By Georgia King ’28
Travel has always been one of my top priorities. In fact, it’s a large part of the reason that Pomona was originally so appealing to me. Nothing could be more different from the freezing sleet of a Maryland winter than the balmy sunshine of February in California, and I’ve definitely found I enjoy one more than the other (any guesses?). As much as I love my home state, California has been taking the cake.
But I figured, naívely, that if I went to school in Claremont, getting to campus each semester would be the extent of my traveling. Fortunately for me, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
My first week on campus I got a taste of summer in California. After less than two hours in some very nice coach buses, we arrived at San Onofre State Park. For three days we camped, surfed, and cooked together in the beautiful CA sunshine. Though I quickly discovered that I am not God’s gift to surfing, the view of the canyon and the miles of shoreline more than made up for my lack of talent. The brochure had billed the trip as a visit to California’s most popular beach, so I had understandably high expectations. They were exceeded. Orientation was 100% a worthwhile adventure, especially considering that before classes even started, I was getting a sense of how travel could fit into my life at Pomona.
But there was so much more to come.
If there’s one thing Pomona gets right, it’s school sponsored trips. A few short months after my very adventurous orientation, I had the chance to tag along on a Chinese class field trip to the gorgeous Huntington Library. Do I speak Chinese? Nope. I was actually in a Spanish class at the time—but I was taken in regardless. And it was a blast! After some delicious mapo tofu courtesy of the museum, we explored the gardens complete with koi ponds and an impressive bonsai collection. Now, I’ve been on many field trips in my time (mostly way back in middle school), but this one was next level. I even picked up a few words to round out the learning experience. 谢谢 to the Chinese Department!
Not all of my travels have been through school. I’ve found so many students who share my enthusiasm in seeing all that California has to offer. Several of them are now my closest friends. Over fall break, we decided to strike out on our own—specifically to Joshua Tree National Park. The sunset alone was worth the two hour drive (in a ZipCar from the school lot!). After a long day of climbing, as we sat down to eat our Trader Joe’s dinner on a bluff overlooking the whole park, I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky we were—and are—to have all of California’s beauty at our fingertips.
The true Pomona experience, I’ve found, extends far beyond the boundaries of campus. It encompasses national parks, beaches, libraries, and even other schools. There’s no limit on where you can go or what you can do. This is a place that fosters exploration of all kinds— especially for us travel enthusiasts—and I can’t wait to see what the next years have in store!