Throughout my high school career, I loved going to every retreat that I could go on; and my college experience has been no different. As much as I love being a retreatant, being a leader is a completely different experience that I love and appreciate (just a little bit) more.
Looking back at some of my retreat experiences in high school, my favorite retreat was undoubtedly the Kairos Retreat. Kairos is a life changing experience, and if your high school or college offers it, you should sign up right away. After being a Kairos retreatant, I was then chosen as a Kairos leader. If I had to choose which position I liked more, it would be the leader position. The same is the case with my freshman retreat in college, where I also loved my leadership position.
If you've ever been on a retreat you probably think I'm crazy for writing this after seeing what the retreat leaders do. Being a leader is not easy. It requires a lot of meetings, the writing of a talk, and a lot of odds and ends to pull the whole thing together. I'm someone who loves having one million things to do, and I love doing things for other people. When you are a retreat leader, your main job is to make the retreat perfect for your retreatants. There's something about planning a memorable life changing the experience for someone that makes me want to do it.
Retreats are all about kicking back, relaxing, and reflecting on our lives. Retreats usually have a time for small groups, where a retreat leader has a group of 4 to 5 people who share personal reflections. These people come to the retreat, are assigned to a random group and openly talk about their struggles and things they are dancing in their lives. The bond a leader makes with their small group is unbreakable.
I think the most wonderful thing is that you can tell these people the worst and best parts of yourself, and they still love you anyway. Retreats are a great time to disconnect from the world, as most retreats highly suggest that phones, laptops, or other electronics be shut off and put away for the duration of the retreat. As a leader, you model this behavior, and all you have to focus on is making your retreat the best that you can!
My absolute favorite part of being a leader is giving a talk. A talk on a retreat is usually written on a certain topic and goes along with the theme of the retreat. The talks are meant to make the retreatants think, and also make them comfortable, as talks are meant to be your time to share your story. Sharing your story may seem intimidating, but the reaction from the retreatants is the most comforting feeling in the world. Their response and energy give you an indescribably good feeling.
Being a leader has been one of the greatest experiences, and if you have a chance to be a leader, you should definitely go for it!
