Today, British essayist and writer Pico Iyer spoke to the student body about his travels and the experiences that he gained. As a Cor Unum visiting author, he is one of many authors that have been inspiring the school community by speaking about their lives and passions.
“I really enjoyed listening to all of Iyer’s experiences around the world,” said freshman Trinity Joa. “He said that there is beauty in the world that is much different and unexpected than what we would see on the internet,”
Pico Iyer is known for his travel writing and his novels exploring world religions. His travels have inspired award-winning works such as ‘The Art of Stillness,’ ‘The Half Known Life’ and ‘The Open Road,’ according to TED.
“Pico Iyer’s presentation reminds us that no virtual travel encounter constitutes a sufficient substitute for experiencing a location and culture first-hand,” said Science teacher Stacey Benson. “Travel moves us and encourages us to witness the hope and good in humanity,”
During Iyer’s visit, he spoke about how traveling to a new country or city is a way to connect with the people and traditions; something that is not achievable just by reading or watching videos about the place, according to Six Senses. It’s our responsibility to learn and experience different cultures so that we can reflect and improve our understanding of ourselves and the world.
“Pico Iyer was a really engaging speaker,” said junior Annika Carpenter. “I was hanging onto his every word and was so excited to meet him,”
Today, Iyer splits his time between a Benedictine hermitage in Big Sur, California, and his home in suburban Japan. He continues to travel around the world, in attendance to important events in various counties, according to PicoIyerJourneys.
“Something Iyer said that stuck with me was that we should focus on the present and enjoy what’s going on around us,” said Joa. “His words were inspiring and I really enjoyed his author visit.”
