The Life Course Scholars Retreat occurred prior to our first class meeting. Honestly, I was somewhat excited for it, but also somewhat terrified because what if I didn't make any friends or couldn't click with anyone in the cohort? Fortunately everyone was really warm and friendly and wanted to get to know everyone. I think I made a few new friends that day. One highlight was the conversation I had with Andrew about academics, health-related topics and a couple of other things. It felt reassuring to talk to someone who understood you and was genuinely interested in what you had to say. Thank you Andrew.
The retreat consisted of breakfast, some icebreakers, a few lectures including a guest lecture by Trish Benesh, a life course board game, lunch, a mindfulness-oriented coast walk, a thought exercise and a written reflection. I felt that the retreat was structured well in that we were able to get to know each other but also learn about healthy aging. I enjoyed the life course board game and found it to be a fun and interactive way to learn about aging. It was interesting to see how privilege plays a role in where you end up in life as you age and how some managed to do well even when starting off disadvantaged. Even though the game wasn't able to truly capture the entire picture of life with all the societal and structural factors that exist, it still did a good job in portraying how different people from different backgrounds can end up later on in life.
Another thing that I enjoyed was the mindfulness-oriented coast walk. I never thought about how tough it may be for seniors to navigate physical spaces that younger people don't have problems with and thus, never think about it from a senior's point of view. Some of the paths may be a bit rough for some seniors which is a shame because the scenery and view was spectacular. I hope that we start planning spaces with seniors in mind so age doesn't become a barrier to partaking in breath-taking views and spaces as well.
The retreat consisted of breakfast, some icebreakers, a few lectures including a guest lecture by Trish Benesh, a life course board game, lunch, a mindfulness-oriented coast walk, a thought exercise and a written reflection. I felt that the retreat was structured well in that we were able to get to know each other but also learn about healthy aging. I enjoyed the life course board game and found it to be a fun and interactive way to learn about aging. It was interesting to see how privilege plays a role in where you end up in life as you age and how some managed to do well even when starting off disadvantaged. Even though the game wasn't able to truly capture the entire picture of life with all the societal and structural factors that exist, it still did a good job in portraying how different people from different backgrounds can end up later on in life.
Another thing that I enjoyed was the mindfulness-oriented coast walk. I never thought about how tough it may be for seniors to navigate physical spaces that younger people don't have problems with and thus, never think about it from a senior's point of view. Some of the paths may be a bit rough for some seniors which is a shame because the scenery and view was spectacular. I hope that we start planning spaces with seniors in mind so age doesn't become a barrier to partaking in breath-taking views and spaces as well.