Day 1: Looking for connections and buses without plugs

Phew, what a day.

First, it should be said that everyone seems to be having a great time and the trip is going well.  We gathered nearly 17 hours ago and now we are comfortably checked into our hotel rooms.

Second, I am hopeful that those reading this blog have already read the Introduction that I posted last week.  I find, whenever I am starting a new series of posts, that it makes sense to explain who I am and why I take the time to write this blog.  If you haven't read the introduction you can click on the previous posts at the bottom of this page.

Many years ago, I found myself in Revere's Showcase Cinema.  I was anxiously awaiting for the release of an epic filmed called, "National Treasure."  It is one of Nick Cage's best films.  For a quick plot synopsis, Mr. Cage is a treasure hunter who believes there is a massive Masonic treasure hidden somewhere in the US.  The story eventually has him stealing the Declaration of Independence to protect it from the evil treasure hunters.  At one point, Benjamin Gates (Cage's character) reads the Declaration...he then tells the audience, that people do not talk that way anymore.  They aren't poetic, thoughtful, or meaningful with their words.  The scene left an indelible mark on me and my character.  While there are many times that I am not poetic, thoughtful, or meaningful with my words, I do make an attempt, with this blog, to think a little deeper and find meaning in my experiences.  I hope that the connection to a Nick Cage movie doesn't sour your appetite for this blog, but instead gives you a glimpse into why I try to think carefully about the things that I write.

I got to the Belmonte around 5:15 this morning.  Before we arrived at the school, we stopped at a local Dunkin Donuts.  Sure enough, it was full of kids, and their parents, getting drinks and snacks for the ride.  I think I had had a similar experience the other night while at Walgreens.  It was cool for me, someone these kids don't know well, to be able to observe their authentic enthusiasm.  For most of this kids, this is a chance to get away, to hang out with their friends, and to say, in some measure, goodbye to the school that they've called home for the past three years.  Most of them will find themselves experiencing a similar enthusiasm in early September as they prepare to begin their high school careers.  Life seems to find ways to create natural parallels.  Last week, I was at the graduation for Saugus High School.  I said goodbye to a ton of great kids.  They are heading off to college, work, or the military and they will be missed.  Today, I found myself in a middle school gymnasium and I couldn't help but think that many of the kids looked familiar.  As we headed out for the long haul and I gave my student list a closer inspection, I realized that many of these kids are the younger brothers and sisters of my former students.  While I don't know them...I know about them.  The same might be true with their thoughts on me.  It is with this in mind that I am writing tonight's blog.  It is about connections for me.

When we left the parking lot and headed down the highway, I heard some kids complaining that our bus did not have electrical outlets.  Their lifelines were temporary.  Their phones would die before we reached the hotel.  I chuckled a bit...not because I am mean or because I have a battery pack that will recharge my phone four times over, but because it made me realize how dependent they have become on technology.  I was thinking about how I'd mention it in the blog, when I realized that I too am dependent on technology.  We made it through the plug-less bus without too much of a hassle.  I did, however, see a bunch of kids huddled around the plugs when we stopped in New Jersey for lunch.

I am not going to lie.  I pride myself on being able to stay awake longer than most.  I was thinking I'd be able to stay awake for the entire drive down to DC, but I did sneak away for a couple of cat naps on the bus.  I suppose I needed them.  I wasn't the only one who slept as many of my fellow bus 3 travelers closed our eyes for brief periods of time.  We did watch a couple of movies along the way, but before we knew it, we found ourselves driving through Maryland with the capital city on the horizon.  Driving for as long as we drove can be tiring, and can cause many to lose their cool, but for the most part, Bus 3 was pretty chill.  When we could see some of Washington's monuments, however, excitement began to build.  We soon met Carole, our guide, and went into the Ronald Reagan building for dinner.  I had a salad.  It has chicken on it.  (Frequent blog readers will note that I often write about the foods I eat.  I try to describe how delicious, or unique, the food is).  There was some dressing on it.  I am hoping I make better food choices tomorrow.

After dinner, we headed towards the White House.  I'll never really get over how cool I think the White House is...It is truly special to me.  I hope the kids feel the same way when they are pushing 40.

Some of the Belmonte staff and kids in front of the White House!!!

The Triple E's.  The first of my kids to introduce themselves and make me feel like part of the Belmonte family.

2015 is the year of the Selfie for me.  So, Here is a selfie of me.

The first time I visited the White House, I thought it neat that a protest was happening across the street.  The protest continues.  I'm not endorsing the cause; I'm celebrating Free Speech.

I read a source a long time ago that says the more we see of the world, the more we understand about ourselves and our community.  I am a firm believer in this concept and it is why I travel so much.  I love to see how things connect.  These intersections resonate with me and I try to use them to fuel this blog.  I've traveled on this trip before (two years ago) when I was an administrator for Saugus Schools, but I am going to try not to reference that trip too much.  The connections that I am looking for are ones that are a little different than two similar experiences.  About a month and a half ago, I found myself at Ohama Beach on the coast of France.  It was at this location that American servicemen launched an attack against fortified German soldiers.  Their efforts changed the course of history and the visit to this beach was an important one for me.

Today, after the White House, we made our way to the World War II memorial.  It is very impressive.  The memorial has two entrances; The Atlantic and Pacific.  Resting between the entrances is a pool of water.  Surrounding the pool are 56 columns.  One for each state, the territories, and the District of Columbia.  Not far from the pool there is another memorial.  It is one that is dedicated to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

If I remember correctly, there are about 4,000 stars along this still body of water.  Each star represents about 100 soldiers who lost their lives during the Second World War.  As I stood there, framing this picture, I thought about those men, and that beach, and all of their sacrifices.  I thought of my grandfather, who fought at Iwo Jima.  He survived the war, but I also thought of Arthur DeFranzo, a young man from Saugus, who did not survive.  He lost his life not far from the beach pictured above and is commemorated at Riverside Cemetery.

Medal of Honor Winner and Saugus Native.

After viewing this memorial, we headed on with our tour.  Our next stop was the Vietnam War Memorial.  Our guide explained the three different parts of the memorial.  There is a small statute with three women representing the efforts and assistance provided by females during the war.  There is another small statute with three men, representing Caucasian, African-American, and Latino servicemen.  The final segment, however, is the Wall.  I'll never stop being fascinated by the Wall. Upon it are the nearly 60,000 names of servicemen, and women, who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.  Before we walked along this hallowed ground, I informed the kids of the three soldiers from Saugus who lost their lives and Mr. Burke described a friend of his who was also killed.  

Some of our kids along the Wall.

I went ahead to the Western portion of the wall.  On the 16th panel, at line 116 (I think), I found the name of Stanley Egan.  He was from Saugus.  There were some other Belmonte students in the area, but not from bus 3, and so, I quickly explained who he was.  I try, when traveling to Europe, to stress that history is all around us and, more often than not, we can find connections to our home when abroad.  There, alongside that wall, I think some kids truly understood what I meant.

It was packed in the city today.  There are thousands of us here.  Just as it is described in National Treasure, Washington DC is full of 8th graders on a field trip.  Our guide said she heard there are nearly 6,000 buses in the greater DC area today.  I don't find that hard to believe.  The downside to that, is that these sites are very busy.  The solemnity that one would expect to find is not quite apparent because of the shear volume of people.  No one wants to be outwardly disrespectful, but it does happen.  The kids I spoke too, the ones from Saugus who were able to make connections, were incredibly respectful.  It was reassuring.  We slowly made our way towards the Lincoln Memorial and I overheard one young lady speaking with a friend.  She was noticeably upset.  She said that she didn't think it was okay for some people to be laughing and joking at a site that commemorates so many soldiers who died in the line of duty.  It was a sign of great maturity in her and I had to interject.  I reassured her. I told her that the people who didn't quite "get it" would understand at some point.  Those people would eventually understand sacrifice.  I explained briefly how I had seen similar behavior in places like Normandy, Auschwitz, and other places of great reverence.  I told her not to be too upset with those who don't appreciate what we had seen.  They will understand...then I told her how lucky she is.  She is 13 or 14 and she already values her ancestors.  She understands the importance of history and the ultimate devotion paid by so many.  At the high school, when good things are happening, we often say, "It's a good day to be a Sachem."  Today, it was a good day.

The Lincoln Memorial is a favorite among the kids.  It is very impressive.  Lincoln is sitting there, nearly 20 feet tall.  He is imposing. He is determined.  I love it.  

You can get a sense of how many people are in DC with this picture of the Lincoln Memorial

We left Lincoln and made our way to one more memorial.  The Korean War Memorial is one of the most impressive I've ever seen.  There is so much symbolism.  I grabbed a quick photo because the time was limited here and it was getting dark.

19 Soldiers on Patrol.  To the left, a reflective panel with photos of real soldiers.

We had wrapped up a long day and began to head towards our hotel.  I could probably write for hours, but we have another long day ahead of us tomorrow.  We will be visiting Arlington National Cemetery and I am certain we will make more connections to our past.  

It's funny.  I started this post writing about kids complaining that they couldn't charge their phones on the bus.  I can't recall a single person complaining about that on the way to the hotel.  We pulled up into the parking lot and waited for our room assignments.  I jumped into the cargo hold to retrieve luggage for kids and was helped, and thanked, by pretty much every passenger.  I've always believed that we learn when we travel.  I always seem too.  I think our kids learned a little bit about sacrifice today.  I think they learned about helping others and appreciating the real things in life.  

I am so grateful to be able to accompany young people while they see the world.  Today was no exception.  To the parents reading this...thank you.  It has been an absolute pleasure.

I am adding a couple more photos below.  I apologize for not providing more commentary, but it is 11:45 and I really should get some sleep.

At the hotel, waiting to take the elevator.

Reflecting by the reflecting pool

The Lincoln Memorial

The Washington Monument

The World War II Memorial

An elevator full of kids waiting to see DC

We just finished eating dinner.

Way to Be!!!  Bus 3

Good night and thanks for reading!!!  Please feel free to comment, I love feedback.