The seniors of Holy Family High School are quickly approaching graduation. With only 4 months until we walk that stage, it was important to our class to have a final retreat before we leave. 

The administration planned a “lock in” as our experience. All of the class of 2023 was to sleep in the school gyms; boys were in the auxiliary gym and girls were in the main gym. Initial report time was 7pm in the lobby, and all of the seniors seemed excited for the upcoming event. 

Once we arrived in our designated gym, my friends and I set up our sleeping area. Everyone that I know brought an air mattress, including myself. Inflatables seemed to be the best way to get some sleep, considering the hard wooden floors. 

Soon, we were summoned to the theater for a showing of a movie entitled “The 3 Idiots.” Father Joe announced the movie before it played. As we watched, there were some mixed reviews about the film. The sensitive elements of the show triggered some people and left others deeply disturbed. However, some students loved the movie and wanted to watch it again. It seemed to just depend on the individual and their preferences. 

After the film, it was a quiet time for everyone. The girls and boys put on their jammies and got in their beds. However, nobody actually went to sleep. We chatted with our friends and ate Fruit Roll Ups until around 2am. In the morning, we discovered that the boys had stayed up even later. After I actually went to sleep, I constantly woke up feeling like an icicle. The gym was freezing, so I put on my hoodie and tried to sleep as well as I possibly could. 

At 7:30am, the class was awakened by the announcement system to come up for breakfast. The meal was delicious, and we all chatted about last night’s activities. 

The rest of the retreat was extremely fun. We listened to great advice, played Just Dance, and even sang some karaoke. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to spend time with my class before leaving for college.