I Never Thought I’d Do This: 50 Teens, One Bus, and Barcelona

Photo by Howei Wang on Unsplash

If you had told me 10 years ago that I’d be travelling by bus across Europe with 50 Czech teenagers, I would have laughed. Or cried. Or both.

At my school, teachers were invited every year to create and propose student trips. It wasn’t my first year there — actually, it was my fourth (or third, if you skip the Covid year) — so I decided to give it a try. I asked a couple of colleagues I really get along with to join me, and weeks later, we handed our proposal to the principal. Destination: Barcelona.

I truly believe you are never fully prepared. You try, you mess it up or learn, and then you try again. That was me. I wasn’t prepared to take almost 50 teenagers by bus to Spain. But from the beginning, I knew I wasn’t doing this alone. My team — Martin, Maxwell, and me — wasn’t just a team. We were also friends, and soon-to-be travel buddies.

The travel agency was picked, the trip was approved, and the response from students exceeded expectations — our bus was full. Informative emails were sent, final meetings were held… and finally, the long-awaited day came.

I was nervous. Martin and Maxwell were too. We had support from the agency, but school trips always bring surprises: Would someone get sick? Try to sneak in alcohol? Don’t forget, some students were already 18!

Still, we were a multicultural dream team: Martin – Czech, Maxwell – American, me – Peruvian. A communication barrier? Not at all. Lots of laughs and good vibes instead.

The journey was supposed to take 24 hours and involved two school branches — a few students from our city, and the rest from Prague. On the way, the students were in great spirits, playing music and even inviting us to dance. At one point, we all danced “La Macarena” and waved through the windows to Prague parents as we passed the terminal. 😂

The hard part? Sleeping. I couldn’t. I was too excited — and also, it was really uncomfortable! My colleagues and students managed to get some rest, but I think I only slept one hour.

We arrived at the hotel in the afternoon. It was just a short walk from the sea and the food was amazing — big breakfasts, unforgettable dinners. Every morning at eight we headed to the city to explore: Casa Milá, Casa Batlló, Park Güell, Sagrada Familia, Boquería Market, Arc de Triomf… five full days of Spanish immersion for everyone.

We made compromises, too. While our program was full of culture, for most teenagers, the beach time was the best time. We discussed and agreed on a balance: time for the sea, dinner, fun, and sleep. For me, this trust and communication was the key to the trip’s success.

One unforgettable night was June 23rd — San Juan. Music, fireworks, bonfires on the beach — a real Spanish celebration. The students were amazed. Some filmed it, others called their parents to share the moment. We couldn’t resist either. We headed to the beach to take a look, snap some pictures… and yes, dance! I bet there’s a video of us teachers dancing on someone’s phone. Hopefully deleted. 😅

Of course, not everything went perfectly. One student’s luggage was stolen from the hotel lobby during checkout. It happened so fast, none of us saw it. We had to go to the police and file a report. He had theft insurance, but the suitcase was never recovered.

Still, I choose to hold on to the good memories. One student said:

“Thanks Mr. H., Mr. G. and Ms. Margarita for being the chillest school trip.”

I think that says it all.