A First Time for Everything

The final days of Dan’s trip were the amalgamation of all the days that came before and the sudden, massive changes that Dan experienced after being immersed in a new environment with new people. His biggest fear, it turned out, was not embarrassment but the fear of being rejected or hurt. This fear came to fruition in his relationship with Amy, which he attempted to end before it even began. Dan confessed a selfishness within himself, admitting that he didn’t fear hurting Amy but feared getting hurt himself. In a pivotal moment of reflection and change, Dan had two serious talks with Mrs. Bjork that caused him to stop and reconsider his approach to life and relationships. Mrs. Bjork shared wisdom about The Impact of First-Time Experiences and the power that people have to choose the way that experiences affect them. She approached Dan’s situation with empathy, acknowledging that his experience with public speaking and being insulted was horrible but adding that he need not allow that to harm him for the rest of his life. Adolescence is fraught with embarrassing experiences like Dan’s, and this message of letting go of embarrassment and living life to the fullest is an important one for young people everywhere to understand.

When Mrs. Bjork took Dan to A. A. Milne’s house and told him about the poem “Spring Morning,” she solidified the lessons she shared on the Ferris wheel and added extra emphasis to the thematic importance of Overcoming Fear to Live in the Moment. Her message was that even though life is filled with unexpected events, both positive and negative, Dan could choose how to react and what he learned from his experiences. When Dan and Amy parted ways on the last day of the trip, Milne’s poem comforted Dan in that painful moment. He moved ahead with new wisdom and the strength to endure heartache for the sake of experience. He told Amy that he was glad to have met her, even if they never saw each other again. He understood the temporariness of life and no longer feared it the way he had before. Still, the sadness that Dan felt in leaving Amy is evident from the tears in his eyes and the moment-by-moment panels that depict him in the plane as it pulls away from the terminal.

Dan returned to California a different person than he was when he left. Whereas he was once shy and reserved, he became outgoing and outspoken. Before, Dan hated sharing his talents, but he slowly emerged as a talented and eventually successful author and illustrator. Dan used to fear new experiences and loss but now looked forward to trying new things. He understood that losing something didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy it while he had it. His inner transformation is reflected in his illustrations: They initially depict Dan’s mouth as a tiny line across his face, but at the end of the book, they show his mouth taking up half his face, unable to contain his excitement and wanting to share it. Dan’s friends initially didn’t know how to react to his new persona, but Dan no longer needed the approval of others to feel sure of himself.