It begins, as all sensible school trips do, at an hour normally reserved for questionable online purchases. There we were, bleary-eyed. Overpacked children. One child dragging a suitcase roughly the size of themselves.
The bus unpacking crew – you know who you are.
The brave souls who lifted 55 suitcases
Without complaint. Without applause (unlike the pilot and what we know expect at the end of every lesson). Possibly without proper stretching beforehand. We see you and we appreciate you.
There is something uniquely chaotic about a school group at an airport before dawn.
The children, who allegedly “weren’t tired at all,” were: eating KFC at 4am, wearing hoodies as blankets and immediately asleep on the plane except Mason who talked to himself and anyone else awake throughout the flight.
Now we arrive at what may be the most educational part of the trip. The rooms. When I let students know…
“Before you do anything else, you need to make your beds.”
Silence.
Some students stared at the mattress as if it were an advanced maths problem.
For a brave few, this was clearly their first independent encounter with:
* A fitted sheet
* A duvet cover
* The concept of responsibility
One child reportedly attempted to place the duvet on top of the mattress protector and declare victory. Another asked if housekeeping would be coming around.
Character building, we call it.
After approximately 36 hours awake, the group bravely marched into town.
And what is the first cultural landmark teenagers seek out in Austria?
Not a cathedral.
Not a mountain.
No.
It was, of course, McDonald’s.
Because nothing says “immersing yourself in Austrian culture” quite like ordering nuggets in three different languages.
Next came ski fitting.
There is nothing that bonds a group faster than collectively discovering:
* Ski boots are not designed for comfort
* Walking in ski boots is a skill
* Everyone suddenly has “slightly wide feet”
In Conclusion
Your child is:
* Probably exhausted
* Definitely surviving
* Possibly still learning how to put a duvet cover on
– Mrs Wycherley
