For any Saint Xavier University student that is always around you would know there are various retreats here but there are the two that almost anyone you ask has been too, Quest and Awakenings. Now while I can't give away to much I can say that if you ever been to a retreat you understand the gist of them, if not then it is quite simple you spend a three day two nights weekend away from everything and everyone you know and go to a place with a group of people and have the most amazing experience of your life. Or at least that is how I see them.

Now for a person that has been through a lot you may wonder how can you enjoy something that requires spirituality well it isn't that hard to understand either, you see sometimes when you sit in a room full of people and you find out you aren't the only one then it makes things a little better. And sometimes it isn't even about that, my first year here at Saint Xavier was though and I felt as if I had made absolutely no friends, then when spring semester came along a very good friend of mine convinced me to go on a retreat, I hesitated but decided why not what do I have to lose, So I signed up and gave up the money for Quest spring of 2014, and the rest was history.

For a while I didn't think about it mostly because I became busy with classes and trying to work and doing the best I could to bring up my GPA, then Spring semester of 2016 came up and I received the yearly email "Quest Leader Application", so I sat there for a minute and though why not? what do I have to lose? As I turned in my application the excitement filled me and I was soon awaiting the up coming email that would announce the leaders, two weeks later the email came in it read "Spring Quest Leader Announcement" I opened it butterflies fluttering in my stomach,I scrolled to the bottom and read each name then I saw it my name, I jumped up and hugged my roommate. Soon I would embark on this journey that was completely amazing, I returned home after that weekend and I felt such a happiness I cannot explain.

That same semester I signed up again hesitating but for Awakenings, so many people will tell you that Awakenings is like Quest on drugs but I can guarantee it is ten times better, I could not have imagined what I had signed up for. All the love and acceptance I felt from total and complete strangers was amazing, I can't exactly put it into words other than all the love that I felt was great I didn't have to try so hard to be accepted because everyone just did.

Awakenings was the most amazing experience I had ever had in my life and i wanted more than anything to go again, so I waited patiently for the email to be sent out the one requesting Awakening leaders. I applied no expecting anything but I waited patiently for a few days and then the email was sent out telling people whether they got the position or not, sitting in the library the excitement filled me as I read that I was being given the opportunity to lead Awakenings, I have never been more excited in my life.

Retreats especially the two I have gone on have in so many ways saved me from me. Now I know that sounds weird but just having the ability to take sometime and think makes everything seem so much easier.