By Megha Lakha
Every year, Lovett students have the opportunity to embark on several spring break trips. One of the new spring break additions allowed students to explore beautiful national parks, from the Grand Canyon to Zion. The goal of the trip was to help students slow down, take it all in, and start to notice and appreciate the world around them in a deeper way,” according to Mr. Nascimento, who led the trip along with Ms. Armato.
Mr. Nas pointed out that the group “bonded quickly, making the experience extra amazing from start to finish.” Some of the bonding took place on the bus rides, which junior Heran Tesfaye said were kind of long. But the upside, she said, was that “you could see a lot of the different landscapes we drove by and it gave us opportunities to talk with one another on the bus.”
The trip attendees had a “special dynamic by the end of the week,” Mr. Nas said. “It was one of those trips where the setting is unforgettable, but the shared experience is what really makes it special,” Heran said. She signed up originally with some of her close friends but became close with other group members, which was meaningful. Sophomore Finn Williams also appreciated getting to know “people that I never met before.”
Ms. Armato was blown away by the landscape and scenery. “It’s just such a different place from where I’ve grown up on the East Coast,” she said. “It’s crazy to think that some people just live like that every day.”
The group caught an early flight to Nevada and then hiked in Zion National Park. The next day, they departed for Bryce Canyon National Park and learned about the area’s unique geology. “Our tour guide knew so much about different rocks, erosion, and what has happened over time for these interesting formations to emerge,” Ms. Armato said. “He helped us make sense of what we were looking at, which was really cool to understand.”
After the geology talk, the group departed for Kanab, where they could slide down the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Mr. Nas said this was one of his highlights, but “each location offered something different, whether it was the scale of the landscape, the physical challenge of a hike, or just the joy of being outside together.”
The final stop was the Grand Canyon. “We saved the best for last,” Ms. Armato said. “Pictures don’t do it enough justice,” I added the Grand Canyon to my travel bucket list after she described how breathtaking it was. “The views were amazing,” Finn Williams said.
After the Grand Canyon, they visited some smaller sites, including Pre-Columbian ruins. “We also got to talk to some indigenous tribes when we were there, which helped us understand the history and their ties to the area,” Ms. Armato said.
She remarked on being struck by the fact that indigenous tribes continue to exist. “I think sometimes we talk about them as if it’s something that happened in the past, but they persist and are preserving their culture,” Ms. Armato said. The group definitely had a deep appreciation for the area’s cultures.
Mr. Nascimento explained that the idea for the trip came to him during his American Studies class last year when they studied Ralph Waldo Emerson and the concept of the “transparent eyeball.” Since I was his student last year, I was well-versed in this concept of becoming one with nature.
“I wanted to create an experience where students could step outside of their usual environment and engage with that idea in a real, tangible way,” Mr. Nas said. “The American Southwest felt like the perfect place for that because it’s a part of the country that many students don’t get the chance to see, and it offers such powerful, expansive landscapes that really invite reflection.”
The trip seemed like a great experience overall. For Ms. Armato, the only thing that could have made it better was to make it longer. “I don’t think you can exhaust what you do out there,” she said.
However, Mr. Nas said if he were to do the trip differently, he “would build in a bit more intentional preparation beforehand.” He said that he would “maybe have a few conversations with students about the places we’re visiting, the cultural history of the area, and even ask them what they’re curious about or hoping to learn.”
That aside, he thinks “every student found something meaningful in the experience, and many walked away with a broader perspective on what life looks like in another part of the country and maybe even a new appreciation for slowing down and being present.” He said, “Each stop brought something new, and I appreciated how it gave me the chance to connect with different students in different ways throughout the week.”
Overall, the trip seemed like a success, where students were able to immerse themselves in nature, bond with one another, and make their eyeballs as transparent as possible.
“I think everyone should experience a trip like this at least once,” Finn said.
