Field trips: a magical combination of education, chaos, and questionable life choices. From technicolor rainbows to buffet disasters, here’s what happened when I took 31 Drama Babies on an epic journey to William & Mary.

Nov 30, 2012

This afternoon I get to haul 30 Drama Babies/GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) kids 50 miles, through the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and Friday afternoon traffic to the College of William & Mary for a campus tour, Asian food and to see the play “8” by Dustin Lance Black.

Educationally, it is an excellent opportunity for the kids. It’ll introduce them to campus life, encouraging them to seek higher education, and it will introduce them to some current event issues, engaging them in civil rights discussions. Culturally, it’s fabulous. It will allow them to experience several events outside their usual scope of experience.

Self-preservation wise, this is probably one of the stupider things I’ve done.

If you love me, you’ll meet me at the school parking lot around 10:30 with a valium and some vodka.

Or bail money. Felony assault can’t go for too much, can it?

Nov 30, 2012

And we’re off!!!

(Zeus, Odin, Quetzalcoatl, sweet Jesus and all the saints, help me!!!)

Nov 30, 2012

We have successfully forded the terrifying, hazard filled waters of the HRBT, survived the wilds of Newport News and arrived safely at W&M. After a 15-minute forced march across campus, with natives of both genders attempting to draw our explorers away, we’ve all arrived at the “School Store”

Nov 30, 2012

Man down! Man down!!! One of our travelers tried to fortify for the adventure with pop tarts, Reese’s cups & Mt. Dew. This, coupled with the excitement & campus “stroll,” has resulted in someone being sidelined for calling dinosaurs, crying Buick and, in other words, spraying the technicolor rainbow. Looks like I’m sitting the campus tour out while we wait for the regurg to emerge.

Nov 30, 2012

After a shot of quinine (ginger ale) and a brief nosh of saltines, our wee brave sick one has rejoined the thundering herd of roaring turtles (yes, they’re loud and slow) for a brief excursion to that hallowed of all campus halls—the coffee shop!

Nov 30, 2012

Now in the middle of our next evolution – 31 starving teenagers versus the mixed Asian buffet. I’ve never felt sorry for a buffet restaurant… until today.

Nov 30, 2012

So …. Maybe feeding the animals BEFORE putting them in captivity wasn’t the BEST idea. On the upside, pretty sure we used no gas getting from the Asian buffet to the show. Their energy MUST have levitated the bus here.

Nov 30, 2012

Play done, and excellent, by the way. 31 kids on the bus … The same 31 we started with, which is a small miracle.

In an ironic twist, ha ha,  I wore flats knowing we were going to be trudging and ended up twisting my ankle. Ugh.

Nov 30, 2012

We have successfully returned to whence we came. These parents have 10 minutes to come get their kids or I’m selling them to gypsies.

I wonder what the street value of your average adolescent is today?

Final Thought:

Field trips are the ultimate test of patience, planning, and the human spirit. They take you from the highest highs—seeing kids light up during a play or explore a college campus—to the lowest lows, like regurgitated snacks and twisted ankles. But in the chaos, there’s something special: the chance to give students new experiences and memories that could shape their future. Sure, they might make you wonder about the street value of a teenager by the end of the day, but those fleeting moments of joy and discovery make it all worth it.

1. Teachers: What’s the craziest or most memorable field trip you’ve ever chaperoned?
2. Parents: How do you handle the chaos of school trips or extracurricular events?
3. Everyone: What’s your funniest or most chaotic memory from