Field Trip to Seattle

Submitted by susan w on Sat, 03/01/2008 - 7:59pm.
EMP experience 

I felt the experience of going to Seattle for a field trip was a very positive one for me.  I enjoyed getting away from town and school and doing something fun with my classmates.  It gave me a chance to get to know some members of the class that I hadn’t gotten to talk to much.  That was probably what I enjoyed the most.  I liked the interacting with others in a completely different setting.  I also liked the different and varied activities that I did at the EMP.  Again, interacting with others was just as (or more so) positive to me as doing the activities.  In fact, I think that is what made it enjoyable.  One activity that I did alone was to play the piano and sing in a “soundproof” room.  It made me realize that I need to do this more.  I have given up on music lately because of lack of time.  I realized that it was very relaxing and fun for me.  In fact, I would say I was in “flow” while I was playing, which surprised me since I didn’t know I was missing music so much.  This made me think about art.  I used to sketch and draw a lot but I don’t now.  I thought that this would be a good thing to pick up again as a hobby.  Even if I don’t have a big stretch of time I could fit it in here and there and I think it is different from the other activities that I do.  I love interior design so I do get a little of my artistic side satisfied when I do that but I realize now that it isn’t enough.  For me, the most fun, though, had to be going out to eat with everyone.  It was fun to sit at the table with four members of the class that I really hadn’t gotten to know yet.   Good food and company…what is better? 

 This activity seemed to encompass just about every area of Positive Psychology including leisure, excellence (music and musicians), aesthetics, creativity, genius, love (friendships/belonging to a group), and developed community, culture and overall well-being.  With my choices, I also experienced being in the “flow”, used some of my signature strengths, had fun (eating, getting to know one another, doing the activities) and overall just relaxed and enjoyed myself.  On the whole, I think this field trip was a valuable activity to experience for our "Positive Psychology" class.
Submitted by Jacob H on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 9:33pm.

Susan,

I too enjoyed being able to break the routine of life by going on this field trip. Such a unique setting made the experience of getting to know our classmates an innovative and memorable one. I look forward to connections lasting beyond the classroom.

It would be exciting to see someone inspired enough by the experience to take up music, art, or something similar. In my opinion, art enriches and effects our lives dramatically.