The Walls Walk

Last weekend we had the first Arts and History Program for the College. Basically, as part of the programming of the College, we organize cultural events mostly during the weekends, to places in Rome and in Italy. The first event was the Walls Walk, a 22 km walk around the ancient walls of Rome. Although it may sound like a lot of walking, it was a great way to see the city, get a feeling for where everything is, and meet the course members.

Unfortunately, we all woke up last Sunday to find that it was pouring outside. Even so, we ventured out at 8am to begin our walk. The first couple of hours were ridiculous. We were all soaked and the rain just kept on getting worse. Eventually, though, the sun came out and we all started to dry off. Once it stopped raining, we really got the opportunity to talk to one another. It was great as we were all in a casual setting and in a way the boundaries between the course members, who are military Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels and their civilian equivalent, and me a student were gone. I got to talk to a lot of people from different countries about their experiences and I shared some of mine as well. By the end of the walk we were all friends and the best part was going in to work on Monday and actually knowing most of the people in the College.

One of my favorite conversations of the day was with a LtCl of the Spanish Airforce. He was telling me that in his job, he had often flown the Spanish royal family to different places. Because of this, he got to see the royal family in a very different way then what we are used to seeing: as just human beings. He told me that the prince would come knock on the cabin door in his socks and ask for help setting up the DVD player. What struck me from his story is the same thing I felt during the Walls Walk. I find that as we grow and we gain experiences, we begin to define ourselves not by our personal traits, but by what we do or the titles we have. Although I do believe that the experiences we have are crucial to shaping who we are, sometimes grasping on to titles or roles too much creates barriers to actually getting to know other people and for others to get to know you. It has been scary approaching many of these military leaders, but I have found that for the most part, they are not only willing, but happy to share their experiences, learn about you and make you part of the conversation.

The Walls Walk was an amazing way to start bonding with the course members, which is one of the most enriching parts of being in the College, and I am happy to have had the opportunity to do so. I hope that in the coming weeks, these relationships continue to grow and that in the end of the program, I go home having learned a lot (which I know is the case) and with contacts and friends from around the world.

Now here are a few pictures we took along the way when it finally stopped raining :)