Over 200 smiling faces, 400 clapping hands, and 200 differing personalities were united by a song. As we listened to senior Kelsey Lake lead us in “New Soul,” we formed an everlasting memory in which we became one cohesive class.

Forty-eight hours earlier, I boarded the bus to Willow Valley Hotel for Senior Retreat, and to be completely honest, I had serious doubts that the trip would be a success. I wanted to believe our retreat would be as great as the class of 2010 said it would be, but my mind couldn’t help but think about the possibility that someone would ruin the trip for everyone.

But from the minute I walked into the conference room, I realized that I underestimated my class’s potential. Everyone was friendly and polite to each other, and respectful to the speakers.

Senior Retreat was a million times better than I expected. I met students I never would have talked to on my own, laughed a lot, cried even more, and felt so connected to my classmates. I got chills when my musically gifted friends sang and then saw the rest of the class join in with clapping and finger-snapping.

After coming home from retreat on Friday night, I eagerly told one of my middle school friends about how amazing and powerful retreat was. She just didn’t get it.

Then again, I shouldn’t have expected her to understand. Her idea of fun is getting ready for Gym Meet at her all-girls school. I tried to tell her about how it changed my view of my class and how we became united, even if just for those two days, but she just changed the topic.

My point is that you can’t possibly understand how moving the trip is until you’ve experienced it for yourself. If I could offer one piece of advice to the underclassmen and seniors-to-be, it would be that you should go into retreat with an open mind. You can roll your eyes at the cheesiness of small group discussions like my friend from another school did, or you can open your eyes to your classmates’ stories, like my class did. It’s your choice.

Two weeks before retreat, I told one of my teachers that I was jealous of my friends in the class of 2010. They seemed to be a perfect class, especially when they talked about their wonderful retreat. But now, I don’t see any reason to feel that way. After going on retreat, I truly feel proud to be part of the class of 2011.

Jenny Hottle is the Online Chief for “The Patriot” and jcpatriot.com.