Not a breath of wind to be had, it was a beautiful day. As the sun was shining through the window in the classroom, there was a buzz in the room. The buzz was all my classmates chatting about the trip ahead. We were going skating on an outdoor rink as a class and we were ecstatic. In previous years, we had asked for a trip to go to the rink, but the weather was unforgivingly cold and windy every time we talked about going. Not this year, as the sun was shining, and it was a perfect day. We were very fortunate to go on multiple class trips, but there was something about that day that will stick with me forever. We got all dressed up to go outside to the bus and load up the bus with our gear. Being in grade 5, we were at the point that we weren’t too cool to go skating, so everyone was really excited to go.  

We spent the entire afternoon outside on the rink sharing laughs and jokes while playing hockey and skating together. The part that will stick with me the most is being at the end of the rink taking a break, feeling the sunshine and feeling truly happy on the inside. Being able to play the game I love with all of my classmates was an amazing experience. As a class, we were given the opportunity to get away from the classroom and get a break from the schoolwork. Watching everyone skate and play a big game of hockey was awesome to see. Everyone was getting along, joking with each other, and sharing the trip as a group was a special feeling. Being with all of my friends and not having a worry in the world was a moment that has stuck with me. Being in a location that was outside the classroom, allowed us to communicate in a different way. Some kids who struggled to make friends, were making friends that day. Everyone was having fun and being friendly towards one another. It allowed us to grow as a class and become closer.

I relate this experience to being Canadian because of the time we spent outside doing something that has a reputation of being very popular in Canada. Skating is a popular activity and playing hockey is Canadas major sport. Even if it wasn’t a competitive game of hockey, it does not matter. We were all participating, and no one thought bad of anyone if they could not skate as well as someone else. Even though there were not many people who had experience playing hockey, we still had everyone participate in some way or another. This experience is Canadian not only because of skating, but also because our teacher brought hot chocolate for all of us if we wanted a break. This allowed us to take a break and socialize while still being able to watch everyone skate. Taking huge strides as classmates to be able to sit down and learn more about other people who you may not know much about.