Freshman Wilderness Orientation 2018

By Hector Poveda Morales

Hey!

I could go on and on about why the Freshman Wilderness Orientation has been one of the most meaningful experiences that I’ve had at St John’s. However, I won’t do that. Instead, I will share part of my experience and let you find out why.

There is something magical about New Mexico, and about St. John’s. Something that perhaps is difficult to describe in words. When experienced together, they create a type of “magical realism”, where dreams and reality come together in front of our eyes and allow us to see the beauty of the things surrounding us. During our time at the Pecos Wilderness, we were able to experience the land of enchantment at it’s best. Jaw-dropping views along with conversations about the Program were our daily medicine. Throughout our trip, we will found ourselves talking about religion, science, philosophy, even music and art! Things that make a Johnnie stand out. We had the opportunity to chat about life at the college, time management, the transition from home to college, and everything in between. Something pretty cool about this trip is that we also learned a lot about the Outdoors. From how to poop in the woods, to navigation, camp and trail etiquette and more. It is unbelievable to think that people that have just met became best friends by the end of the second day. Well, not that unbelievable given that we have the coolest students everywhere.

While this has been one of the hardest things I’ve done, it has also been one of the most rewarding ones. If I had the chance of doing it again, I would. It is a life changing experience and the best introduction to what New Mexico and St. John’s College have to offer.
100% Recommend with a 5-Star Rating.