It was a beautiful day in early spring when the fifth-grade class of St. Mary’s Elementary School set out on their annual nature trip. The destination was a nearby state park, where the students would spend the day hiking, exploring, and learning about the natural world.

For most of the kids, this was an exciting adventure. But for one boy, it was a nightmare. His name was Timmy, and he was not an outdoorsy type. In fact, he hated being outside. All he wanted to do was go home and play video games.

As the bus pulled into the park, Timmy’s heart sank. He looked out the window at the trees and the grass and the dirt, and he felt a sense of dread. He knew he was going to hate every minute of this trip.

The first activity was a guided hike through the woods. Timmy trudged along behind the group, his eyes fixed on the ground. He didn’t care about the trees or the birds or the bugs. He just wanted to get this over with.

But then something strange happened. As they walked deeper into the woods, Timmy started to feel a little bit… curious. He looked up from the ground and saw a squirrel scampering across a branch. He heard the sound of a woodpecker tapping on a tree. He felt the sun on his face and the breeze in his hair.

For a moment, he almost enjoyed himself. But then he remembered his video games, and the feeling passed.

The next activity was a scavenger hunt. The kids were divided into teams and given a list of things to find in the woods. Timmy was paired up with a girl named Sarah, who was very enthusiastic about the whole thing.

“Come on, Timmy!” she said, grabbing his hand. “Let’s find some acorns!”

Timmy groaned inwardly. He didn’t want to find acorns. He wanted to find a way out of this stupid park.

But as they searched for the items on their list, something strange happened. Timmy started to get… competitive. He wanted to find more things than the other teams. He wanted to win.

And when they finally found the last item on the list, a feather from a blue jay, Timmy felt a sense of satisfaction that he couldn’t quite explain.

The final activity was a picnic lunch by the lake. Timmy sat on a blanket with his classmates, munching on a sandwich and staring out at the water. He was tired and sweaty and dirty, and he just wanted to go home.

But then something strange happened. He started to… relax. He felt the sun on his skin and the grass under his feet. He listened to the sound of the water lapping against the shore. He even laughed at a joke one of his classmates told.

For a moment, he almost forgot about his video games. But then he remembered, and the feeling passed.

As the day wore on, Timmy found himself enjoying the activities more and more. He climbed a tree, he caught a frog, he even tried to skip a stone across the lake (with limited success).

But then something strange happened. He started to… miss his video games. He thought about all the levels he could be beating, all the monsters he could be slaying, all the virtual worlds he could be exploring.

And when the bus finally pulled back into the school parking lot, Timmy felt a sense of relief that he couldn’t quite explain. He was happy to be home, happy to be back in his room, happy to be playing his video games.

But then something strange happened. He started to… remember the day. He thought about the squirrel and the woodpecker and the blue jay feather. He thought about the acorns and the frog and the stone skipping. He even thought about the joke his classmate told.

And for a moment, he almost… no, never mind. He still hated the outdoors.