828.863.4235
MindStretch Travel Adventures - Summer Travel Camp for Boys
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Director/Staff
    • FAQ
    • How a Day Unfolds
    • What They're Saying
    • MTA Newsletters
    • Nature Deficit
  • We're Unique!
  • Colorado Rockies 2023
    • More to Know
    • Application Colorado Rockies >
      • 2023 Extra Notes
  • Ramblings
  • Photos
  • Contact Me
    • Suggest a Friend

The Wow Factor...guest post by Andy Lammers

6/26/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
Andy Lammers, a middle school teacher at Carolina Day School (Asheville), writes about his experience as a leader on our Virginia trip. This was too good not to share.

What a lucky life I lead. Former colleague and legendary Carolina Day School and now Christ Church Episcopal School teacher Mark Levin asked me to come along on a week-long road trip with twenty-three 11 to 13 year old boys. Maybe it’s not your idea of a grand time, but I jumped at the chance. So here I am, in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley on an adventure. Making the deal even sweeter, my son Jackson is along for the ride. Boy time!

I didn’t think this would be a big learning experience, just spending the week with wild, goofball boys and running amok outside, but quickly I realized that if I paid attention, I could be reminded of some really cool stuff about boys.

Yesterday I was reminded that boys still say wow.

Out on a hike in Shenandoah National Park we came across millipedes creeping across damp ground and the boys said wow. They said quiet wows when we hiked up to the rocks and looked down to see vultures soaring below us.

The boys winced with disgust and said wow when I held up the tick I found climbing on my calf. They uttered curious wows as they peppered Appalachian Trail through-hikers with questions. They said wow when we nibbled wild blueberries growing along the trail.

The boys murmured puzzled wows as we inspected iron bars that had been pounded into stone, creating some sort of support for a long-gone bridge. They screamed WOW! when we saw a black bear rooting for grubs along the roadside.

At every stop they took in the world around them, faces lit with curiosity.

I think we forget how curious and engaged boys can be. We see them glued to the Xbox or some device and wonder if they’ve lost something, if boys these days have changed. We see them sluggish, ambivalent at best about their school work and more than a little resistant to picking up a book. We worry and wonder if they are going to be OK.

But I think the boys are already alright. Everybody take a deep breath. The boys still say wow; I’ve heard them.

Maybe it’s up to us to find a few more chances for them to let their wows out.

Click to check out recent photos from our adventures.


1 Comment
Jan Filitti
6/26/2014 11:27:10 am

Wow, Andy. Truly, that was such a great story to share!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Mark Levin

    I never imagined that when I started taking kids on travel trips in 1978 that I would still be taking trips today! It has been a great ride and I'm looking forward to more.

    Over the years I've had the fortune to travel across the US several times, visit Canada several times, experienced Alaska, the Bahamas, Mexico, and Europe several times. 

    Archives

    March 2021
    November 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    Alaska
    Biking
    Buffalo Bill
    Camper Achievements
    Canada
    Cass Scenic Railroad
    Colorado
    Colorado Rockies
    Colorado Wolf And Education Center
    Craig Jolly
    Dubois
    Electronics At Camp
    Eurail
    Europe
    Flying W Ranch
    Geocaching
    Grand Tetons
    Great Smoky Mountains National Park
    Greenbrier River Trail
    Hiking
    Hugh Neff
    International Campers
    Montana
    National Parks
    New England
    New Mexico
    North Carolina
    Rocky Mountain National Park
    Roswell
    Royal Gorge
    Second Generation Campers
    Storytellers
    Street Musicians
    Virginia
    West Virginia
    Whitehorse
    Wyoming
    Yellowstone

(c) 2023 MindStretch Travel Adventures