Zion Retreat 2011

On Thursday, Madrigals and A Capella went to Zion National Park for a clinic and hiking.

Getting there for me was an adventure. Since I just got my wisdom teeth out, I didn't know how my body would take the whole thing. On Tuesday I felt so sick. I woke up feeling okay, but halfway through first period I felt like throwing up. It didn't help that I still couldn't eat hard food. During lunch I talked to Mrs. Tawa, informing her that I didn't know whether or not I would be able to handle the retreat. She told me to tell her the next day.

I didn't go to third period that day. Matt drove me home and I ate some food and blogged. It made me feel much better. In fact, I felt good enough to go to fourth period.

Later that day was our class vocal Solo and Ensemble. I had to go and support, and I could sing a little bit. If Madrigals would have sung first, I would have been able to sing with them, but we sang last. My ensemble was second to last and I did sing with them. I did still contribute to Madrigals by playing their notes for them on the piano. The whole event lasted only two hours, but I was wasted.

Matt called me that night so I could easier sort through my thoughts. It worked, and by the end of the night, I decided that I would go to Zion no matter what.

Wednesday I felt really good. Thursday morning I felt even better.

So to the choir room I went! That was funny in and of itself. I am my seminary class president and I was starting class. While I was up there, we all heard this beautiful rain, bird sound. It was my phone, which was a little embarrassing, but it was a text to go to the choir room.

Nothing really exciting happened in the choir room.

So we went to the bus. Jessie and I sat together three seats from the back and across the aisle from Katie and Landon. They were entertaining us. See, they are kind of a thing, and the hold hands. It was the funniest thing because they would rub each others thumbs and then let go and play with each others hand and stuff like that. I found this rather entertaining and told Jessie that it looked like their hands were making out.

We laughed so hard. Like, the abs hurt from laughing hard. Every time I looked at them I laughed. Eventually Katie and Landon were getting curious about what we were laughing at and asked us. That made us laugh even harder. Katie figured that it was about them since we weren't telling them. Then we laughed even harder. I would try to tell them, but it wouldn't come out because I would just laugh. The whole phrase did come out eventually, and then it was a little awkward for Landon. They stopped for a little while, but then did it again. I, of course, laughed again, causing Landon to cover their hands with his Madrigal sweater. Do I even have to say what I was thinking?

After that whole laughter session, we were pretty quiet for the rest of the trip. It wasn't because we didn't have anything to say, but because we couldn't think of anything to say with the conversations going on in the back of the bus. They were talking about kissing, then taking it a step further, and then a step further. It was disgusting. I don't have a problem with kissing, but a kiss is so very special and it should mean more than what they were making it. One boy said, "I have to kiss every pretty girl in the school," or something along those lines. I was not impressed with the conversation. Jessie and I felt disgusting. It is so hard to erase or block out some things, and that was one of them. I pondered on their conversation (not on what was being said, but the spiritual meaning for me) and decided that I won't date those kind of boys because their body has more control over their spirit, and it should be the other way around.

We were relived to be off the bus at the O.C. Tanner Amphitheater just outside Zion National Park where we could separate ourselves from those conversations and have help from an amazing conductor, Norm Lister. Madrigals sang first. It was absolutely amazing. The notes rang off the walls in the amphitheater and then off the walls of the canyon. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in this entire world. Mr. Lister (ha, that rhymes!) helped us so much. He taught us to keep the sound moving and to not wimp out on phrases. It doesn't end until it ends!

This picture came after Madrigals sang. Katie, Jessie, and I went to the bathroom and then to the bus for food. Katie and Landon had gone to Lins before we left and got me a surprise. That surprise was oreos. It took me half an hour to eat 5 of them, but it was so worth it.

After that wonderful experience, we hopped back on the bus to listen to some more conversation that we didn't want to hear. Luckily, the trip was not very long and we got off the bus rather quickly. We went inside the Springdale Civic Center to sing for the senior citizens while they ate lunch. They weren't quite ready for us when we arrived, so we went into the library that was right next to it.

I walked in, searching for a comfortable place to sit. They had beanbag chairs just calling my name. Soon half of the Madrigals were on the bean bags. We got a group picture and had people read us stories. I wasn't really paying attention to the stories because I was texting Matt. But I did manage to catch the picture below.

This is JP and Landon snuggling while Landon read us a story. An image as funny as this had to be shared.

Shortly after this picture was taken, it was time to listen to A Capella sing. There are some things that really bother me when they sing, but they sound pretty good. They still have a few weeks to fix things and that will make all the difference.

Madrigals sang, and we were feeling pretty good about it all. We are singing a song called Earth Song, which is beautiful. We just happened to make like 10 people there cry, including one of our bus drivers. It felt so good. They thanked us a million times and didn't want us to leave. Personally, I wanted to keep singing to them, sharing our talent and practice with them. But it was lunch time.
This was one of many signs at the restaurant. It took me a long time to eat my food because of my wisdom teeth removal, but it was good food.

After a lovely, filling lunch, we headed into the park to hike. Mrs. Tawa told us to think about which element (water, wind, earth, or fire) we thought we were metaphorically. Jessie, Leah, and I followed Mrs. Tawa's group, mostly because the conversations we didn't want to listen went to another trail.

We certainly picked the right group! We went to the Emerald Pools trail (I love the word emerald right now) and it was beautiful. I have hiked the trail so many times, it is not even funny. This time had the most beautiful waterfalls.
Pictures never do the real thing justice, especially when you only have your camera on your phone! But the picture still gives you the idea. Best waterfalls that hike has ever had.

With the great waterfalls came a great deal of mud. We'll just say that I threw away my zebra shoes when I got home. No worries, I have another pair to back me up. :-)

We had such a great time. I loved getting to know Jessie and Leah better and being in Zion.

As I pondered on which of the four elements I was most like, I kept thinking about water. I have always loved the water. It is beautiful and moves differently all the time. When something troubles the water, the waves are larger and it moves quicker. When all is peaceful, water can sit still, bringing peace to the world. The sound of water can be peaceful to some people, but at the same time bring annoyance to others. The rain, which is water as we already know, brings happiness to some, like myself, who dance in it. The rain can also bring sorrow to people because it may flood their house, causing them great sorrow. Water has the potential to carry things, people, dirt, rocks, sticks, you name it, very far, but it can also leave those things stranded on the shore. Water washes bodies, water quenches thirst, water rinses away worries, water smells so good.

If you know me well enough, you can see how I am water. I also thought about Matt and which element he would be. This time I kept thinking about dirt, the earth. Dirt doesn't usually move very far, but can if it really wants to. It is always there to support the people it comes in contact with. Sometimes it may let people step all over it, but when it doesn't want that, it can become mud, causing stress to many people. Earth can create dust storms. Call me crazy, but I think dirt smells really good.

Richard is fire, not always on, but when it is, it spreads warmth to everyone around it. Jessie is wind, here and there, annoying to some, carries so much with it.

Mrs. Tawa was leading a group of about 10 people. She decided to avoid the mud and take a different trail back to the Lodge. It turned out that the trail didn't lead back to the Lodge. So we had to walk a short distance to be there. Sara Tripp told us to play this game where you freeze every time a car passes by. It was the best thing ever! One car slowed down and took a picture of us. We all hope to see that picture one day.

When we got back to the buses at the Lodge, we saw a Tawa tribal dance. It was rather entertaining. Some of the volume boys were knighted, and BK McSexy was kicked in the face by an Asian and it chipped his tooth.

Not really, but I believed it!

That is pretty much the end of the trip. It was so much fun and I am so glad that I had the support to go. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in this world.

Thank you to all those who made this trip so much fun. I learned a lot about myself; I learned about which boys I should date, how to give a song everything I have, and how to let go of my worries and let them wash away with the water. Thank you to Mrs. Tawa for planning the trip, and Mrs. Stocks for checking on me every now and then. Thank you to Jessie for laughing, walking, listening, and suffering with me.

And, of course, thank you to Matt who helped me sort through my negative attitude and helping me positive about the trip. I truly appreciate everything that you do for me.