Day 4 | Acadia National Park: The Kind of People You Hope to Find

This morning we climbed aboard the Miss Samantha for our lobster boat and wildlife cruise out of Bar Harbor. Trap by trap, we learned how the lobster fishery works and discovered the incredible wildlife living beneath the surface of Frenchman Bay. We brought up lobsters, crabs, and other sea life, giving everyone the chance to see these animals up close before they were carefully returned to the water. And yes...we continued one of our favorite STEAM in the PARK traditions. We kissed the wildlife. This year's honored guest? A lobster. There aren't many professional development programs where that sentence makes perfect sense.

The afternoon belonged to adventure. Campers scattered across Acadia, each choosing their own way to spend these last precious hours together. Some challenged themselves on the Beehive and the Bowl Trail. Others hiked Gorham Mountain, explored Schoodic Peninsula, climbed to Raven's Nest, wandered the streets of Bar Harbor, made a trip to see Stephen King's house in Bangor, enjoyed authentic lobstah rolls, or celebrated another day together with one more scoop of ice cream. There wasn't one perfect way to spend the afternoon because everyone was writing their own ending to this chapter.

Tonight we gathered for KampiOKE, laughing louder with every song until the writing group from Johns Hopkins finally asked if we could keep it down for a little while. We couldn't help but laugh. I suppose thirty-one educators singing with great enthusiasm and questionable pitch can be a bit much. We gladly surrendered the stage...eventually.

As the sun settled over Frenchman Bay, we gathered around a fire beneath an osprey nest for our Firefly Ceremony. It is always a special way to end the week, but tonight carried a little extra weight. We talked about what had made this group of thirty-one educators so different. They are humble. They are grateful. They are kind. Every single person added something to this community. No one took away from it. They encouraged each other, celebrated each other, and made room for everyone to belong. You could see it in the conversations, on the trails, around the tables, and in every activity we shared this week.

I said something tonight that made everyone laugh because it was true. These are the kind of people I wouldn't hide from if I saw them in Target. If you've ever been in Target and spotted someone you know, you understand exactly what that means. These are the people you'd gladly push your cart toward. The ones you'd stop and talk with. The ones who leave you smiling after the conversation is over. That's what this week has been.
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Tomorrow we leave as friends, carrying a little piece of Acadia—and a little piece of each other—back into our classrooms.
I'm not quite ready for tomorrow.

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