Retreat to your mutual corners

So I'm all retreated out! I can't spend another weekend facilitating discussions, treking, tracking, assessing, monitoring, answering questions, or boosting the group spirit! I am done! I came home and took a five hour nap to "make up" for the two weekends I've gone sleep-less and it was AMAZING.

I am so excited about the future I have in student affairs, but these two retreat weekends in a row were completely at a hustle! I learned so much, and definitely put myself out there, but with that comes the mental tax of evaluating and re-evaluating, (or at least for me it does because just in case you don't know, I'm somewhat of a perfectionist), just how much I'm putting myself out there. I took risks this weekend and from them I know I grew. I got to spend the weekend with one of my bestest buds Mez

(Hilarious exerpt from a convo between Mez and I:
Me: While you guys were talking did he say anything about being madly in love with me and wanting to have my babies?
Mez: Yes, I actually do remember him saying something like that.)

I slept on a plastic mattress in a sleeping bag a la Y&G and Res Camp, (this is a weekend after a retreat at the Disneyland Paradise Pier Hotel sleeping in a queen size bed by myself...not in a barn...literally, a barn...with 10 other people!), ate family style, drank the sweetest "punch" I've ever had in my life (yes I've had Kool-Aid, this shit was WAY sweeter), I hiked, I laughed, I didn't shower, I got bit six times, I spit out punch from more laughter, I stayed up late at night writing Affirmations to my students and friends, got some in return

(A few of my favs:

• Love you!
• Your honesty and commitment to your own personal growth is commendable
• I can actually see you as I'm writing this right now, you're enjoying your nachos so much you dont know you have nacho cheese on your chin -LOL
• Damn you for writing me an affirmation. Sigh, you are always feeding off my funny and making it even funnier! Not Fair!
• Please continue to be in my life because only positive people allow me to shine
• Thank you for this weekend, you were the driving force behind our group spirit, you're beautiful)

OMG. After that, have I any doubt that (sweaty shower-less bug infested retreats aside) this is the field for me? Who doesn't love ego-stroking (all you comment whores out there know what I'm talking about), but more importantly than the ego stroking is really feeling the connections I've made and wanting more. Caring about my students and wanting to watch them grow. Knowing I made a difference in their weekend, and got to do it all while roughing it out with collegues and friends I love.

Thank God for life callings.