Spiritual learning through hiking and conversation

It’s hard to believe it's already been three months since I was on Flathead Lake in Montana, taking a religion class with the Rocky Mountains as our classroom backdrop. Just three months ago, I had no access to my phone – completely disconnected from the internet and more connected to my environment than I’ve ever been. It was magical.

It was not a simple journey. My classmates and I were looking forward to a three-week class experience in Holden Village, in Washington state. Holden Village is a remote wilderness community that welcomes visitors to renew their connection with nature, community and their spiritual journey.

So Holden Village seemed like the perfect location to host our course titled “Creator, Creation, and Calling,” which fulfills Augustana’s religion requirement while we learn about the relationship between religion, nature and our personal vocation. Holden Village seemed like an essential part of the class experience.

Unfortunately, just one month before we were scheduled to board the Amtrak in Chicago towards Washington, we received the news that Holden Village faced a severe storm, flooding and subsequent mudslides that would make it impossible for us to get into the village.

I, like many of my classmates, was completely distraught and heartbroken that our class would probably be canceled. In the following days, my professor, Dr. Mahn, and our campus chaplain, Pastor Melinda, worked furiously to find a replacement location. My hopes were low that we would be able to leave campus for our class.

After what felt like forever, it was announced that we would be traveling to Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp (FLBC), a beautiful summer camp on Flathead Lake in Montana. My hope and excitement quickly returned.

Finally, the journey westward started with a 30-hour train ride. I boarded the train with a couple friends I didn’t know super well. I got off the train with a dozen new friends, inside jokes and an original card game we invented ourselves.

It was my first time traveling long distances via train, and I don’t think I can ever go back to planes. There is something about riding the train that connects you to the distance you are traveling and the people you are traveling with. You can see the landscape change from Midwestern prairie to mountains right before your eyes.

My classmates and I became best friends with Jina, the woman who managed the snack bar, in a way you could never connect with flight attendants on a plane. This train experience set the tone for the rest of the trip, I quickly realized I was in for a transformation that was marked by deep connection and relationships.

A typical day looked like waking up around 8 a.m. for breakfast in the dining hall. We sang our thanks before eating a meal prepared by the kitchen staff we grew very close to. Then, we headed off to class at 9 a.m. with loose leaf tea in our hand.

Class was full of engaging conversations on topics I’ve never thought of before. We discussed how our religious upbringing influences how we treat the environment, and we pondered on what our responsibilities are to the natural world.

Our professor Dr. Mahn structured the class to focus on our voices, so that I was learning as much from my classmates as I was from the readings and the professor. Oftentimes class included meditative individual walks outside to the lake and through the forest, which gave me time to think and learn from myself.

After class came lunch and worktime where the Augustana students were integrated into the camp staff. We helped clean up and do necessary tasks around camp which gave us a sense of responsibility and connection to the camp community. I quickly grew close to the FLBC staff and helping out began to feel like working with family.

The rest of the day was full of free time for an array of activities. We played gaga ball, went on hikes, polar plunged in the freezing lake, and did arts and crafts a lot of the time.

One of our favorite activities was evening volleyball. It got very, very competitive. The first night we played we formed teams that stuck with us for the rest of the trip. Our playful rivalry might’ve been silly by normal standards, but it felt like being a kid back at summer camp. This experience gave me the opportunity to lean into my goofiness as everyone around me leaned into theirs. I’ve never felt so free to be myself and have fun.

On the train ride back home, I couldn’t imagine my life without this class. I spent much of the train ride talking to my new friends trying to write down every good memory we made in my journal so that I would never forget them. I left this experience with a deeper understanding of my spiritual beliefs and their relationship to nature. I also gained a sense of freedom from my phone. Being without the internet and surrounded by friends and gorgeous landscapes made it a lot easier to unplug.

By the time our Amtrak train arrived in Chicago, I was filled with gratitude that Augustana prioritizes diverse learning experiences that go beyond the traditional classroom. As I face my normal world with phones, internet, and no mountains, I hope that I can apply these lessons to continue to strengthen my relationship with the environment and my community.