From September 30 to October 7, La Jolla Country Day students embarked on experiential education trips to enjoy a week of exploring new places. It was a time full of activities and memories that last a lifetime: the different trips included a Civil Rights field study in Alabama, Rebuilding New Orleans, rock climbing in Joshua Tree, exploring historic Charleston, a Santa Cruz Island kayak adventure, hiking in Southwestern Utah, exploring art in Los Angeles, traveling to Pittsburg, and the ninth-grade trip to Santa Barbara. The school also provided programs here in San Diego that were as varied as they were popular: yoga, SCUBA, and working with refugee and unhoused communities. Students selected their trip preferences last Spring, and upon return, everyone was thrilled to share their experiences. For those of us waiting to explore colleges with an LJCDS program, our trips are during Spring Break. I was jealous when I heard all about my classmates’ Fall trips, and their reports made me even more excited about my own planned travels. To get a better idea of what went on during some of these excursions, I interviewed a few members of our community about their experiences.
Gray Mckee, ‘25, spent her week locally in San Diego participating in the Mindfulness program. The program spent their time going into nature and embarking on activities, including archery, long walks, and yoga. They also had the opportunity to listen to a guest speaker talk about the science behind mindfulness. Gray’s favorite activity was visiting the botanical garden in Encinitas; she also enjoyed getting to practice mindfulness on her own. The coolest thing she had the opportunity to try was archery, and she shared that she was very excited to get a bullseye. She had very positive feedback from the trip, and her only suggestion was to have more alone time to practice mindfulness. Gray said she would happily participate in the trip again, and she enjoyed her week of no classes. She recommends this trip for anyone who is under a lot of stress, especially student-athletes.
Kianna Miller, ‘27, spent her week on the freshman retreat in Santa Barbara, California. She shared that they spent the week getting to know each other through various activities and icebreakers. They performed skits, went on a ropes course, went kayaking, and spent time relaxing on the beach. Kianna’s favorite thing she did was the ropes course. Kianna shared that her favorite fact she learned was that sea kelp grows two feet a day. Her only suggestion on what could have made it better was having more activities where groups were not assigned, and students could choose their own partners. She said she would happily do it again since it was very enjoyable, and she loved having a week off and getting to bond with her grades. She is interested in possibly doing a local trip to San Diego next year.
Jack Levin, ‘25, spent his week in Charleston, South Carolina, participating in the “History In the Holy City” trip. Some of the activities he mentioned included visiting historical monuments, traveling to various museums, going to the beach on the Isle of Palms, eating traditional southern BBQ food and sweet tea, and watching a play at the College of Charleston. Jack’s favorite thing about the trip was being able to learn more about the southern culture and the rich history of Charleston. He also enjoyed walking in the beautiful city and spending time on the beach with his friends. The coolest thing he got to try for the first time was grits and sweet tea. Jack shared that his only suggestion to make the trip more enjoyable in the future would be to travel in a smaller group since it would allow everyone to get a more in-depth experience. Jack said he would definitely do it again and recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience a southern city for the first time.
