By Elliot F, Compass Community Member
From May 19 through 22, I attended Compass Con, a Renaissance-themed Compass retreat filled with new experiences, new friendships, and a few surprises I definitely did not see coming.
New Faces and a Magical First Night
One of my favorite parts of Compass Con was getting to meet Compass staff and friends in person, including many people I had only ever seen on video calls. I really enjoyed meeting new people, making connections, and finally putting faces to names. Now I just need to find everyone on social media so I can keep those friendships going!
On the first night, I headed to dinner after checking into my hotel room. I was a little late, but luckily I only missed the introduction.
That evening, we were treated to a magic show by Cody Clark. Before the show even started, Cody came over to where I was sitting and introduced himself. What made his performance especially meaningful was that it was about much more than magic. Cody is also a disability advocate, and throughout his act, he talked about his own experiences living with a disability.
Later that night, as I was heading back to my room, one of the knights stopped me and asked if I wanted to help with the show the following evening. I was a little nervous, especially when he told me I would be jousting with another knight, but I decided to give it a try.
Taking a Chance on the Ice
The next morning, I was running a little behind, so I ate breakfast in my room before heading out for the day.
Our first adventure was visiting the Peanuts museum and ice rink. When I arrived, it was lunchtime, so I ordered a tuna sandwich, brownie, and Coke. The tuna sandwich was actually really good!
Then I found out that I would be able to go out onto the ice.
I waited for the rink doors to open and slowly made my way onto the ice. I was nervous at first because I wasn’t even sure which direction I was supposed to go, but I did it.
Afterward, I went on a guided tour of the Snoopy museum. I learned more about Charles Schulz, the cartoonist who created the Peanuts comic strip. It was really interesting learning about his life and the story behind characters that so many people know and love.
My Big Jousting Moment
When we returned to the hotel, someone came to find me so I could rehearse for the show that night.
One of the knights helped me practice by showing me where I would stand, how to position the lance, and how I would move forward to knock the other knight off his horse.
That evening, I was enjoying the music and eating dinner when the show began. A projector showed what the knights were doing when they were offstage, and the story played out through several different scenes.
Eventually, it was time for the jousting scene.
I got into position, someone handed me my lance, and the knight came toward me. I moved forward and knocked him off his horse!
It was such a fun experience and definitely not something I expected to do when I arrived at Compass Con.
If you want to see a little bit of the event, you can check it out on Instagram.
Workshops, Filming, and New Experiences
During Compass Con, I also had the opportunity to participate in a film project I’m working on with Compass. I don’t know exactly when the film will be released yet, but I’m excited to share it when it comes out.
On the final day, I attended several workshops, including a magic workshop, knight storytime, and a making friends workshop.
The making friends workshop was almost like speed dating, except instead of trying to find a date, the goal was to meet people, talk, and create new friendships. It was another great opportunity to connect with people I may not have met otherwise.
A Surprise I’ll Never Forget
One of the biggest highlights of the entire retreat happened that night when I got to meet the one and only Zach Anner!
His wife was there too, and I had the opportunity to sit down with Zach and film an interview with him. It was so much fun. Talking with Zach felt less like conducting an interview and more like talking with a friend.
Then came the biggest surprise of all.
Zach is going to help me with my video-making projects!
He and his wife also gave me two lavalier microphones that I can use when filming interviews. I was incredibly excited and grateful for their support.
Looking back, I’m really glad I decided to attend Compass Con this year. I met people I had only known through a screen, tried things that made me ne
rvous, learned something new, participated in a Renaissance show, connected with people who inspire me, and made memories I’ll be talking about for a long time.
Compass Con was definitely worth it, and I’m so glad I said yes to the experience.
If you want to read more stories from Elliot visit his blog: https://elliotshares.com/