Fun Friday – A Field Trip – 3 Lessons Learned

 

Do you remember going on field trips in elementary school, and the teacher assigned partners? I was on a field trip of sorts recently, and it wasn’t until I saw a social media post, that I realized, I should have been assigned a partner.

It was a last-minute decision when I hopped in my car to join my colleague as she accompanied a group trip to the zoo. I was in the area the same day as their visit, and it was a great day for a short drive. The wind was silent, the brilliant sun made me drowsy, but the upbeat sounds from the car radio kept me alert.

Once I arrived at the zoo, I followed the steady flow of families through the gates and off to the exhibits. I texted my colleague and met up with her and see how things were going.

“Everybody is off visiting different exhibits. We’ve already eaten and rode the Tram,” she said.

“Oh yeah, I always like to ride the train.”

My colleague pointed me in the direction of the ride an off I went. There were a few families in line for the ride. The sign above the ticket booth read, Train Rides $3.00. The friendly cashier said, “One ticket?” with a question in her tone.

The train pulled into the make-believe station and blared its’ horn, incoming passengers disembarked, and those of us waiting, boarded. The red train had short seats, and no covering as I remembered the zoo train rides. The seats were large enough to hold two kids comfortable or one adult. I slid in anyway, ready for the ride.

As we pulled away from the station, the kids seated in front of me waived to people on the sidelines as we passed them. I joined in, smiling, and waiving too. It was a jiggly ride through a forest, a couple of tunnels, and over a bridge.

The train ride ended, I explored a few more exhibits, then headed home. Later that evening I saw photos that my colleague posted on social media. She had pictures of some of the adults on the trip, riding the Tram. Then it dawned on me why my train ride seemed different. I didn’t make it to the Tram, I was on the train. The kiddie train, where I was the only adult riding without a child.

The Tram (Train) I was supposed to ride

That visit to the zoo was one field trip where I could have used a partner; someone to make sure I arrived at the correct destination. Here are 3 Lessons learned from the zoo trip:

1.      Read – read closely, read for details. I was supposed to look for the Tram ride, not the Train. I thought it was the same thing.

2.     Ask questions – if I had asked questions, I would have known the Tram and Train were two different rides.

3.     Observe your surroundings – perhaps if I had looked around, I would have noticed that there were not any people my age riding alone.

The next time you venture out on a trip, take a friend. If they can’t keep you focused, at least you can share a laugh.