On the Following In Their Footsteps Project Week, students traveled to the island of Mallorca, Spain, led by Upper School Math Department Chair Nichol Hooker and Upper School math teacher Laura Ilkhchi. The trip’s name derived from the paths we walked and their connection to the ancient past.

“It was a part of the world that I’d never been to,” Dr. Hooker said. “I was excited to travel somewhere else.”

Mallorca may be a new part of the world for many of us, but it’s an old island. The aim of the trip was to experience Mallorca’s vast human history through food, hikes, and monuments. On sophomore Sadie Lyons’s favorite day of the trip, we went on a walking tour in Palma, Mallorca’s capital.

“I liked learning about the culture and seeing where people live,” Sadie said. “I liked the cathedral and the Jewish quarters.”

We saw history through buildings such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, but there was also history in the absence of structures: Jewish sites were destroyed during times of religious persecution.

And far from the city, on our various hikes we stopped to learn the significance of man-made and natural objects.

Junior Mitchell Leavitt said, “We hiked through a cloud. It was kind of cool.”

On the hike through a cloud—eight miles down a mountain—rain pelted our bodies, created mud and slippery rocks, and blocked the view.

Dr. Hooker said, “Even though it would have been amazing to be on top of the mountain and see the whole view, hiking through the mist and the rain felt magical to me. And even though it was crummier weather than I was hoping for, I really liked it.”

Don’t worry, though—we got to see plenty of amazing views.

Mitchell said, “My favorite moments of the trip were all the views—the mountains, how many mountains there are. It’s pretty beautiful.”