Middle School

by GQ

The years in middle school have changed my life. I’ve learned all kinds of different things about different subjects in school, boring as it was. I’ve met many friends in middle school. There’s the trip to Point Bonita in the 6th grade, the week in Yosemite in 7th grade, and getting to go to Cazadero Music Camp for two weeks in the summer before the 8th grade, just to name a few.

The trip to Point Bonita was somewhat fun, but also a little disappointing. The reason it was disappointing was that I had been there in the 5th grade, and we stayed at a hostel, which had really good service. The food was delicious, the activities were very enjoyable, and the cabins were comfortable. The trip in the 6th grade, however, was not as enjoyable. We stayed in a YMCA-owned building that was crowded and noisy. The food was mediocre, the activities weren’t as fun to do, but the cabins were still pretty comfortable. I actually had mixed feelings when I left it, as opposed to the 5th grade, when I despised leaving the hostel.

The five-day trip to Yosemite was really enjoyable. It was probably the most fun I had in all of middle school. We hiked a lot, and I started to develop a faster walking pace as a result. One place I remember hiking through was Yosemite falls. It was a very steep hill, and we had trouble going up without resting every 50 yards or so. Another experience I remember well was going through Spider Cave (or was it Tunnel?). It was formed when huge boulders fell off the mountains above, and coincidentally forming a natural tunnel underneath. It was cold and dark, and we weren’t allowed to use flashlights. I remember squeezing through this small hole in the beginning, and I wondered how the bigger people were able to do the same thing. I remember participating in a snowball fight for the first time in my life, even though there wasn’t much snow there. Even the ride back to Oakland was fun. I found myself resenting the moment we arrived back to Oakland greatly.

When I arrived at Cazadero Music Camp for the third time, I saw that everything was the same way it was when I first came, except I knew I was going to stay longer than the other times. I signed up for 2 weeks in the summer. I was only there because the Oakland Youth Symphony was able to give me a full scholarship. The food served in the cafeteria was delicious. I remember the many hours of rehearsals we had each day. I ended up with many blisters on my hand. We also had a free day of carnival games on the Monday of the 2nd week. It was very fun and enjoyable, and I hoped I could come back the next summer.

The trips I went on have taught me many things. I learned how to build a campfire, how to identify blackberry bushes from poison oak, how to play music better, etc. I look forward to other fun activities next year in high school.