field Trip
Are you ready to Have a Good Summer? HAGS, in yearbook parlance, if you will. I hate to break it to you but having a good summer isn’t all fun and games. You have to put some effort into it.
My friend Meghan got sick of feeling like life was an endless rerun of work, grocery lists, and sitting in front of the glow of the tv. In an effort to bring more spark and whimsy into her life, she makes a commitment to herself to do one fun summer thing a week between Memorial and Labor Day. This could look like going to the beach, jumping in a lake, floating down a river in an inner tube, hosting a BBQ, making s’mores, stargazing, lounging in a hammock, slip ‘n slide on the lawn, eat farmer’s market stone fruit, maybe even make out on a ferris wheel.
I highly recommend that you, like Meghan, be intentional with your summer. Set goals, make plans, and carve out intentional time for merriment, relaxation, and wonder. One of the best ways to do this is to schedule at least one Field Trip this summer.
What is a Field Trip? A field trip is a little day-long adventure outside of your normal routine, just like when you were in elementary school. Think of it as a modern Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a classic 80’s movie wherein titular character Ferris and his high school friends play hooky and hijinks ensue. They borrow (aka steal) their father’s classic car, visit local tourist attractions, go to a baseball game, goof off in a museum, and crash a parade.
The purpose of a Field Trip is to bring the travel mindset to your own town. The goal is not to escape your local environment, like you might on a faraway vacation, but rather to engage with your local environment like you might if you were visiting for the first time.
You don’t have to hop on a parade float and start lip singing Twist and Shout to a perfectly choreographed mob in downtown Chicago a la Ferris Bueller. Your Field Trip doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive to be successful. Your Field Trip could simply be stepping out of your house to wander around town on foot. Here are some Field Trip essentials:
Play Hooky–You don’t actually have to call in sick (but I won’t tattle if you do) but you do need to step away from all of your usual responsibilities for at least one day. Get a babysitter, do your laundry tomorrow, put off anything you need to do and instead focus on what you want to do.
Go Solo–Unlike Ferris or an elementary school classroom, you will go on your Field Trip alone. Going alone allows for you to be the main character of your own story. It offers an opportunity for deeper presence and self reflection.
Talk to Strangers–We’re more likely to chat people up when we’re traveling so pretend like you’re a tourist in your own town. Ask a stranger to take your photo at a local landmark, strike up a conversation with someone on a park bench, compliment someone’s choice of clothing in an elevator, ask others for recommendations, and chat about something happening in the environment, e.g. a beautiful sunset or particularly long line.
Be Curious–Even if you’ve lived in your town your entire life, attempt to see everything with fresh eyes. Buddhists call this “beginner’s mind,” where one drops preconceptions and approaches the world with curiosity and openness. Shunryu Suzuki writes, “In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few."
Say Yes–Surrender to the unfolding of your day and allow for happy accidents. Simply follow the thread of your interest. Aim for delight. Be nimble and spontaneous, welcome serendipity. Say yes, especially if it means getting outside of your comfort zone.
Ferris Bueller, a precociously wise teenager, argues, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Especially if you’re feeling burnt out, a well timed Field Trip can do wonders to remind yourself of the totally tubular life that is always within reach. So, like, take a chill pill, carve out some leisure time, and be bodaciously bold in your adventures both near and far this summer.
Wishing you many adventures and no homework. Stay cool. May your summer be 2cool 2be 4gotten. CUL8R.