By Rae Reitz

Dragonfly students in Phase II and III recently spent a weekend at the Oregon coast to celebrate their progress at the culmination of spring term. The occasion offered students a chance to step out of the familiarity of their day-to-day routines and reflect on change in their lives from a new perspective. Students received recognition from peers and mentors in a ceremony and enjoyed spending time with each other in the beautiful mountainous setting of Langlois, Oregon.

We stayed in lodge-style accommodations located on a rolling ridgeline with expansive views. The 80-acre property featured ponds, views of the ocean, and two free-roaming horses prone to nuzzling for a scratch behind the ears. The lodge and its adjoined cabins were connected by winding footpaths possessing a ‘Secret Garden’ feel. Picture stumbling upon hammocks, fountains, trellises, and sitting areas nestled into the greenery.

Throughout the weekend several of the students settled in with a badminton game, playing records in a cabin dorm, barbequing on the deck for dinner, playing ragtime on the grand piano in the lodge, and lounging on lawn furniture in the garden. On Sunday, students explored the small beach town of Bandon, Oregon. They sampled salt water taffy and ice cream from a local creamery. Then the group travelled to a nearby beach.

On the final night, mentors held a fire ceremony for the students. A mentor and student assistant embroidered a personalized cloth patch for each student featuring a symbolic image representing the qualities of their path and accomplishments at Dragonfly. The ceremony illuminated an aspect of doing self-work in community, and everyone in the group recognized each other’s evolution. Students shared their recognitions with a tone of duty as if to say, “I want to verify that you are no longer the person who showed up when I first met you.”