TREEWEEK was a “TPOT camp” in the spirit of other retreats like Jesscamp, which also doubled as the organizer’s extended birthday celebration. It took place last week at “Seegut Blaue Blume” in rural Brandenburg near Prenzlau, more than an hour from Berlin. I signed up because I trusted Simon and his team to create a great event. The location seemed nice, and many people I knew from Jesscamp and online interactions would be there. It seemed an excellent way to have a little holiday in September.

A forest and beautiful nature surrounded the place, but the weather was more suitable for indoor activities, especially in the first few days. Because nametags or badges are boring, the organizing team invited us to bead a bracelet or necklace with our names. There was a lot of art-making at the event. I didn’t participate because I don’t trust my hands with a paintbrush, but I enjoyed seeing the fireplace covered in drawings. My hands are more suitable for playing the piano, which I did a lot. Many more musicians attended the event, so there was a constant hum of live music, whether played on physical instruments or synthesizers and with looping software. Jamming with other people is fantastic; I should do it much more. And feedback on my playing was overwhelmingly positive. While we had the whole place to ourselves during the week, the venue still ran its monthly Open Stage on the front porch on Wednesday. Some TREEWEEK participants signed up, so it was a joint celebration between the locals and our international community. I bet the MC never announced people from so many countries on this stage.

Feeding 70 guests is no small task, but Simon’s brother (and my brother-in-name, Lukas) took charge of the kitchen and ensured nobody went hungry. Food was always available, and people signed up for shifts working the kitchen or the scullery, which turned into a dancefloor with the playlist of whoever managed to connect their phone to the speakers first. I did a lot of housework this week but enjoyed serving the group this way. It’s also wonderful to talk and bond with people over peeling 20 kilograms of potatoes together. There was one barbecue with meat, but on the other days, the food was primarily vegetarian except for an enormous amount of boiled eggs.

I brought my werewolf playing cards again, and we played a few rounds, though fewer than at the two Jesscamps I’ve been to. We also played other board games. The most remarkable was the attempt to play the German version of Codenames in a group of people with limited German skills and see how far that went (it went better than expected). And, of course, there were a lot of great conversations. I learned a new group coaching technique and sat in two guided meditations. There was often dancing at night, especially on Saturday when Simon celebrated his birthday. One guy brought his startup’s technology that lets you control lights with gestures and makes you feel like a magician.

Overall, I had a fantastic time at TREEWEEK despite the rain. For myself, it was mostly a comfortable, cozy event, meaning that I didn’t take part in activities and workshops that pushed me out of my comfort zone, unlike the improv and clowning workshops at the Jesscamps. Nobody scheduled such activities I was interested in, so abstaining wasn’t a deliberate choice. I also arrived without expectations to turn this week into a life-changing, self-improvement, or personal development activity, so I’m okay with it. However, after events, I often think I might have participated in a more profound way that let me take more out of it.

Much of the potential for deeper connection lies outside the scheduled activities in personal interactions, especially one-on-ones. Group retreats like TREEWEEK always remind me that I enjoy meaningful connections when somebody offers them. Still, initiating them without some external structure is nearly impossible for me. It’s particularly noticeable when it involves members of the opposite gender, especially at gender-imbalanced events, or when it’s about physical connection. There are some blocking thoughts and feelings, and I need a strategy to work through them. There’s some lingering social anxiety. It doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the event or my interactions; it just means there’s potential for more and deeper connections.

I want to thank Simon and his team for offering the community this wonderful space. I hope there’ll be another TREEWEEK next year, as well as many other events. Regarding myself, I will probably attend future retreats, but I need to be more intentional about why I’m going and what I’m getting out of it before buying the next ticket. In the meantime, I’ll see you all online.