Once everyone files into the cool concrete corridor, Justin-the Tour Guide-begins his speech. It’s about not littering and a bunch of other stuff I think should be common sense. Despite probably regurgitating this speech hundreds of times, I can tell he is still passionate about what he’s saying. When he’s finished, the moment we’ve all been waiting for finally arrives.  Justin swings open the creaky metal door to reveal the cave behind him. As my class and I enter the cave, I nudge Jed and say, “This is going to be our best field trip ever. I just know it!” 

Justin gives us a chance to acclimate like fish to our new environment. I scan my surroundings, looking up, down, left, right, taking everything in. It’s so surreal seeing all of this in person. The glossy sheen of the slick limestone, and the frightening teeth-like stalagmites and stalactites that make me feel like I’m in a giant’s mouth, are things I’ve only seen in pictures. I come to the conclusion that pictures do these no justice. Once we all get used to everything, Justin leads us to two large lumps of stone.

“These rocks are the Twins,” he explains. “Each one is over ten feet tall.”

“Wow, those are massive!” Mrs. Starns marvels.

“The bigger one is one million years old, and the other is 700,000 years old,” Justin continues as if no one had said anything. This is all interesting, but I’m only half listening because I’m too lost in thought. Is this really what I’ve been missing out on? All of this beauty is hidden in a cave, yet people like me choose to stay inside all day and watch T.V., never visiting something like this once in their lifetime? If it weren’t for this field trip I may have never seen this in person ever. I can’t believe it! 

Justin proceeds to guide us down the cave, pointing out little interesting things as we go, giving me more and more reason to love this place. “I said it already and I’ll say it again, this is the best field trip ever.” I brace myself for shushing, because I’ve repeated myself five times over. I instead get an unexpected response from Mr. Kestle.

“This is exactly why we do this field trip in fifth grade, John. You’re  young enough to be excited about everything, and old enough to appreciate it.”

“Yeah,” I reply, staring blankly at the pools of cave water surrounding us, thinking about his response.

Minutes pass before anyone speaks again. 

“This is the Queen’s Canopy, a large formation of stalactites that looks like the rim of a roof covered in icicles on a frigid winter day,” Justin explains. I listen intently to Justin, until something catches my eye. One of my classmates towards the front of the pack drops a light blue laffy taffy wrapper on the cave floor, most likely thinking no one would notice. But I noticed. After all the things we had the privilege of seeing today, how could anyone be that inconsiderate? It’s literally less than an ounce; it isn’t a single bit harder to wait for the end of the tour to throw it away than it is to litter. Someone shifts their footing and steps on the little blue wrapper. I lose sight of it, but keep my gaze on its general area. As soon as Justin begins herding us to the next stop, I make sure to stuff the sticky blue wrapper in my right pocket. 

By the time we reach our next destination, my legs are so tired they're threatening to give way. Because of this, I’m actually okay with the fact that the rest of the tour flies by. On our way back we get to see all of the things that brought me to love this place, one more time. As we exit through the door we entered from, I tap Jed. “Hey,” he gives me a sideways glance then returns to facing the path in front of him, “Do you think what Mr. Kestle said is right?” 

“Whaddya mean? Right about what?” 

“About being so old one day that we wouldn’t appreciate all of the stuff behind us like we do now,”

“I don’t really know or care,” he says flatly. “All I care about is right now.” I don’t respond to that. Well, at least I know Jed hasn’t been replaced by a lizard, because that is the most Jed thing I’ve heard all month. Maybe he is right, though. What happens to me later happens to me later, what am I going to do about it? What's important is now. Because now I am walking next to my friend, Jed, and now am surrounded by something beautiful.