It’s a Small World After All

Seven days: two continents, five cities, one international trip, two weekend trips.  This sums up my mid-January, which was spent in a delightful whirlwind bouncing from El Progreso Honduras (with Students Helping Honduras), home in Richmond, MLK Weekend in Petersburg, work on campus, and a weekend retreat at Camp Baker in Chesterfield, VA with the Greater Richmond Arc.

The retreat at Camp Baker – a final step in training for Branch Out National Site Leaders – was a delightful end to the whirlwind.  Our 22 Site Leaders, led by their fearless Student Directors and accompanied by a few staff folks, participated in a respite weekend at Camp Baker, working with people with disabilities.  It was a way for us to explore more fully how to lead alternative breaks – complete with issue education, orientation, training, reflection and reorientation – but also to learn from our new friends at Camp Baker and to contribute to the good work they do.

It was Disney Weekend at Camp Baker, and we were split into groups to prepare the retreat guests for a fabulous Disney-themed parade.  Some of us worked with music, teaching Disney songs to the guests. Some made arts and crafts, and Bisquick creations shaped like Mickey Mouse.  My group and I developed original prototypes for Peter Pan, Lion King and Donald Duck costumes, and along with our new friends, crafted them carefully out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners.  When the time came, we all grabbed the hand or took the arm of a new friend, singing our hearts out and being as silly as possible along the parade route.

After the weekend came to a close, the Site Leaders gathered for reflection and final thoughts.  I asked them to create a kind of poem together by naming one word, popcorn-style, that touched on a meaningful part of the weekend for them.  I share it with you here as a way of sharing the weekend with you.  It was an entry into a new world for many of us, and taught us all more about how to share our common humanity (and love of goofy icebreakers).

individual – brave – new – energizing – gift – bold – rejuvenated – understanding – taking initiative – sacrifice – dedication – learn – patience – passion – love – gentleness – intrigue – connect – community – flexibility – curiosity – honesty – flexibility (again!) – skydiving!!