The fall semester of my sophomore year of college completely burnt me out. After months of over-working myself academically, physically, and emotionally, I knew I was completely unable to process another semester of school – much less one more day. I took the semester off with the intent of re-discovering who I was. And I knew a lot of who I was had become lost in the muck of academic pressure, familial issues, and relationship struggles.
Spiritually, I felt lost. I was able to say I believed in God still, but I didn’t feel it within myself like I used to. After having breakfast with my youth leader from my high-school days, I had become intrigued in his mentioning of a week-long YoungLife retreat happening in North Carolina.
Without much thought, I plunged into “Pioneer Plunge” believing that a week in the woods with other Christian college kids might be exactly what I needed. Pioneer Plunge taught me more about myself spiritually than I had learned in collective years prior.
1. I was around people I didn’t know in a place I had never been.
In other words, the trip reinforced that taking risks in life brings you to wonderful opportunities. Having anxiety about new experiences is normal, and pushing through might bring you to what you were searching for. For me, in this case, it definitely did.
2. I was forced to rely solely on my personality instead of on looks.
In this day and age, without even meaning to, I realized I relied a lot on outward appearances to comfort the insecurities I had about myself internally. Without any mirrors or warm, running water, the pressures of appearance weren’t present.
And without that, I found myself also not focusing on people's outward appearances and instead connecting with their personalities and experiences.
(This image was actually taken in my freshman year of college at a local Roanoke restaurant.)
3. It took away the pressures I felt about school and career choices so that I could focus on myself.
I had burned myself out worrying about how many credits I was taking and if I was taking all the exact classes I needed to take to get to the career I wanted. I was so focused on my goal that I forgot about flexibility in finding solutions. Getting away from academic pressures allowed me to turn inward to ask myself what was really important to me in life. Yes, school and career are at the top of my list, but I realized that God, family, and friends were what actually kept my life meaningful enough to seek a career.
4. It was timeless.
Literally. The second you enter the campsite they ask that you turn in your watches and phones. Without knowing exactly what time it was, I could focus more on how much energy I actually had. I found that instead of looking at the clock and saying, “Oh my God, it’s seven in the morning, I’m going back to bed,” I found myself thinking, “Oh my God, the sun is about to rise. This is a beautiful morning. I want to write about this.” It kept me in the present moment.
Image Credit: Young Life College - Jacksonville
5. I didn’t have to worry about anyone contacting me.
Another possession they ask to have is your phone. Nowadays, a lot of us have smart phones which not only allows us to receive calls and texts, but are connected to our emails and various social media networks like Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. I’m just as guilty as anyone else about pulling my phone out when moments get socially awkward, but without having my phone to rely on, I focused more on connecting with others around me.
6. The physical labor allowed me to let out frustrations and anger, so that I was able to turn inward and extend vulnerabilities to those around me.
Because part of the campsite burned down, campers are now asked to help in the re-building of the campsite. This is all done without power tools, so I personally found this to build a lot of confidence in myself physically. Our bodies are very capable of hard physical labor if only the moment is gifted to us.
7. I learned about others in a genuine and compassionate manner.
Oftentimes, we connect with others now through a phone or computer screen. A lot of serious conversations are had through texting, on the phone, or Facebook messaging because we are in such a fast-paced society. Part of our task on this particular trip was sharing our life story with the other campers and camp counselors during meal times. Hearing others speak face to face about their adversities and triumphs, and how this affected their relationship with God, brought on a lot of genuine tears and laughs.
8. It renewed my faith not only in God, but in human beings.
Part of the reason why I wanted to go on this trip was that I was burnt out from familial and intimate relationships. I had felt burned by one too many people, but I was willing to give it another shot. I realized I had the power to look at those who hurt me as other human begins simply trying to find their way in life. When I found this perspective, I was able to forgive them and recognize that God has His plan for everyone else, just like He does for me.
Image Credit: Young Life College - Jacksonville
