秋の休み and もものパン and Loopriders

This weekend has so far been utterly perfect. On Friday afternoon, having completed all of my homework the night before, I piled into a car with many friends from City Cru and we drove out the East Bay, a place I've never been, but I'd love to see again soon. We were headed towards Fall Retreat, a retreat that takes place each fall semester to get away from the city and contemplate. I was very excited to go with all the girls in my freshman small group, since it would be the first time at Fall Retreat for all of us, and we could get to know each other much better.

We arrived in the four pm sunset on a little street called Eureka, and were faced with a big house comfortably perched in the wake of a thousand year old Redwood tree. The inside of the house we'd been staying in was classic and covered with art student's work, and even many professional works of arts, from portraits of cozy bunny rabbits to a very creepy woman whose eyes followed you wherever you went. The house's theme of colors were warm reds and soft cream, one of my personal favorites, and I felt right at home walking into the eclectic household.

Across from our house was a tree covered in painted old vinyl. The BART ran right behind it every half hour or so, creating a magical sound that echoed through the park, like a scene out of Spirited Away. 

The retreat opened with a barbecue dinner, meeting with friends, singing, and hearing from a guest speaker named Nate, who runs a nonprofit in East Oakland sharing love and kindness with youth in the city. I will be honest, I was missing my friend who hadn't been able to make it. The whole night I was trying to seek a kind of centering point to be able to see what all of tonight meant for me as a single person, but it was hard to do. Thankfully the next day, I had a lot of time to myself. We spent an hour sitting outside reflecting on our lives and asking our selves questions that for some, the answers came easy, and for others, I still have to think about them.

The retreat came to an end in the five pm sunset of Saturday, and while I was sad to be leaving, I was so excited to get back to San Francisco. I had no actions or intentions in mind of what I would do when I got back, and not having anything set before me, for the first time, felt alright. I suppose I shall elaborate - I always plan what I'm going to do, how I'm going to take a practical step to implement what I've learned or how I'd like to grow, but this retreat for me was different from all the others I've ever been to in my life. I didn't really know how to start or where to go once I'd learned all that I did, and in that way it was implementing what I've learned: trusting in my Creator. I have no plans, but that's alright. Truly, more than alright.

Fall is starting to get into full swing around here, and the leaves are changing colors and falling onto the ground. Rain is expected this coming week, and there's a fresh breeze blowing in the air. Peaches are delicious, and also make for wonderful peach pancakes, which I've been enjoying thoroughly this weekend in my apartment. Fall is also a season in which I do things out of the ordinary, such as see a band I've never heard of before in a live house downtown.  I'm looking forward to seeing a group called BORIS this coming weekend. October is sweet, and near the end of the month, should only get sweeter with candy and pumpkin cheesecake. I love fall.