FLY Convention-Personal Narrative

There is absolutely nothing better than spending a week on vacation with your friends. Last summer, I went to the Free Lutheran Youth (FLY) convention. FLY is a large get-together where Lutheran teenagers from around the country meet and worship. Abby Ator, Lance Bengochea, Sierra Machart, Mariah Machart, Emma Pederson, Bryan Pederson and I go to Bethel Lutheran Church; we decided to fundraise and attend the FLY convention. This year was the first time I have participated; the experience literally changed my outlook on life. The week I spent in Estes Park, Colorado, brought me closer to ten people who I never imagined would become my close friends.
Naturally, the best part of any vacation is the road trip. Mariah Machart, Jackie Thompson and
I left Culbertson and comfortably rode in Mariah’s dark blue Chevy Silverado. Abby Ator, Sierra Machart, Mary Machart, Bobby Machart, Emma Pederson and Bryan Pederson were driving in another vehicle. The three of us spent the majority of the drive to Glendive in silence, because we did not know each other well. Our first stop was Glendive, Montana, to pick up Lance Bengochea from his baseball game. Once our group picked up Lance, it was around 4:00 pm, so we got sandwiches from Subway. After we enjoyed our meals, the four of us rode the entire way to Billings while quietly listening to country music. Once my friends and I arrived in the big city, we checked into our motel rooms and then slept peacefully. Bright and early—at five in the morning—the four of us and the six in the other vehicle hit the road, as our main goal was to make it to Estes Park. After my youth group drove for several hours, we stopped in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to fill up on lunch. Abby Ator, Sierra Machart, and I went to Chick-Fil-A; we ate an embarrassing amount of chicken. Once the entire group had finished eating, we hopped into our vehicles to finish the trek to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. When our two vehicles finally pulled into the YMCA parking lot, the first half of the best road trip was over.
Without a doubt, my favorite part of FLY was going to the worship sessions; each one sent chills through my bones when I heard two thousand people singing at once. Every day, the entire campus had a morning session and an evening session; both were always just like attending a concert. The music was absolutely mind-blowing—I could feel pure energy radiating throughout the hall. On top of the loud music, all the people singing together made the entire experience surreal. I could sing so loud and barely be able to hear myself. Every night, there were different people who sang on the stage. Mostly, the singers were groups of college kids that were attending Association Free Lutheran Bible School (AFLBS) and I was never tired of hearing the same voices sing. After the morning worship service, everyone split up to go to two or three different workshops. There were a plethora of workshops a person could attend; they ranged from video games all the way to relationship advice. For example, I attended a workshop on homosexuality and religion. The speaker at the workshop was talented; he gave a speech that provided a lot of useful and interesting information. Also, the speaker spoke about the qualities that a man and woman should have. Overall, the worship services and the workshops at FLY changed my view of religion; I would do it all over again if I had the chance.
Of course, exploring is the best experience someone gains out of a vacation.
During my time in Colorado, I discovered that Estes Park is one of the most interesting tourist towns I have visited. During the week my youth group was in Colorado, we set one day aside to tour the city and the downtown area. All ten of us went to several ice cream shops and sampled ice cream of all varieties. After the ice cream, Abby and I checked out a saltwater taffy shop; the shop has used the same recipe for over one hundred years. Between breaks at shops to eat delicious food, we went into the souvenir shops and observed many things: t-shirts, hats, postcards and all kinds of key chains. Besides the mountains and the rivers, I have to say that the best attraction in Estes Park is the Stanley Hotel. The Stanley Hotel is commonly known as the hotel from Stephen King’s The Shining. Also, the filming of Dumb and Dumber took place at the Stanley Hotel. Our group toured a small section of the vast hotel, but the staff would not allow us to a full tour unless we paid a
fee.
In comparison to the journey to FLY, the trip back was vastly different. Instead of taking two days to drive back to Culbertson, Mary Machart and Mariah decided not to spend the night in Billings and go straight home. We drove all the way through Colorado and Wyoming until the ten of us got to Billings. Unfortunately, Mary Machart stayed in Billings with Emma and Bryan Pederson for two more hours after we ate: unfortunately, their uncle had been recently hospitalized. Thus, Lance and Sierra had to ride the rest of the way to Culbertson in the pickup with Mariah, Abby, Jackie and I. Once my friends and I had eaten, and departed from Billings, an astounding jam-session began. The six of us blasted music the entire way home; we sang so loud I lost my voice the next day. Our group sang a variety of songs, ranging from country all the way to Disney music. For instance, all of us sang “Let it Grow” from The Lorax. This included everyone practically screaming the lyrics; we knew the song by heart. As a result, we were all happy and there was a surreal energy in the vehicle as we ventured home. In addition to the loud music, our group saw several fireworks from the highway, since it was the Fourth of July. Overall, the way home from FLY created an extremely interesting bond between the six of us.
As mentioned before, FLY is truly a life-changing experience.
I would recommend this trip to anyone, regardless of religion, because it is an event that can revitalize your life. If someone is looking for a unique experience to meet new people and try different things, FLY is definitely for him or her. Aside from FLY, campers get to do many things: explore a tourist town, swim, play sports and games, eat astoundingly delicious food and even go hiking at four in the morning to watch the sun rise over the mountains. In the summer of 2017, I will attend FLY for the second time. I plan to meet countless new people; I will make use of the information I gain from my week in the mountains by changing others’
lives.