On March 2nd, I had my 6 month anniversary as Publications Manager here at Core Dance. It’s strange how the time flew by, but I also feel like I’ve been here forever. I’m beyond grateful for all that Core Dance has given me so far, and last week, I realized (again) how lucky I am, when I experienced my very first retreat. The time away felt much more like one big hug rather than 3 days of intensive discussions.
On Wednesday morning, we carpooled out to Lake Ruben, a 2 hour drive to North Georgia. My experiences in Georgia have been limited to the city, so I was excited to see a bit of the country. After we unpacked and settled in, I went on a walk (despite the super steep hills) to really take it all in. The house we stayed in overlooked the lake, with a boathouse and a dock to complete the picture-perfect landscape. The whole time we were there, I was bombarded with memories of my family’s old lakehouse, and evenings spent curled up on the couch watching the water.
The word “retreat” makes me think of naps and hot cups of coffee and relaxing with a good book. While some of our time at the lake was spent doing just that, most of the day we would dive deep into all things Core Dance. My position here is only my second “real” adult job since I graduated in May from college, and I haven’t experienced much of the corporate world. Still, I know that not every company organizes a time away for staff to connect, reflect, and come up with goals for the future. (Side note - Everyone was also responsible for cooking at least one meal. Who knew dancers ate so much quinoa and avocado!)
Although some of the discussions were exhausting and occasionally mentally draining, they were balanced out with meditation sessions, and the occasional time for napping or going on walks. Personally, I claimed a wonderfully plump corner of the couch, where I spent some quality time with my book during our breaks (I highly recommend Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan), and probably woke up Rose and Sharon in the middle of the night with my snoring (sorry guys). Technically, we were working for three days straight. But between the nightly games of Uno, handstands on the dock, and the endless teasing of me and my “spot,” it really felt more like one big sleepover.