#1810MeetsJuliette

One of my Girl Scout Troops made the trek to Savannah, Georgia at the end of June. I have still be processing the experience!

I am lucky enough to be a troop leader for 2 troops.  One troop is 2nd Grade- 10th Grade and my other troop is 11th and 12th graders.  I have talked about our travels before 1810 going to Canyon, Texas and 6458 to New York

Both of these troops have done the travel progression (I will admit the littles of our 1810 group have not done as much travel progression, but were ready for the adventure!)

Couple of things:

-We used PBnJ Tours- and they were AMAZING!!- the tour covered all of the meals, activities (except we planned the Birthplace) for 2 and a half days. Each person was in charge of getting to Savannah- we had one group that drove and some that flew (it was about $600 per person)

-We had 14 people going- 8 girls- 2nd grade through 10th grade and 6 adults (this was not the full troop- so the troop paid for patches/one shirt/tips)

-people traveling paid out of pocket- we did not fundraise for this- but will be fundraising for our next adventure

-there is a WEALTH of knowledge on the Facebook Group- Girl Scouts Traveling to Savannah

Our troop had this on their list from when they were Brownies.  Although we used PBnJ Tours- they worked with us to ensure that we had the items that our girls wanted. 

We could have easily have put in an extra day- but we had a TON of fun during our 2 and half days.  Using a PBnJ also helped because we were such a large group- they took care of all the back end items- and were so good about answering ALL of my questions and text messages.

Ideas that worked:

-it was HOT- I mean- we did go at the end of June. All the girls carried their own water bottles- so every time the church bell rang- we drank water- that was every 15 minutes

-we had the matching shirts- is it required- no.. but we sure did look good! Thanks Layla with Horizon Imprinting for always working with us

-Buddies-we did this in New York for our older girls- but this worked SO great! We had 4 older girls and 4 "littles" each day an older girl got a younger girl to hang out with.  I can't tell you how much I LOVED seeing these older girls be in charge!!

Sunday:

-arrival

-eating dinner at Dub's

-Savannah Square Pops- This was one of our FAVORITES

-Headed back to the hotel where we made GORP (those that were driving brought all the materials) and also signed Thank You cards for all the places we were going to stop at- each thank you note also included a SWAP- shout out to Holley for the SUPER cute idea!

Monday:-We wore our vests along with longer shorts and a shirt that we had made

-The older girls ate breakfast with me so we could plan the Girl Scout Own/Pinning Ceremony

-Started our day getting professional photos done at the Birthplace

-Birthplace tour- we also did our own pinning ceremony while we were here- they have one that they give you- but I found this one

-Lunch from Leopolds in the park

-Andrew Lowe House tour

-Trolley Tour- this was a hop on hop off tour- we chose to sit the whole time.  The first part of the trolley was great- BUT.. then another troop hopped onto the tour and our girls swapped items.  I did have younger kiddos- but they all talked super quiet- and did not interrupt the other passengers- our driver got VERY upset- and the last of the tour we spent in complete silence

-Spent some time in the hotel getting ready for dinner

-B&D Burgers for dinner

-Scouting for Spirits Walking Tour- we were all SUPER tired- so we worked with our tour guide for a shorter tour- that also included our Leopold's Ice Cream.

-Evening swim (the reason I became a lifeguard)

Tuesday- going to the beach- would recommend- EXTRA sunscreen- and eye glass holders for those that wear glasses while in the water

We got to start this day later- and we were all thankful for that! Today we headed to Tybee Island! Transportation was also provided by PBnJ

-Started our day with a SUPER cute Group picture (Danna was in charge of making sure we got our group pics- also with a larger group- a great thing to do is practice where everyone is going to stand when it is picture time- this way when you say picture everyone already has a spot!)

-Captain Derek's Dolphin Tour- it was AMAZING!

-Salty Pelican for Lunch

-Time at the beach-this is what everyone wanted more time with- I did do a little Turtle Ceremony that I found through the Facebook Page- I also gave each person a Turtle Bracelet (which really ended up being an anklet)

-Tybee Island Marine Center for a tour and Seining

-We had some much needed rest/showers before we headed to dinner

-Lady and Sons for Dinner

-ended the trip with some shopping and walking around

The Girls Favorite: We sat down on Tuesday evening before everyone went their separate ways and chatted about favorites

-the older girls loved having buddies

-the beach

-Savannah Square Pops

What was my favorite?

The professional pictures we had taken- and Danna capturing this photo- Did I have all my girls there- no... and that did make me sad- but I had a pretty large group of them.  I have talked about it in various places- but because I could not have my own children- I am SO very thankful for these families and girls allowing me to be a part of their lives and adventures.  Having these professional photos taken I was able to think about how much they have grown and how lucky I am.

I leave you with this- I was part of the driving crew- and we stopped in New Orleans on our way back.  There was a vendor that listened to your story and then created a poem.

Poems for PassersBy

What a whirlwind of days and worth every bit!

New York, New York

 Did you just sing that in your head? I have been singing it since the end of February I think when Troop 6458 decided that is where they wanted to go.

Background:

-I run two troops.  This troop has been together since they were in elementary school and are now a troop of 5 girls that are in 8th and 9th grade.

-They just completed their Silver Award. They saw a need in their community for mental health and middle schoolers. They did research and put on a mental health workshop for middle schoolers that included a counselor and stations.  They also built a website and created a video. You can find it all here at No More Moping, Do More Coping

-Because of Covid- they have still been active, but there was a little more money in their cookie money account to cover this trip.

To prepare for this trip girls did research on different things that they wanted to do while in New York.  This was a girl-led, girl-run trip!

There were 5 girls and 3 adults that traveled. I am also first aid, CPR, and lifeguard certified along with all the other training required to travel with girls.

Money

The overall trip cost about $1450 per girl- The troop paid $1250 and the girls paid $200
This Covered:
-Flight
-Hotel
-Metro Pass
-Taxi to and from airport-hotel
-New York Pass
-The Met
-The Rockettes
-Dinner

Breakfast was in the hotel and lunch was on their own.

Block Planning

Our girls chose ALL the things- but Jen (one of the amazing moms) put it all together! Not only did she put it all together she helped us with which Metro Stations. 

You can find our schedule here

The green on the block planning means that we have paid for it, or if we don't show up and check in we will be charged for it.

Favorites (remember- these were all researched by the girls on what they wanted to see and do)

After doing research we found that the New York Pass was going to give us the best bang for our buck. Some of the things you could make reservations for are times. The New York Pass covered you unless you didn't show up.  If you did not show up and check in then they charged the card on file.

Our favorites were

-Bridging on the Brooklyn Bridge! We had our own bridging ceremony.  Girls just kept their vests in their backpacks.  I also chose to bring my nice camera with me to grab pictures.  I am SO thankful that I did!

-The Rockettes- this was not part of the New York Pass, but we were able to get group rates because we bought an extra ticket (which was still a better rate than regular tickets)

-Seeing New York from the Top of a building during the day and also at Night.

We did Top of the Rock during the day and Empire State Building for the Night

-Rockefeller Center Tour was fantastic!! One of the things I wanted to do was the Today Show.. and it just didn't fit into our schedule and they still had some Covid restrictions (or their website said that) Honestly- after all the walking and how jam-packed our days were I don't know if I would have been able to make it! BUT- we were on our Tour and I looked up and I thought I recognized the back of a head, saw a security guard, and walked a little faster.  Sure enough- it was Hoda Kotb I tapped her on her shoulder and said, I am with a Girl Scout troop from Texas, we love you.. can we have a selfie!

-The Catacombs Tour at the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral was a great tour and super informative

-The Met had an awesome docent-led tour.

-Of course, we made it to Girl Scout Central!

Things to Know/Ideas/Other Thoughts

-We only took a carry-on and a backpack.  We didn't want to take luggage all across New York (Thank you Jen for encouraging this!)  These packing cubes from Amazon were a lifesaver

-The metro pass is amazing- We got a 7-day pass.  We needed  8 tickets, and that was part of the cost of the trip- however, buying at the actual metro station we could only use one credit card for 2 tickets! Thank goodness I had other adults that could help buy the other tickets. 

-Although we are a small group-we still wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to be a buddy.  Rather than me choosing buddies for the day- I had an app do it for me! I used the app called Team Shake  This way the girls knew it wasn't me making the buddies for the day. Although we traveled together, the buddy system was for when we were walking (we DID NOT walk in buddies- because you don't do that in New York!) but our buddies were close to each other and would always do checks.  This was also great for pictures.  We encouraged the buddies for the day to be the picture taker for the other one.  

-We had the girls come up with their own Code of Conduct.  These are things they usually do anyway- but it is a good reminder- because you get tired, cranky.. and hormones! You can find our code of conduct here

-We usually communicate with parents of the troop by using Group Me- but we have also created a Group Me for the girls as well (that parents are in) so they could easily get a hold of us.

-Walk with Purpose- this was the saying that I used the WHOLE time we were in New York! Wear comfortable shoes and be ready to walk (and if you are taking the metro... walk flights of stairs)

-We didn't have very good success with the walking tours that were in our pass.  The first one was a Broadway walking tour in Times Square.  There was something going on- and the tour guide ended up losing us! The second one that we had signed up for was a SoHo, Little Italy, China Town tour- this one the girls decided they didn't want to walk anymore (and it was also the coldest day!) Both the tours we checked into to ensure our space was covered (and we wouldn't be charged double)

-Food- pizza is easy (and amazing) Juniors was a good place and so was the TickTock Diner.  We did have a NICE dinner one evening at Emilio Ballato-it was pricy- but it was AMAZING.  Our girls wanted to have one nice evening dinner- and this one did not disappoint.  They do not take reservations, and because of the size of our group we were automatically family-style. 

There were a few things that we didn't make it to, but there is so much that we did do! On the last day, we took the Metro to Natural History Museum and walked through Central Park to get to the Met.  Our feet were tired, we were tired, and it was our last day.  My co-leader mentioned to the girls that this was on their list of things they wanted to do.  The response back from one of the girls- Yes, this what we chose-but we chose this when we had slept 10 hours the night before, had not walked 7 to 9 miles for the past 3 days, and were eating Panera chocolate crescents as we planned.  We all laughed SO hard at this.

I have so many memories that I am going to cherish from this amazing adventure.  There are times when I get so sad that I do not have kids of my own, but because of these troops, I am able to have experiences that I would not have otherwise.  I am forever grateful that their families trust me to lead them and also go on adventures with them!  I know my other troop has Georgia and then overseas in their plans.

I leave you with my favorite picture (and now my profile pic on many of my accounts) that one of the girls took for me... on the steps of the New York Public Library!

And to Live By The Girl Scout Law

Back in 1985 (or there very close to it) I joined Girl Scouts.  I joined as a Daisy- and our troop was the FIRST troop of Daisy's in my area.  Every meeting we began with the Girl Scout Promise and Law.  Both of these things have changed over the years, but the sentiment has not.

Me as a Brownie

Girl Scout Law

Girl Scout Promise

The world is NOT an easy place to live in for anyone right now.  Each household is going through something different, having to make difficult choices or not so difficult choices, and figure out how to live and survive right now. Even those people that seem to have life all figured out right now and together are suffering/stressing too, but in a different way.


Do I handle everything correctly, of course I don't! When I am having a tough time.. or don't know what type of decisions to make.. I go back and think about Girl Scouts. I think about how Girl Scouts  taught me to get through tough situations. I think about what Girl Scouts has taught me to be a better person.  I think about what Girl Scouts has taught me about treating other people. I think that the most important thing that Girl Scouts has taught me is to realize that every person is traveling their own road and their own journey-and I can ALWAYS be Considerate and Caring. 

Let's Break it Down:
Girl Scout Promise
On My Honor- hey, that's me!
I will try- I LOVE the word try here.. and each day is a new day!
To Serve God and my Country- Of course.. and I might not always agree with what is happening in my country, but that doesn't mean that I can't do the best I can to make it how I would like to see it.
To help people at all times- THIS ONE IS HUGE! Helping is also encouraging! We also have to remember that helping looks different in different situations.  It might just be listening, offering a smile, or just being there for someone
And to live by the Girl Scout Law- always doing my best and starting a day fresh and new!

Girl Scout Law
I will do my best- That is all that anyone can ask for! Our best might not look that great some days.. we are HUMAN.. but that doesn't mean that we just give up!
To be honest and fair- We are all human and should be fair and honest to those around us.
Friendly and Helpful- I don't always want to be friendly-but I remind myself that everyone has different shoes they are walking in.
Considerate and Caring- This is one that I work on daily.  Even though I don't agree with everyone, I remind myself to be considerate and caring- because people deserve that.  Many people do not get this in their own life- I know that I can do that for them.
Courageous and Strong- It is not easy to always be courageous and strong- there are lots of times that I fail at this.  But I also see courageous and strong as standing up for what you believe in, but being strong enough to realize that not everyone has the same opinions as you.
Responsible for what I say and do- I am responsible for what I say and do in both social media and inside my house.  I might say wrong things, but that doesn't make me any less responsible for them.
and to
Respect myself and others- I work constantly for respecting others, but sometimes I forget how to respect myself.  This year I am doing that by taking a step back and realizing that it is okay to take time for myself.  It is okay to take time for yourself to make yourself a better person! I have started to receive counseling, and I so thankful for this service.
Respect authority- I might not agree with everything that is happening, but I respect that there are people that have to make really tough decisions.  If I don't like the decisions they are making, I can use my right to vote. 
Use resources wisely- This one right now packs a punch! Resources wisely can go from what we are using in our own household to what we might need in school.
Make the World a Better Place, and- The world is NOT an easy place- but by only seeing the bad and no silver linings- we are not doing a very good job at making the world a better place. 
to be a Sister to Every Girl Scout- Give everyone grace.  Everyone deserves that.

I know that I am not a parent.  I know that I can only make a difference in the immediate circle of people that I am able to connect with right now.  But I have a troop that I love DEARLY that I can hopefully instill some of these same values. 

Parents, I know that you are having to handle a whole lot right now.  Even if you are not a Girl Scout... I hope that you take a moment to see how you are handling life in general and what types of values that you are instilling in your own children.  If you don't have children.. what kind of values are you instilling in others? So much of social media right now is reminding people how wrong they are, how to do things better, how life can be better.  COVID-19 has proved that no one is right.. and that nothing is how we want it right now. 

I am a middle school librarian and I worry about my own safety along with that of my family.  I have been following all of the rules as best I can. Our family has also gone down to one income for the most part- so I understand that stress as well.  Life is not easy right now for anyone! I have been following the Girl Scout Promise and Law to remind those around me that they are valued.  I am also VERY involved in my community.  I too am grieving that things are not how I want them to be (I mean.. during school.. I run a Girl Scout troop, Destination ImagiNation teams, clubs and various other activities) I have shed tears over the things that I have lost.. and the things that I will not be able to do.  I hate that educators and school systems are being bashed in almost every way.  I feel for the administrators and Superintendents having to make decisions for SO many people. I hate that there are so many families having to choose a job or a family to make this work.  Remember- people are watching what we do and how we handle ourselves.  Those people also include the younger generation, your children, our students. 

I know that I don't always handle things correctly.. but as the Promise and Law state- I will do my BEST and I will TRY.  Through all the darkness in the world right now, I hope to continue to instill the Promise and Law and the importance of showing Grace to ourselves and Grace to those around us.

Only part of my troop.

What work are you doing today to make our history better?  How are you handling stress?  What are you doing to change the world.

I will continue to do my Best and to Live by the Girl Scout Law.