After nearly three months, it was nice to be back on U.S. soil. We were greeted at LAX by Pat Whelan, the legendary “Din #1” and founder of the group. Our first full day, Pat drove us down to San Diego where we enjoyed a true California day swimming, eating tacos and enjoying the warm weather. In the evening it was off to La Jolla, a quaint beachside town with a community center known as the “Athenaeum.” Our performance at the La Jolla Athenaeum was tremendously moving. For our seniors, it was the very final Dins concert. It would be my last time singing with these people who meant so much to me. To end our tour back in the United States, surrounded by Dins friends and the group’s founder, was perhaps the best possible ending for an amazing summer.
It’s hard to describe what this tour has meant for me. When the tour began on May 31, I was already tremendously close with my fellow Dins. But the shared experiences of travel—the joys, the stresses, the cultural and interpersonal exchange—brought us together in an amazing way. For four years I have looked forward to Dins tour; I had heard all the stories from older Dins, and I had become appropriately psyched about the prospect. But finally experiencing tour was unlike anything I could have imagined.
It's also evident to me that tour could not have happened without the graciousness and generosity of our many, many friends, alumni, and supporters around the globe. A tour of this magnitude is an audacious undertaking for a dozen-odd college students. Our ability to do this is a testament not only to our organizational and musical prowess, but also to our invaluable relationships with people to whom we are deeply grateful. I have so much love for my fellow Dins and for everyone who made this experience possible.
Signing off for the last time,
Samson
