The last few weeks have been ripe for burnout — in every sense of the word. For one, these have been stressful ones (if you’re co-administering a school, honestly, when is it not stressful?); also, the steadily rising heat has also contributed to the physical toll. Not to mention our local government’s order for schools to hold morning classes only and conduct online classes for three days a week, which resulted in the rescheduling and even cancellation of some activities.

Which is why a faculty and staff retreat to Zambales was a welcome break in the school calendar. We needed to reinvigorate ourselves for the final push of this school year’s last month. We never had a proper team building activity as the school year started because of events that I’m not going to point here anymore. Needless to say, this was a great way for us to know each other better and plan a bit for how we’re going to face the challenges ahead.

The site of the retreat is in Yellow Slipper Beach Resort in Cabangan, Zambales. It’s nearly a four-hour drive from Valenzuela City, but as with any drives along SCTEX, it’s a scenic one. The place itself is located in a quiet strip of beach. The place has black sand and fairly strong waves, which reminds me of past trips to Zambales, both to surf and to bond with former coworkers.

But it’s a new period of my life now. This retreat, we swim, we have group activities, meals together, and generally just letting our hair down. In one activity, I am asked to interpret a picture of a woman holding two “dirty” ice cream cones and relate it to my experiences. So I said that that just as ice cream can have many flavors, a school can have many personalities both of students and the faculty and staff. But just as we mix different flavors to create a unified combination, these individuals blend together to form our personal journey, making our collective experiences rich and fulfilling.

It’s a time for reflection and getting ready to take on the upcoming difficulties.