March 23, 2015 - 23:44
Retreat
Oxford English Dictionary
An act of leaving or escaping from a difficult or dangerous situation; a movement away from an attitude, idea, agreement, etc., esp. one that is being challenged or causing difficulties. Also: the action of doing this.
Revisualizing campus in terms of a "retreat," provoked me to think of campus/the entire college experience as one huge "difficult or dangerous situation." Thinking about the labyrinth, I think it's interesting that this place can serve as a place of retreat for many while still being in the center of the cause of it all, the college. It makes me think that anywhere can actually serve as a retreat; it doesn't have to be a clear, desginated place. It's mostly consists of getting in the mindset of removing oneself the situations that may be causing stress and visualizing a mental "movement away" from those situations. I still think that the physical aspect of a retreat is integral in the effectiveness of a "retreat," but not actually necessary.