Corsica EFT Reflection

After having read about five or so blog posts it seems like I am the only one who really had any fun on this trip. It might just be that I am generally speaking pretty easy to please but I also think we have to cut the administrators some slack because planning trips for seventy college students is really hard, especially knowing some still carry wooden swords in their belts.

Our trip to Corsica met my expectations and reinforced my belief that college living allows for more honest communication through the countless hours we spend together and the space we share. As predicted, the Corsica trip balanced both the good and the bad that naturally occur when traveling. I liked the tour of Napoleon’s house and the island of Girolata but not the early morning wake up calls that accompanied them. I liked Avignon, Ajaccio and Girolata but not the neverending hours of traveling they entailed. And I loved sharing this trip with our group but not the time spent waiting for stragglers or taking head counts. One of the best experiences of the week was our free time on Girolata, during which a group of friends and myself found a path that led to the ocean. We hiked to a secluded cove facing the Mediterranean Sea and spent the hour swimming, taking in the unmatched view and relishing our secret spot. Despite the endless travel hours, “big group” travel, and morning oriented itinerary I had an amazing and eventful week. I also did not find the trip particularly educational and thought the planned events merely filled the day to get to our free time.

Our trip strengthened my belief that college allows for deeper communication simply by the fact that we spend countless hours together in confined and often awkward spaces. This is particularly true for Pepperdine international programs, given that our student population is so small and that we not only study and live together but also travel. College is a wake up call for many. On Facebook and by text message we all seem like perfect, level headed and “cool” individuals. But the college experience shows us that we are indeed human and thus flawed. We get angry, we feel insecure, fight, stress and cry. And in college, we can’t hide. There is no Facebook veneer or parents to vent to. The hours we spend together living in the same rooms, socializing, waiting for hours in airports and on boats, studying forces us to share in a way we would not given less communal circumstances. I spent about two late night hours sitting in the corridor of our ferry to Corsica sharing with friends about our lives before Pepperdine. Maybe this conversation occurred out of sheer boredom, but regardless I feel the structure of our program inherently encourages this intimate conversation. And so I find I approach communication in college much more honestly and without any tension. I have discussed political differences, religious views, deep personal problems and created inside jokes, all while waiting for the next flight or boat ride or even an afternoon on the beach.