By Elizabeth Jureckova – Moab, Utah … The Campion sophomore classrooms and dorm rooms were empty during the first week of May as the students enjoyed spending five days of outdoor education in Moab, Utah.
The annual trip, after a two-year hiatus, was filled with hiking, swimming, and exploring.
Reflecting on the trip, Ruth, a sophomore, commented, “Moab was absolutely fantastic! We did a whole lot of hiking which was really fun, yet tiring.”
When they arrived at what was to be their home for the next five days, the first item on the agenda was setting up camp before relaxing the rest of the day by rafting. The following day the education began with identifying different flowers and plants while hiking in nature.
“We went to a delicate arch and trekked along several paths gaining many blisters along the way. We also went to Faux Falls on one of the days. On Saturday, some of us went on a sunrise hike which was quite a sight to experience,” Ruth added.
Learning and having fun weren’t the only items on the agenda as building lifelong bonds with classmates and creating memories were also high on the list, according to Ariana, sophomore. “I’m really glad I went to Moab with my class. It was a great bonding experience that I’m glad I didn’t miss out on. We had fun having water fights in the rafts and playing endless card games. We hiked so much, and it was fun to see Mr. Kast beat everyone up the trail, jogging half the time.”
Natanya, sophomore, went into the week anxious. “I have been waiting since freshman year to go to Moab,” explained Natanya; “Honestly, I was kind of nervous to go because I didn’t know what to expect.”
She added that “once I got to Moab, it was literally magical. I had so much fun with my whole class. It was truly a bonding experience our class really needed. Seeing the sunsets and sunrises on the arches was so beautiful. Camping in tents and staying up late at night was definitely the best. From exhausting hikes to eating s’mores on Saturday night, I couldn’t have made better memories with my friends and classmates.”
–Elizabeth Jureckova is a senior at Campion Academy; photos supplied
