I think I speak for many people when I say that weekends are one of the most valuable things in life. I love having a lazy weekend of staying in or going out with friends before another week of monotonous school work comes around again. Nevertheless, I decided to give into my curiosity about these religious expenditures at John Carroll and signed myself up to attend the Cardoner Retreat. 

I had previously considered going on JCU retreats but always had some sort of conflict. Even when there wasn’t anything stopping me from going on just one, my laziness got the better of me. It was time to stop making excuses and to throw myself into something different from my regularly scheduled weekend.

The Cardoner Retreat is located at Bellwether Farms in Wakeman, Ohio. With little to no outside noise other than the free-roaming animals, the location is the perfect place for a spiritual getaway. Both the retreat center and cabins where I stayed were incredibly modern and complemented the beautiful scenery around the farm. I also can’t fail to mention the amazing meals cooked for us using only what was grown on the farm. 

Even though the location provided a nice break from an often noisy world, the people leading the retreat are what made the experience so special. JCU students Adam Diefendorff ‘23, Bobby Boland ‘23, Emily Wirbel ‘24, Julia Kampas ‘25, Lauren Keep ‘24, Madelyn Laird ‘24 and Patrick McGraw ‘23 with help from Andrew Cera directed. Ranging from sophomores to seniors, this diverse group held their own smaller groups with various activities and discussions while also leading bigger group activities and, honestly, just having a blast with other students whenever free time was available. 

But what did I gain after going on the retreat and how did I feel about the whole thing? Well, I think the most important thing I gained  was not only becoming closer with people I had never talked to before but also to see the safe space it provided for people to be open with one another. I saw nothing but love and appreciation from both the leaders and the people in my group. Everyone may not have known one another that well coming in but, by the end, I was amazed at how fast friendships had formed after just three days.

I found that a lot of the activities focused on self reflection. I was able to clear my mind about the worries I had brought with me and instead take time to check in with myself mentally and spiritually. When it came to my small group, we had no trouble starting discussions about what seemed to trouble us in our everyday life. Even outside of the small groups, I found that people were constantly talking to one another and just having fun overall.

Between activities I found myself swimming at the pond, painting some of my best portraits, or even just walking around and admiring the serenity of it all. It really did feel like a home away from home and, in some ways, I didn’t want to leave it behind. The people were amazing, the location was magical and overall the entire atmosphere of the retreat seemed perfect. 

Once the final day hit, everyone met for one final gathering before departing the farm. Everyone made sure to get their hugs in order and all their compliments said and done before eventually leaving Bellwether behind. The bus home carried the same energy as the farm had with people singing and music blasting the entire drive. When I got off, I realized just how much the weekend had helped me and how strange it was to return to my dorm. I was less stressed about the uncertainties in my life and felt a little bit more at peace with myself.

If someone were to ask me if  Cardoner or any JCU retreat is worth going, I would tell them yes. Spending the weekend around people who are both accepting and supportive of you is an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often. If you’re thinking about giving any of the retreats a try, I’d highly recommend trying Cardoner. You might go in expecting nothing to change but, if you give it a chance, you won’t regret the new friendships and memories you’ll make along the way.