YFM Retreat

I've essentially put off blogging this week since I've resolved to make the next post about the YFM retreat I went to last weekend. It's Friday, so maybe I should get on that.

I have a theory on why I enjoy YFM as much as I do. SASF is made up entirely of University students. It's great, but there's just ... something off about it to me sometimes. Like I expect people to be either more serious, or more silly, but they're comfortably in the middle. That's probably a good place to be, but it's just not where I sort of expect them to be. As far as YFM goes, I've got pretty low expectations on the intellectual scale, which some people more than meet. And they're just silly too.

This sort of rabid enjoyment of YFM has made me question whether I should just drop SASF altogether, but there are several factors keeping me from doing that. I won't get into it.

So YFM retreat was pretty great. The whole weekend, there was a table set up with drinks and junk food. That's cool in itself.

The first night we pretty much broke up into groups, and made our own movies. I was a bit disappointed with the level of involvement in our group, but I can't deny that the end result was a pretty incredible movie.

Saturday consisted of much fun, beginning with breakfast (obviously) and a session lead by Julia, about doing "something undignified." Lunch, and then free time, in which a bit of German was studied ("Warum ist die Katse in dem Kuhlschrank?" "Warum nicht?") and much Wii was played. Another session, and then supper. Finally, we had our night at the Oscars, where we learned the results of the voting on the movies we made the previous night. Everybody dressed up to some degree, and it was pretty much a blast.

The most awesome part of the entire weekend, though, was the bonding game, and book-signing that happened after a snack and a few games. The bonding game involved a person picking somebody they don't normally talk to a lot, and telling them why they're awesome. During this explanation, you tie a bit of string which you have, to a bit of string that they have. In the end, once everybody has gone, there's a big circle of string, and everybody feels all fuzzy, and a few are crying. I cried at a few ... but luckily not my own.

After that, we were all given little notebooks, and pens. We sat in a giant circle, and wrote our names on a book. Pass to the right, and write something in the book you were just handed. In the end, you get a notebook with messages from everybody at the retreat, saying something about why you're cool, or wishing you luck in the next few months, or whatever else. It was cool, because I got a chance to write some things to some people that I didn't know how to say. Plus, after reading through my book, I realized just how awesome I am. (hah!)

Anyways, after five hours of book signing, most went to bed at about four thirty a.m. The next day was your standard Sunday of any retreat, meaning a service, then cleanup.

I can't wait to go to retreat next year. I wish that awesomeness could be carried over whole months, but I guess it just doesn't happen.

So, I need groceries, and I have the money to get them. I'd better do that before I forget about it.