Let me start off by saying that the 15 retreats I have been on since 8th grade did not change my life. I changed my own life. However, if it wasn't for those retreats, I would have never wanted to.

Yes, you read that correctly. I have been on 15 retreats. Some of them were not optional for me since I went to Catholic school for junior high and high school. However, some of them I chose to go on hoping for a "life changing experience." What I usually got instead was a wake up call. That call told me that I am beautiful and so is everyone around me. It told me that I need to love others and treat them with kindness instead of lash out at them because of my own insecurities. And lastly, it told me that I am capable of making a better life for myself. I did not have to believe in God to be taught those lessons.

All of the retreats I have been on have shaped me into who I am today. Some of them have had a larger impact than others, especially the ones I have led. But in some way, all of these retreats have influenced me in a positive way.

I know that people are not always comfortable going on retreats. They hear the usual stereotypes and that scares them away. I am here to tell you that there is nothing to be afraid of. I know how it feels to have apprehensive feelings before attending a retreat, especially if you have not had good experiences in the past. Before going on my first few retreats I would think, "I'm not ready to open up", "I don't want to be vulnerable", and the most common, "There is no point, I'm not even religious." But, I can honestly say that going on a retreat could never hurt you, so why not give it a try? If you are not religious and do not want to go because you feel that you will not get anything out of it, I assure you that there is so much more to retreats than holding hands around the campfire singing Kumbaya.

In my experience, every retreat I have been on has taught me something about myself that I never knew before. What I learned has always been beneficial because getting to know myself has helped me learn how to love myself.

Let me clarify that I am not saying God's presence is not on religious retreats. In all honesty, everything about a retreat revolves around God. What I am saying is that it is possible to feel God's love, even if you don't believe in it. This love can be felt through other people, especially the leaders and directors of the retreat. The people in charge are there to make the retreat a wonderful experience for everyone attending by doing what they can to make them feel comfortable and loved. You can also feel God's love through the other retreatants, even the ones that you didn't really know well before. When you seclude a group of people from the harshness of the outside world, you'd be surprised at the outcome.

So, if you're currently debating on whether or not to attend a religious retreat, I strongly encourage you to do so. I hope that you can put your fears aside and open your heart and mind to the beautiful experience that God has in store for you.