Post-trip Highlights, California
Addison
My high was getting away from my routine to see the beauty in nature. Everything I saw took my breath away and I got close to the people who experienced the journey with me. And my challenge was also getting away from my routine. I’m so used to doing the same thing every day that it was a bit intimidating to change so dramatically.
Anna
I leave California with several new experiences, things I’ve never done before, from pumping gas, to camping, to looking at things from a different view point. I met a boy in a coffee shop who is away from his family, working three jobs to send money home, and is totally alone. Meeting him made me realize how fortunate I am, and feel sorry for so many things I’ve taken for granted in life. The trip was truly an amazing opportunity and I’m happy that I took part.
Annie Ward
My high--less external noise and less internal noise. Felt connection to God with less distraction. Was able to be still enough for the scraggly knots of my inner world to be loosened and untangled.
Bobby
My high of the trip was simply being able to spend time with everybody on this pilgrimage. I don’t think there is a way the people could have been better because they were the best they could be.
Charlotte
I loved being able to explore the coast and the pretty views with everyone. I feel like I have learned many new things as well. I’ve loved being able to experience so many new things with everyone! It’s great that we all bonded really well together in a short time.
Daniel
The entire trip was fantastic. There was beautiful scenery I cannot describe in words, amazing things I did and people I met; but the thing that really stuck out was the way the group changed. I barely knew some of the people on this trip, some not at all, but by the time we were on the plane home, I think we all felt like a sort of extended family. The way we all cared for each other without ever getting angry or snapping at each other is awesome. Like I said, I feel like these people are part of my family. I feel like I know these people better than some of my closest friends, and most definitely better than myself. So if I had to choose one high, it would be the way the group grew and changed with each other.
Dial
My highs:
Being fully immersed in the beauty of nature that God created for us, without distraction. The time allowed throughout the day to sit in silence was a real treat.
The moonrise at Sage Hill Campground
The energy at San Buenaventura mission
The sermon at Grace Cathedral
Getting to know the pilgrims at a level only possible through traveling and camping together
Lilian
My high of this trip has simply been getting to know each person and spending time with them. It has been the moments of telling jokes, laughter, and forgetting the trivial worries of the day with one another that I have enjoyed the most, and will miss once I’m back home.
Marshall
My high of the trip is how close the group got. Even though we only met a week or so ago, we’re all super close now. I really hope we all will be able to keep in touch and hang out. I also liked how positive we all were here. I found myself asking how a stranger’s day was and really meaning it. I plan to continue the positivity when I get home.
Michael
In general, what I loved most about the trip was sitting around the campfire together—in silence, in laughter, in song. Fire-lit faces are so beautiful and this group just glowed. I tried to remember every night what a privilege it is to share our lives with each other. The night that especially stands out is the first night at Sage Hill campground, the night we watched in silence the rising of the full moon (actually one day past, but it looked pretty full). I don’t think I’d ever watched a moonrise like that, watching for minutes before the moon appeared, noticing the color of the sky, how it changed moment to moment—almost as dramatic as a sunrise. I was reminded of something a friend had told me recently: “boredom is only a lack of attention.” God is always speaking. What a joy it’s been to listen with these pilgrims.
Sarah
My biggest challenge of the trip was having to move on from losing my pictures [on her stolen Go Pro] and continuing to be positive and not distracted by it. My high of the trip was everyone’s hugs and love for each other throughout the trip. Beginning this trip, it was easy to assume that current friend groups would stick together, but it has been the opposite. Everyone has genuinely cared for each other during this trip and I’m so thankful.
Sean
I love the fact that in one week we were able to get so close to each other. I didn’t know the kids going on the trip and now I’m so happy that I can call them my friends. We have a bond that can’t be broken. I have learned so much about each and every one of them. One thing that was hard for me was the not knowing what was happening back home, but I was able to get through it with the help of the group. I’m going to miss not spending 24 hours with them. I love everyone so much.