Bonding with the Freshies
Gainey, Gainey, Gainey. I love that place so much! The St. Thomas Gainey Conference Center -hereby known as Gainey- is located in Owatonna, Minnesota (where Holly is from!) and was where we had our Freshman Retreat, which was one of the best college experiences yet. The food was delicious, our fellow freshies were excellent and the horses running around made me feel like I walked into a magazine. All I can say to each and every Tommie is: go to Gainey. You won’t regret it.
If you thought the outside was cool, wait until you see the inside!
Beautiful Gainey
We departed on Saturday morning and even though there had been some flooding in Owatonna earlier in the week, we were still able to have our retreat. We spent the afternoon getting to know each other through our small groups and talks then had some really delicious food (scroll down for pictures that will make your mouth water like a faucet) and group prayer. We met many great fellow freshies and ended the night with a super fun bonfire where a freshman from South Carolina named Keenan sang the Arabian version of “Hey There Delilah”, which was quite possibly the funniest thing of the week.
(Oh, it’s how you cook ze meat, oh, how you cook ze meat.)
Giant sing along at the bonfire, which was so fun! The Class of 2014 has pretty fantastic taste in music.
We spent the night in amazing rooms that were totally hotel-worthy and even got to experience the luxury of having our own bathroom! Sunday consisted of a five-star breakfast (Gainey’s oatmeal is said to be the best in the world) then we spent a little more time in our small groups, took some hilarious pictures and then were on our way back to St. Thomas. It was an awesome break from a paper and presentation-filled week and everyone came away with some new buddies, as well as a very happy tummy.
Breakfast of Champions. Fruit, eggs, sausage, french toast, breakfast potatoes and oatmeal.
The inside of the most delicious chocolate cake ever. Oh my gosh. It was so good!
Leann petting Buddy the horse-who doesn't love horses?
New friends-Beth, Lizzie and Kacie! 
Love them all.
In other news, I now feel like a legit college student because I turned in my very first ‘real college paper’ yesterday! I’m finding that college papers require a lot more rewriting than highs school papers and that getting your homework done on a Saturday morning might be one of the best decision you’ll make all week. Tonight the band Jack’s Mannequin is coming to Anderson (Athletic and Recreation Complex) so I’ll be attending that awesome concert then tomorrow our very own beloved RA, Christine, is running a 10 mile race! We made signs in the awesome poster room and I’ll be sure to put pictures up next blog! Tomorrow night we get to go to another concert, Tenth Avenue North with Matt Maher and Addison Road, so this weekend is going to be quite epic. On top of all that, the TOMMIES BEAT THE JOHNNIES!! For the first time in 13 years! It’s such a great time to be a Tommie!