Fall Getaway
A Retrospective - by Kathleen Christie, Banana Boat QueenÂ
Photos: Sarah Paulson
The Lifelines Fall Getaway trip this fall consisted of a kayaking canoeing excursion of ten students and awesome staff across Waterbury Reservoir to a gorgeous remote camp site on the point of the peninsula. We were all challenged by the theme, “courage,” when we were strapped into a harness and given the opportunity to pull ourselves across a rope tied over the river, monkey around, and then be pulled back in by Dan. Finding a message in a bottle (thank you Alex and Nick), cliff jumping, the courage feat, learning canoe rescues (or being rescued), deep fireside chats, and wonderful food were a few of the trips’ highlights!
For me personally ,the trip was an amazing opportunity to slow down, relax, and just getaway from the craziness of life for a weekend. I was challenged by the courage feat and the insecurities that rose up within me. As a result I learned that this trip was a safe place to try new things, let the very familiar guard down, be myself, and be supported my new friendships and growing ones. Not to mention, the canoeing and kayaking rocked my socks off and the banana boats changed my life!