Boston trip was the trip of a lifetime

Eighth graders from Eugene Brooks Intermediate School took a class trip to Boston on Thursday and Friday, May 9 and 10. The students toured the city and recorded their activities, and some even shared their experiences with The Millerton News. Below is one of a series of three student reports.

WEBUTUCK — A buzz of excitement filled the air as we waited in the cafeteria; the trip that we had anticipated for the past two years was right around the corner, and  everyone was feeling it. Even though it was early (very early) morning, you could look around and see a smile on nearly every person’s face, no matter what age. 

From what I have gathered from my peers, the anticipation was a large part of the experience. After a year of hard work, it had paid off, and we were finally going to Boston. 

The ride was very nostalgic, with exclamations of memories and times spent together as we drove through the beautiful towns that make up our small and tight knit district. After what felt like a surprisingly short bus ride, which we can give credit to our unbelievably patient bus driver and Christian Shook thankfully falling asleep, we arrived at JFK Memorial Library. We were here.

The walk through the memorial library was a very thought provoking experience, especially since we were lucky enough to be visiting during JFK’s 100th birthday celebration. The short film about JFK’s life in and out of politics was very intriguing, and taught each of us a lesson. 

Jacob St. John, one of my classmates, spoke of his experience at the memorial: “I learned that it takes a lot of hard work to become someone inspiring.” 

As we were leaving, you could hear our admiration and appreciation for Kennedy and his work ethic, one of the key values that our district is founded on. 

Our ventures carried us next to the Museum of Science, where we saw a live animal demonstration and a lightning show. Another one of my classmates, Milka Mateo, spoke about the lightning show: “I really liked it, actually. It was intense, and kind of scary, but at the same time really cool.”

From the Museum of Science, we boarded the duck boats, one of the events the entire grade looked forward to the most. (Personally, this was my favorite part of the entire trip. Wheelman, you’re awesome.) Taking a ride through the center of classic Boston, our tour guides taught us about the history of the town and the significance of preserving what was originally built there more than 100 years ago. From the statues and monuments, to the architecture of town homes, there was some small piece of America’s history around every corner, a detail that continued even when we glided onto the water.

 As the day winded down, and we went to Mr. Braislin’s favorite part of the trip — dinner — everyone seemed to be experiencing the same feeling: having fun.

When we arrived at the hotel, everyone rushed for the pool, and according to about six out of the 11 people I interviewed, it was “easily the best part of the trip,” even though we didn’t get to witness Mr. Lynch’s cannonball.

The second day arrived quickly, and we ate breakfast, toured Fenway Park, visited the Aquarium and IMAX Theatre, and finally shopped at Quincy Market. The second day was spent mostly enjoying each other’s company and having a remarkable amount of freedom to explore the city and a lot of what it had to offer. 

The opportunity to spend time with the people we have grown up with in our small community, and to explore for ourselves so much before we step into this next chapter of our lives as young adults, is something that will stick with us for years to come.