Frosh/Soph Trip to San Diego

Recently, 33 students and 14 staff made the drive down to San Diego for a little getaway trip!

Saturday 

We kicked things off with a hike through Torrey Pines—beautiful views, fresh air, and good conversations as we got to know each other more. After burning all that energy, it was taco time. We split into caravan groups so we didn't completely overrun any single spot, which meant we got to cover more ground. My group was at City Tacos, while others made their way to The Taco Stand, Vallartas, and Oscar's. All good choices!

From there, we headed over to the USS Midway Museum. Walking through it, you really get a sense of the sheer scale of what it took to keep a carrier running, that is, the craftsmanship, the logistics, all the people back home making sure thousands of soldiers were fed, clothed, and taken care of. 

Then: beach time. We set up a volleyball net, got the spikeballs going, and did what we do best—play. Two of our staff, Dylan Nakamura and Joseph Kompella, had put together a whole beach olympics with competitive games and group brackets. My team was confidently in last place for most of it... and somehow made it to second place? I'll take it.

To close out the night, we headed to Viewridge, our San Diego sister church building, for some late-night hangout time. They had prepared for us some Vietnamese garlic chicken, spring rolls, and boba. We got to connect and reconnect, and it was the perfect way to end a packed day.

Sunday

Sunday morning, two sophomores from our San Diego church took us on a tour of UCSD, and if you haven't been, it really is its own little city. We saw the newly built dorms at 6th College, the student center, and the Sun God statue. We also came across Fallen Star, which is a literal house perched and tilted on the side of the engineering building. And then there's the market where you scan a QR code to walk in, grab what you need, and just... leave. No cashier, no checkout line. You know, UCSD might be really built different.

After the tour, we attended Sunday service where Josh, one of our pastors visiting from our Irvine sister church, preached through 1 Peter 1:1-9. He asked a probing question: will our fiery trials define us or refine us? 

And then, because we couldn't leave without settling something: SB vs. SD volleyball. Turns out all that upskilling from last summer's Level Up paid off. We secured the win and brought the nonexistent trophy back to Santa Barbara.

I’m thankful for our San Diego church for hosting us so well, from the homestays, to the breakfast, and even the late night food spread. These trips remind us that our a2f community stretches further than just our own campus, and it's pretty special to feel that across cities.

Daian Martinez (c/o 2024) graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Comparative Literature. She enjoys working at coffee shops, homemade matcha, and playing tennis! She is currently serving as a mentor for the sophomore class at acts2fellowship SB.