Retreat: Day Four - Post Two

 

Better pictures...
These are from outside our meeting room. In the second one, you can see the edge of the main part of the building. I thought I'd gotten the cool balcony in the pictures, but nope. Above where I was standing is the dining room, which has floor to ceiling windows. There was a wedding going on and we spent a little bit of time outside dancing. Ha! The place is really huge. It's probably over a mile from the dining room side to the edge of that building in the second picture.

Our game was a blast. We played our version of Wheel of Fortune. I was Vanna. One of the answers was "Zee Joan Wilder". (Romancing the Stone). It was a hoot. Our "wheel" was a See and Say, complete with animal sounds. Everyone loved it, so we'll do it again next year with more answers.

Then we did our prize drawing. We had one main prize that had a whole lot of tickets in it. We started with that one, because we figured it was for the best. The coveted prize... if you will. The winner was thrilled. It had a couch-side table, a journal, cool pens, a mermaid cup, and a bunch of other things. We also gave away a coupon for next year's membership in our writing group. I also won a prize! Calendar white board, journal, cool pens... I can't remember what else. Believe me, at first I struggled with winning a prize since I organize the event, but our members were adamant about it being fair that I did. Just because I do all of the organizing and preparations, I pay just as much as everyone else, and in no way should I take myself out of the drawings. So that's cool.

We lost two people earlier. They made the hard choice to head for home when they realized they had a meeting they had to attend tomorrow. It was either leave when they did, or have to get up super early to be on the road by six. It sucks. They're new members and I had a blast getting to know them!

We're in the final hours of retreat 2017. I'm a little sad, but I'm also exhausted. I miss my family. I miss my bed. And my brain is a little broken (though super happy). We've decide this retreat is about "figuring it out". Many people made career goals. Some figured out what their next step is. Some realized what they need to do to move forward. Some napped and colored their hair and painted their nails because that's what they needed out of retreat. I'm all about that.

For me, well, I have been reassured that I am doing what I love. I have a plan of what is up next with my projects, and I have a plan to get there. I have written a lot since Wednesday and am fully aware of what I'm capable of, but not stupid enough to believe I can hit it every single time. I just need to manage the time I have and make the most of it.

This is why I love retreat so much. It is always exactly what each person needs. Everyone walks away with a fresh perspective, new ideas, new plans, and confidence. I cannot wait until next year. The contract has been signed and the deposit paid.

Probably one more retreat post tomorrow. We have breakfast and then a few hours until we have to be out. We always leave last since my name is on the contract and I need to make sure everyone leaves without issues. And that's okay. It gives me a few extra minutes of productivity.

Behave!