APU European Alumni Reunion

I had heard about these events for years, anticipating the day when I could finally participate in one.  Whispers around the Alumni Office whenever a European alum was on campus.  Rumors of good food and laughter in exotic places.  I knew one day I would join this group of APU European Alumni and experience the fun for myself.  That day finally came.

My journey started off at Düsseldorf International Airport with a non-stop flight to Nice, France.  I met up with Mary, director of the International Student Center at APU, and Tilo, a German alum whom I had met once before at the Alumni House when I worked there.  Both were full of excitement for what was about to ensue.  Corinne, a French alum and our host for the weekend, picked us up at the airport in Nice and gave us a scenic driving tour all the way to Juan les Pins.  The beach town is only about a 40 minute drive from Nice.

The house in Juan les Pins

Originally from the area, Corinne lives in Juan les Pins with her Irish husband and two sons.  So she was in charge of organizing this year's reunion and making all the arrangements.  She rented a 4-bedroom house for us to stay in, and most of our time was spent around the table.

All of the European alumni were just that...European.  I was the only American living in Europe who joined them.  There is a large group of APU alums living in Europe from various class years and majors, but the ones who came to this particular reunion all studied business at APU in the 90s.  Even though I was the odd person out, they welcomed me into the group with open arms.  I enjoyed listening to their stories, asking questions about their time at APU, and giving them updates on what it is like there now (well, at least a more recent perspective...I cannot believe I have been out of college for 5 years already!). 

View from the hike

They told story after story of crazy college adventures, and I realized why this reunion time is so important to them: Europeans don't have the same "college experience" we do as Americans.  They don't live together on campus or hang out with their professors or become part of a community.  And APU is really the best place to take part in community.  So the experiences these Europeans had at a small Christian university outside of LA means a lot to them.  They cherish those memories.  They want to remember those experiences.  So they come together every year to relive those days, and see Mary, the woman who recruited them in the first place and guided them through their time at APU.

with Rick on the hike

Besides eating and talking, we did also get to experience the warm sunshine of the French Riviera (and I have the sunburn to prove it!).  Corinne took us on a 2-hour hike along the rocky beaches of Juan le Pins with beautiful views of the water.  At the end we found a small beach to rest and enjoy the sun.  This was a great time to have conversations with people individually.  And I was so thankful to spend that time with my former boss and friend, Rick.  His calm demeanor, wisdom, friendship and advice is something I miss on a daily basis.  Rick listened to my life struggles and helped me find ways to move forward.  It was so good to catch up with him, and have a partner in crime over the weekend.  He was recently promoted to the rank of colonel as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves and I couldn't be more proud of him.  Now that I have been involved in the AF community for a year, I have an even greater understanding and appreciation for him.  Being able to talk with Rick in person was the highlight of my trip.

on the hike

On Sunday, I went with one of the French alums to a local parish for mass.  He was kind enough to translate for me (not every word, but just enough so I knew what was going on), and he even said the Lord's Prayer in English with me.  I enjoyed the music, which was one lady singing a cappella, but all the songs were light and sounded very....French!  And thanks to my diction classes, I could follow the words well enough to sing along.  Since I'm not Catholic, I went up for a blessing from the priest instead of taking the Eucharist.  It was quite refreshing to attend church on vacation, actually.  And I have now been to mass in 3 languages and in 3 countries.

Finally on Sunday evening, it was time to come home.  I had a wonderful weekend, made some great new friends, and look forward to seeing them all again next year in Germany!  One of the German alums will be hosting the event next year within driving distance of where I live.  But if I need something before then, I know I can call up any one of these alums and ask for help.  That's the amazing part of being an APU alumna, I can move half-way across the world and still have a support system, a sense of safety and security that people are going to take care of me.  Why?  Just because we share the connection of Azusa Pacific University.

with Tilo, Martina, Mary, Michael, Corinne, Georg, Jean, and Rick