Closing Time
So the “Montana 2018 Trip” has successfully touched down in Boston, yet I find myself, at 1:08AM on Tuesday morning, unable to sleep. Maybe it’s the absence of nighttime chattering in the nearby tents or the lack of an evening debrief that almost always prematurely ended with “and then we had dinner”. Maybe it’s knowing that tomorrow will be a quiet day devoid of teenage laughter and breathtaking scenery. No, that’s definitely not it. The real reason is that this group, this experience, without expectation, took on its own meaning for me and is now just a memory… a memory I will cherish.
Being immersed in the Native American culture, seeing and experiencing what we did, opened our eyes to a new world within the borders of our own country. The people on the reservation were so welcoming and eager to share their stories: they weren’t bitter toward us or resentful for our history. The Northern Cheyenne people embraced our small group everywhere we went and gave us an inside peek at their lives through their stories and hospitality.
I was asked what my favorite part of the trip was and hands down, it was the growth of the students, who became like family on our adventure. These kids were heartfelt and raw in describing their experiences each day, regardless of how little they’re telling their parents now that we’re home.
Quiet Ellis described the feeling of breaking through the awkwardness of meeting other kids for the first time. He felt like he didn’t have much in common with them, but ended the trip wanting to push himself outside of his comfort zone more often because “there’s a whole world out there when you look past others’ differences.” Happy-go-lucky Anna was grateful she went on the trip because she was nervous about high school, and now feels like she has 7 close friends who can show her the ropes. She also appreciated the time to reflect in solitude. Steady Will enjoyed taking the time to reflect on each day’s events and wants to make sure he thinks about his days going forward to ensure each one is memorable. Sawyer’s reflections revolved around gratitude: he was constantly appreciative toward his chaperones and wants to make a habit out of showing gratitude in his life, because of how happy it makes him. Mason has a goofy shell, but on the inside, he thinks deeply about his experiences in the world. His takeaway from the trip was his fascination in the spiritual stories of the Native Americans. He wants to explore these stories even more. Cowboy Noah was a constant for everyone on the trip: always willing to support the group and be a friend to others. Though it was challenging, he liked having alone time to embrace the land and reflect on his experiences in solitude. He hopes to do this more in his daily life. For Janelle, she was excited about how much happiness the experience brought her and hopes to bring more positivity to the world.
In the last 3 days of our trip, those you haven’t heard about yet due to our lack of Internet, we were able to explore Yellowstone National Park and drive the scenic route back to Billings Airport. Some of the highlights were celebrating Noah’s 15th birthday, seeing Yellowstone River Falls (the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone), exploring “Artists Paintpots”, seeing Grand Prismatic, having a snowball fight in June, watching Old Faithful erupt, finding elk crossing the street, encountering a buffalo right outside our hotel (!), hiking Mount Washburn (elev: 10,290’), and driving through Beartooth Pass (where the snow was piled higher than the van).
I know each of us got something special out of this trip and I hope that The Rivers School’s Montana tradition will continue for future students to engage in a new culture and learn to appreciate the land, the stories, and the people that may go unnoticed otherwise.
This is Ms. Wilbur, signing off… (for now)
