Since all of XO Kitty‘s episodes revolve around a bunch of international high schoolers growing up in a Korean private school, the nostalgia might not be surprising. It makes you miss the good old times, when your biggest problem was how long your homework would take before or after you spent the afternoon with friends.
But one episode in particular struck me. The gang around Kitty convinces their teacher to make the senior year field trip to an amusement park. Even the teachers end up having fun. Everyone eats candy, works up their courage over different rides, and, eventually, even the scared Kitty sits on the big rollercoaster.
When I was in high school, my city sometimes offered such trips. You’d book a fixed-price ticket with a few friends, sit on a bus for some hours, then split from the main group during the day at the park. As long as everyone was back at the bus by the departure time, there were no problems.
I remember how much fun we had. Same people, different environment. It felt like exploring a new country with your fellow pioneers. Not that hanging at school wasn’t fun, but here, you found out new things about old friends. You dared trying new experiences—or not, at times, and that taught you something as well.
I usually don’t like bachelor trips. They’re always expensive and often marked by drinking above all else. Take out the excessive alcohol consumption, however, and you get something close to a field trip. Not that you couldn’t do one with a mixed group of friends at any time.
Not everyone loved high school. But the good parts, the friendships, fun, and experiences—those don’t have to end. Once a year or so, pack up a few friends, and go see a new place. There’s a reason we ship high schoolers into the wild every now and then: You always get to know yourself and others a little better on a field trip.
