Last week I took 21 twelve and thirteen year olds to the beach. Am I crazy? Some readers of this blog seem to think so...
You know what? It was amazing! We spent the better part of this calendar year raising funds through movie nights, food sales, and "Haunted" forest tours, etc. and by the end, we had enough to rent out a small beach front hotel at playa Samara and to bring all our food. The students were awesome from start to finish. Many had never been to the beach before (an inexcusable reality for too many youths in this isthmus country) and the whole trip was punctuated by comments like "this is the best trip I've ever been on!" and "I never imagined the beach would be this cool."
The hotel graciously granted the students unlimited use of the pool and several boogie boards. The kids wore themselves out and incredibly were almost all asleep by 10 PM, but were out on the waves again by 6 the following morning.
No one wanted to return to Monteverde, but they didn't complain too loudly, as most were right out again once the bus hit the highway. No one drowned or found the crocodiles that were hanging out just up river. No one broke anything. I don't think anyone even noticed that the rooms were without televisions until the following day when they realized that they were two days behind the ever evolving anime fight club world of Naruto... A wonderful way to wind up a truly superb year in sixth grade!
Dude, you're crazy.
Hey, we saw you in the newsletter. Huzzah for Jesse the dramaturge!
Posted by: eric:p | June 02, 2009 at 06:33 PM
You are a brave man! -moose
Posted by: moose | June 05, 2009 at 05:56 AM
looks like it was a great, crazy trip!
hey, you & Bis are both all over the arco iris newsletter. but you probably knew that. :)
can't wait to see you.
Posted by: arjuna | June 07, 2009 at 05:27 PM
Hi Jesse (and Arjuna, and Ellen)! This is Madeline, from Lib Week at Rowe way back in 1993.
Jesse, your mom sent me a link to your blog when I got in touch with her a few months ago. Congratulations on your beautiful family! I live in Vermont now with my husband and two daughters, ages 4 and 1. I'm a part-time DRE at a UU church here.
Best wishes to you and your family! It's great to see your blog--looks like you are doing very well!
Posted by: Madeline Bergstrom | June 16, 2009 at 12:45 PM