A Place to Come Back To

Written by Lindsay Caron, Spanish Faculty

As Odysseus approached Ithaca after his long journey, a question arose for my classmates and I: Having been away for such a considerable time, how would he know he had finally returned home?

My first day of high school was unusual. As I stepped onto Pacifica’s campus, I was greeted by reporters with cameras and toddlers in tutus. Newport Beach’s brand-new high school opened its doors for the first time to 53 inaugural students, while still sharing the facilities with the city for its mommy-and-me ballet classes. The day was momentous for many, especially those who had worked so tirelessly to begin this institution. What I suspected at the time, but had yet to experience, was that Pacifica would become like a home to me and so many others.

My peers and I spent the next four years pursuing the good, the true, and the beautiful together in a meaningful community. We gathered in circles to sort out what it means to be human, what constitutes the good life, and how to love rightly. We lived and breathed this place—from establishing the format of our student government, to beginning athletic programs, and performing in the first theatre productions. Our lives were deeply intertwined, and our sense of Christ guiding us grew stronger with each conversation and new tradition. His grace met us in this work—we knew genuine love and forgiveness as we pursued our common purpose. Pacifica became real, which made leaving it all the more difficult.

As we went our separate ways, the fear of change arose amongst our founding class—not just for our own lives, but for the legacy we were leaving behind. Had we established enough? Would it last? Would the Pacifica experience impact future Tritons in the same, significant ways? Throughout college, I longed for the kind of community and sense of Christ that Pacifica provided. While I found it in certain friends, professors, and church communities, these only underscored how good and singular Pacifica had been in my life. As I graduated, I sensed the Lord wanting me to return to the place I pushed off from, so I could give others what He so graciously gave me. I remembered the profound gift of joy Pacifica had given me. I am now more aware than ever that the truth, goodness, and beauty in this community pulls back the veil on our truest home with Christ.

Upon his return, Odysseus found that his home had changed. Yet, his family had remained, and so had the core of his household—an old tree serving both as the foundation and centerpiece of his home. The core had remained, so that upon his long-awaited return, he would know he was home. As I returned to Pacifica—a place still rooted in its mission, with its culture and people flourishing—I, too, knew I was home.