Ah, Senior Trip.

That sacred tradition celebrating the bloody victory over college applications and pressure-cooker academic demands, and ushering in the wave of senioritis that overpowers all but the most vigilant or comatose.

Understandably, this epic week – in which students forget the drudgery and dreck of their final year – adorns the calendars of bleary-eyed seniors almost everywhere as a beacon of hope to come.

In case you have never visited our state-of-the-art and scenic campus, however, I can personally assure you that this is not the case with Tempe Prep seniors.

Unlike most teenagers, we love to do homework and theses and college applications. We are impervious to the crippling effects of senioritis. And we loathe “R and R weekends” for taking away our opportunity to cultivate our depth of inquiry and sense of wonder.

So, while lamenting the thought of no parental supervision and homework for a week, we 50-something seniors (four of whom seemed far too old to be doing this) boarded the plane to D.C. with heavy hearts.

As the six days unfolded, however, many of us inexplicably found ourselves enjoying our stay. As we profited from the opportunities the city had to offer – from exploring the monuments and Smithsonians scattered around the National Mall to feasting on German, Ethiopian, and Mediterranean-Lebanese fusion cuisine – we began to realize that Arizona was not the only cultural, historical, and gastronomical Mecca in the world.

Through the ultimate Frisbee rounds by the Capitol, swing dancing competitions at midnight in fancy ballrooms (#onlyatTPA), early-morning jaunts to D.C. Cupcakes, raves, running-up-mega-escalators-the-wrong-way contests, and metro rides, new friends were made, relationships blossomed, and most students discovered just how interesting people are outside of school.

Also among the highlights of the trip were: romping through Gettysburg, waiting in line for countless security checks, grilling (figuratively) Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, almost passing out in the Air and Space Museum’s flight simulator, frequenting the hotel sauna, sleeping in on Wednesday, and most importantly by a lot, admiring the Kodo Drummers’ superhuman displays of finesse, musicianship, and unquestionably cut bodies (ask about drummer No.3 in red).

To the collective dismay of parents, students returned home smiling, and with a tale or two to tell of friendships made and moments merry. While struggling with the pangs of post-travel blues, many spent the next few days spamming Facebook feeds with unoriginally-titled photo albums, and enthusiastically looking forward to school the following week.

Senior Trip, as it turns out, was indeed a memorable experience.