I’ve never followed a Pakistani girl I just met through a forest for hours to get to a hidden beach before this trip. Nor have I stayed up late on a cliff face overlooking the Adriatic Sea playing games with people I just met the day before. But I think the real joy in the trip is the coalescence of old friends with new. I’ve studied, worked, and had adventures with many of the Luther students here already. But Duino and the UWC Adriatic are filled with new faces as well. I recall in past summer festivals that slow start – where no one knows each other, and they’re trying to find out just who the other people are before make themselves vulnerable. Having both old and new friends bridges that initial gap, and the new friends start to feel a lot like the old ones.