Always The Tour Guide, Never The Chaperone! (Until now!!)

It doesn’t matter where I go or who I am with, I’m ALWAYS the tour guide.  I have “the file” of things to do, places to go, where to eat, maps, yelp reviews, spa suggestions, etc.  While I may be mocked, I’m always the go-to person for information.  I’ve taken profession hockey players with their mascot and a hundred fans on a cruise.  I’ve escorted 200 science professionals with their families to Hawaii and I’m the leader on our annual girl’s trip    During my travel career I’ve been lucky to have many experiences of being the information booth and standing at the front of the bus describing points of interest.  When the opportunity came to chaperone my step son’s band trip to Southern California, I embraced the chance to go somewhere fun with the high school kids!  Sure, I’m ready for this! 

The experience of chaperoning incorporated all of what I’ve done previously to being responsible for 23 Anchorage high school students over 2000 miles from home.  The importance put upon us as chaperones hits like a brick.  What a culture shock from Alaska to Southern California;  temperature change of an 80+ degree swing and skin in desperate need of suntan location.  Add in the different ages, maturity and personalities of the students that have been put in our care for a week, some who have never been anywhere. 

Priorities are to keep them fed, hydrated, busy and above all, safe.  This task is exhausting!  The biggest help and the most fun is an app called GroupMe.  Advantage of this modern age is every student has a cell phone!  Have everyone in your group download the app.  It will be a saving grace and lots of laughs.  The leader or coordinator sends invites to everyone within the group and sets up the group.  Instead of doing a mass text and having everyone have your personal phone number, this provides the same type of platform for communication with added enhancements.  You can send pictures to the group.  You can meme the pictures and send them back to the group.  Members of the group can “like” the comments and/or photos and then see the most popular.  You can also personalize your settings with a personal photo.  This app can also be used on a girl’s weekend or family vacation.  Once you use the app, you can see the potential for a lot of uses.

Many of these students had never been to Southern California.  A few had never been out of Alaska.  Their excitement was contagious!  With redeye flights each way and four nights at the hotel, the package included as much as could be packed into a five day SoCal vacation.  The primary activity was to play for the World Strides Heritage Performance Program.  Each student brought their instrument and band attire and were playing for the scholars.  In addition to the performance we visited Hollywood with the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Redondo Beach, two days at Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney, Universal Studios Hollywood, Medieval Times, and an afternoon to enjoy the pool and activities at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.  It was nonstop from sun up to way after sun down!  Keeping the kids busy and exhausted also worked on us chaperones!

We had an excellent group of students!  Keeping them safe and allowing them their own independence is a balance.  They enjoyed staying with adults on and off throughout the days.  When not with us, we would have them check in via the GroupMe app at designated times and let us know where they were and with whom they were with.  The kids were great to check in prior if they were going to be on a ride.  If someone was late checking in, then the entire group was on watch for them and they were accountable to the group and not just the chaperones.  It didn’t happen often.  In the evenings, upon return to the hotel, the kids would have an hour or so until lights out.  After that time, we would do the bed check and tape the outside of their hotel door.  If the door opened in the middle of the night, we would know it and the kids would need to answer to us.  Again, very good students!

As I look at every experience as a learning curve, this chaperoning adventure was truly that, an adventure!  A good trip is one that you need to get back to everyday life in order to recover from.  This was no exception!  Being the tour guide, my responsibility is to provide an enjoyable time.  Being the chaperone, adds the level of safety to the already full job description.  Would I do it again, Hell YES!