Normandy Trip

As mentioned in last week's post over the weekend I traveled with our Junior class on their field trip to Normandy, France. Simply put, it was phenomenal. Everything went smoothly, everything went according to plan, the weather was unbelievable and the students had a great time. There is a lot I could say about the trip but I will try to choose a few different aspects that in my opinion highlight the trip.
- The Experience -
We stayed at a campground that was literally less than a five minute walk to Utah Beach, one of the five beaches invaded on June 6, 1944. So when I say we were "right there" I literally mean we were right where everything happened. On Saturday morning I woke up at 6.30 to walk to the beach to see the sunrise (well, technically I woke up around 4.30 but that is a different story). It was refreshing and enjoyable to be on the beach watching the sunrise, yet it was an unreal experience to be on the beach knowing I was standing right where the invasion of Europe took place. There were still a few pieces of the Atlantic Wall still standing - so I walked around those while the sun was rising. The Allies landed at first light - the time at which I was walking on the beach.
In addition to Utah, we were able to visit Juno Beach (a beach invaded by troops primarily from Canada) as well as Omaha Beach. With every beach we visited we took time to be silent and reflect on where we were and what happened there a little over 65 years ago.

- The Education -
One of the main purposes of the trip was educationally based. The students were filling out a packet that led them through each stop, and informed them of the significance of where we were. We had the honor of visiting a Canadian cemetery, a German cemetery and the American cemetery. We also visited museums at Utah and Omaha beach, as well as museums dedicated to the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. There were a lot of artifacts within the museums that were great to witness. Within one of the museums we were able to walk through a glider that was used to drop the paratroopers, and at several sites we toured German bunkers.

- The Bonding -
After traveling a decent distance, going on little sleep (I got 16 hours of sleep in 4 days), and being very busy you are probably going to walk away having one of two reactions; extremely disliking those you are with, or bonding with them. Thankfully the class chose the latter. Plain and simple the students had fun together. They were rowdy on the bus, laughing, singing, talking, and having a good time. They were hanging out sharing stories, and helping each other whenever possible.
One of the unique ways we were able to bond was a direct result of the amazing weather we had. The first night we were there, some students asked if it would be possible to sleep outside under the stars. After a few sponsors agreed to be outside with the students (including yours truly) we allowed a group of about 25 brave individuals to sleep outside. Nobody thought to bring a tent, so they threw their sleeping bags down on the grass and went to sleep. That night/morning I woke up around 4.30 because I was absolutely freezing. I had brought layers for my upper body, but did not really bring much for my legs. Additionally, I was not planning on sleeping outside so I brought the smallest/lightest sleeping bag I have. After trying to get warm for an hour or so, around 5.30 I found a few other guys and plopped down in between them, thinking I could use them to help protect me from the wind, and create a little more body heat. I awoke one of the guys who wasn't too happy with me, but later in the day he told me it was simply because he had no idea who I was as he didn't have his glasses on.

- The Friendships -
As I mentioned in my blog prior to going my main objective was to get to know the students better and spend time with them. Through the bus rides, the free time, the museums and everything else I definitely feel as though I accomplished this goal. Each adult had a "sponsor group" of about 10 students. Any time we traveled somewhere the students were responsible for checking in with their sponsor group. It was a quick and easy way to ensure we had all 67 students. The night we left my group decided they wanted a group name, and they came up with the name, Shakira. Additionally we decided every time they checked in they would have to perform some kind of act. At first they had to kiss "my lucky egg" aka a boiled egg I grabbed from our breakfast. After that, they had to touch "my lucky hat." Stupid? Yes. Silly? Of course. Memorable? Absolutely. The students had a great time with it.
Another great aspect to the sponsor groups was the way they were set up. Though completely random, it could not have been put together any better. As a guidance counselor my case load is divided up alphabetically - and it just so happened the 10 students in my group, were all within my alphabet range. There were definitely a few I did not know extremely well prior to the trip, but now I feel as though whenever I pass them in the hall we can stop and talk (which has actually happened since being back.)

As you can see overall it was a great trip. There are a lot of entertaining stories to share, but there just isn't space to write them all out. I have attempted to include a slideshow of pictures along with this blog post. I am awful with technology so I am not certain it will work - I hope it does. If you are having trouble viewing some of the pictures please email me and I can send them to you as an attachment.
Thanks for continually checking my blog! I really appreciate it.

Tommy