and dissecting squids to find out which sex they were.

I remember taking showers and sharing with the nearby cabin. I remember having to hide the fact that I still wet the bed, even with medicine. I remember the lie my dad told me to tell anyone who asked about my medicine (some sinus problem). I remember feeling bad that I almost admitted to some girls that I washed my hair every day (a trait passed on to me by my dad, something I later questioned whether or not contributed to my questioned OCD personality).

But mostly I just remember how much fun it all was, even fifteen years later. So I hope all of the kids leaving early tomorrow enjoy the heck out of themselves. I came home with a sunburn and so many memories and so much knowledge. I wish more kids could have a a similar experience. It really started me on my way to liking science. If trips like this can inspire more kids to find their passion, that would be great. Life is too great to not experience and enjoy, even that young.