Spring break inspired spontaneous road trips along the coast and bonding moments for Point Loma Nazarene University first-year students, some said. Students traveled around the globe for their breaks from March 8-16 for school-affiliated activities and fun.
Allie Nagel, a first-year education major, traveled to France with Point Loma Singers, one of PLNU’s choir groups.
“This trip was an opportunity for us to go and explore France, but also serve in a way of ministry through our song,” Nagel said. “We got to visit a couple of Nazarene churches and perform concerts for them, and it was a great way for us to connect with other members of the body of [Jesus] Christ, even though we’re from two separate cultures.”
Twenty-one students, including Keith Pederson, professor of music and choir conductor, and his wife, attended the trip over spring break. The group went for 10 days, starting on Friday, March 7, and coming back on Monday, March 10.
The main goal of the trip was to travel and see different cathedrals in France and to experience the culture and history, cultivating an educational ministry experience, according to Nagel. Some cathedrals they sang in, and others were guided tours to see the inside and behind-the-scenes of each place.
Nagel was not the only student to leave the country. Nora Hill, a first-year psychology major, and Olivia Owens, a first-year nursing major, went on a trip to Mexico City, Mexico, to visit Sofy Guarneros, a first-year political science major, in her hometown. Guarneros took the two around the city, showing them different places where she enjoyed spending time.
“From Frida Kahlo’s house to different museums, a castle and her club pool, it was just so much fun,” Hill said. “Plus, the shrimp tacos and all the food were delicious. It was a trip I will remember for the rest of my life.”
One of the days from their trip stood out to Owens, she said.
“We went to an incredible castle called Chapultepec Castle, a nice park and the Natural History Museum,” she said. “We also went to some really yummy restaurants, trying new food, including mole.”
Instead of flying somewhere, Avery Borg, a first-year nursing major, and a few of her friends went on a road trip to her hometown, Las Vegas, NV, for a getaway to visit her close friends and family.
“The road trip was super fun and a special time with my friends,” Borg said. “Once we got to Vegas, I showed Megan and Amelia [her friends] around, and it could not have been more memorable. I also got to show the girls around the strip; it was their first time in Vegas, and it was such a special time.”
Borg said the best part of the trip was walking down Las Vegas Boulevard, where they ate at Black Tap, a popular shake shop.
