This weekend, I went out on what was called a fellowship retreat down to "camp out" in some yurts. The whole thing was from APO, and about 20 or so people went. It certainly was an interesting experience.
The reason for the quotes around "camp out" is because... Well, have you ever heard of a yurt? Real yurts are pretty extreme, and Nordic tribes live in them. These yurts were definitely not that type. There were beds, a TV, bathroom, and heating. It was pretty much like being in a cabin made out of tarp and word. Not that I mind though, seeing as I'm a very non-camper type. Why did I agree to go camping then? Oh yes, to get to know people.
We left in different cars during the day on Friday, and since I had class till late, I went with the 6:00pm group. We ended up getting to the campsite around 9:00, and we were all starving. Well, I know at least I was, seeing as I usually eat like the senior citizens a little after 5:00pm. Yes, I know it's ridiculous.
What did we do, you ask? We had a scavenger hunt. We did team building exercises. We toured Reedsport, a small town that really doesn't have anything going on. We watched movies. I know, it doesn't sound like much, but it was quite eventful. This might sound bizarre, but I managed to slam my fist into my hand so hard for a rock paper scissors tournament that I might have bruised it. It was a very intense tournament.
I went on the retreat to get to know people, a reason for many of the things I've been doing lately. Did I get to know people? I suppose. I did learn about some very interesting people that I didn't really know much about before. The people I rode down with were very interesting. One of the girls was very funny, and I was surprised I hadn't gotten to know her before. Another person had the impressive goal of studying abroad in three different countries next year- plus she's poly-lingual. Geez.
Still, I'm not sure if I really know people yet. And yes, it's only been probably about a month and a half. I just feel like that geeky freak in the corner of the party, and everyone's wondering, "Who invited her?"
That's not to say I'm sitting in the corner, quietly observing. Oh no. I totally try to be a part of each game, I throw myself into conversations. I try to make sure not to be too loud, but I try to make myself heard. It's just my over-analyzing mind that freaks out at everything. Who knows? Maybe people really like me, I just don't know it because I'm blocking it out with my internal anxieties. So basically, I need to CTFO. Is chill the F out a thing? Or is there a variation of it? I definitely need to use it.
Actually, that reminds me of an interesting abbreviation that someone mentioned on the trip: FOMO. Her friend made it up, and it's a fear of missing out. The one who mentioned it said it was one of her biggest fears, and it's probably a fear that a lot of people have. Which is SO TRUE. No one wants to be left out.
So, recap: Fun trip, fake camping, freaking out over nothing. Good recap everyone!
On an unrelated note, no I did not take pictures. I know. I'm so bad at it. The truth is, my only camera on hand is my phone camera, which I feel ridiculous with sometimes. This is currently the state of my camera:
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| Heck, this picture is from my web cam because my phone camera isn't working. #firstworldproblems |
As for this week, it's time to get organized, get work done, and get this freaking fly out of my room that's been in here for about five days. He just won't leave. Goodness.
I'll leave you with the song I totally have stuck in my head due to watching A Goofy Movie this morning.
Do you have FOMO? Have you ever stayed in a yurt?
I've never stayed in a yurt (and I'm not much of a camper either!) so I'm glad that it wasn't so...authentic.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about getting to know everyone - by the time you graduate, you're going to laugh about the fact that you ever fretted about it.