Love how candid this photo is! Last Thursday and Friday, Faber had probably the best overnight of our life: our retreat. Attending the retreat is a requirement for our graduation, so we really had to attend it. The experience was great, and it was a great first retreat for me. Recollection is totally different from a retreat in a number of ways. It requires much more contemplation and things like that.
I feel so lucky that I have been given a chance to spend a retreat with Faber, because they are the people who I can be completely honest with and just be myself. Overall, the retreat was fruitful and spending it with Faber made it more meaningful.
Here are the 5 things I learned during my retreat:
✎ You need silence to be able to hear yourself. One of the highlights of the retreat (and probably the hardest) was to maintain silence during sessions and even during breaks. Brother Carlo continuously reprimanded us for being noisy during the first two sessions, but then after that, we managed to maintain an acceptable amount of silence. It was during that silence that I heard myself; knowing who I am and what I really wanted. It was refreshing because I realized that I haven't heard myself and what I truly want for so long.
✎ Sacrifice is needed to find true happiness. We surrendered all our gadgets at the start of the retreat, and we only got them after all the activities (the photos were taken after the retreat). I realized that sacrificing something as simple as a gadget was worth it, because it made my experience more fruitful and memorable. It's nice to be disconnected once in a while, you get to appreciate your surroundings.
✎ Letting go is hard, but fulfilling. I am a really sentimental person, so when we gave each other letters and had to burn them, it was really hard for me. All the emotions and confessions in those letters were so hard to let go, but I knew I had to. I could not swell in the past if I want to appreciate the present. I feel like I was a new person after I let go of everything. It was definitely worth it.
✎ Reconciliation is important. If there is anything that I am proud that I did during the retreat, it was when I reconciled with everyone. I might be unaware that I have hurt anyone, and it was nice to know about them. It was a little bit overwhelming because it all happened within a night, but I slept happy and fulfilled. Because of this, I realized that I built relationships with Faber that would last for a lifetime.
✎ Know yourself more than anyone else. I did not realize this was important until this retreat. I am now currently having a college-crisis, because of knowing myself, but I don't regret it at all. I did not know a lot was going on inside of me that I needed help and I needed to blurt it out. Thankfully, the retreat helped me. Forever grateful.
Here are more photos we took after we got our gadgets back :-)
I introduce to you my sisters from another mother! The girl in the middle is Jermiss, and the girl on the right is Kay. They have been there for me since forever, and I am really really lucky to have them as my best friends. Sadly, Jermiss will be studying in Manila for college, while me and Kay will be here in Zamboanga. Nevertheless, we'll make sure that we keep in touch! Friendship never ends ❤
This is Faber's "puto" pose. The logic behind this pose is Bro Carlo's joke. We look so happy!
This is our we-are-totally-judging-you pose. Are you intimidated? Hahaha!
This is our breezy + pinky pose. Green inside jokes, I'm sorry. HAHAHA!
Just another groupie! ❤
A selfie with Bro Carlo! He looks like a really happy kid!
How my bed/bunk looked like. I so love the sheets!
Of course, a couple of selfies! Sorry for my eyes, they were swollen after all the crying during the previous night. But, I'm still happy! :-)
The experience was really great. Could not ask for better people to spend my retreat with. Love you, guys! High school never ends.
— Iana the Banana ✿
Seventeen 
HOW TO STUDY SMART
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