Junior retreat starts in the lobby with everyone holding pillows that they most likely won’t use and excitedly talking to each other that creates an increasingly loud ruckus. Then when told we are finally able to go everyone stampeded toward the door and started the trek down to Preston where we will be locked up together for the whole night. Everyone sits in a circle and hears the plans of the night and thinking about how we’re going to stay up. The junior retreat is getting locked up inside of Preston for a whole night, and having an eye-opening experience where you learn more about yourself and your fellow juniors, feeling like you are in a happier version of the Twilight Zone.

Everyone that I have talked to about Junior Retreat thought of it as a worthwhile experience. The retreat is a couple of weeks into classes, so you see faces you haven’t seen since the beginning of the year and get to reconnect. Everyone is buzzing with energy, and some people expend this energy by doing different activities throughout Preston. After we have time to settle into Preston, we group again and talk about what it’s like being a junior and activities that bring everyone closer. There are structured activities throughout the rest of the night, and if that’s not your thing you can do different activities or find a place just to sit and talk to friends. There was even a room designated for sleeping for the people who needed some rest. Anyone can enjoy themselves at the junior retreat.

From my experiences, I have some advice for things to do at the junior retreat. One, open yourself up, so you get the most from the experience. Two, participate in one of the recommended activities. Three, play wolleyball because everyone is bad at wolleyball and you can all laugh together. Three, stay hydrated because you can’t have fun while dehydrated. And four, be prepared for a long nap when you get back. When the retreat was finally over we all hiked back up the hill while the sun was rising and bathing everything in light. I felt lighter than I had in a while and I knew myself better than I had in a while. The junior retreat is an awesome experience, and I would definitely recommend going.

Hannah

Today we all departed from our temporary home at the Nutford House and headed to Chawton. We slowly saw the stone city turn into cottage houses with thatched roofs, until we arrived at the cottage Jane Austen stayed at the most productive time of her life. The group split up, and half of us went into the house to see where Jane Austen wrote and lived. The other half ate the packed lunches provided by The Nutford House in the garden in full bloom. We then took a short walk over to the home of Jane’s brother, Knight Estate, who owned the cottage Jane lived in. Right next to the Estate was the St. Nicholas Church and a cemetery where Jane’s mother, Mrs. Austen, and her sister, Cassandra Austen, are buried.

Next, we drove to Winchester. Our first destination was the Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen has been buried. The Cathedral is also one of the largest cathedrals in England and new things everywhere you look. After exploring every nook and cranny, we headed outside and started down a trail that the poet, John Keats, frequented to be inspired. When walking the trail, you could understand why Keats walked here often, with clear streams and blackberries growing on the side of the path. At the end of the trail was the Hospital of St. Cross which we admired and then departed back to the Nutford House.

Hannah