Islamic Spring Retreat (ISR) 2012 - What We Did, What I Feel and Learn and About Us, Bubbletea In Heaven

Assalamualaikum.. Alhamdulillah, recently Dz, Nik and I (Syira) have been fortunate to be able to join the ISR program at Iowa State University (ISU) from March 12 to March 13. Syira has not met Dz for so long since we flew here to U.S. so I was very excited, since we were roommates and I missed her dearly. :)

From Purdue, we departed with two cars at about 11 am and arrived in Drake University around 8 pm. We stopped and prayed at Kak Atikah's apartment before we proceed with the journey to ISU. When we arrived at the apartment, I was so excited to meet Nik. She came there with Kak Ani and Kak Aziah. We hugged each other and then talked together as though there was nobody else in the room. Hehe. And then, Alhamdulillah, I feel so happy because although it is only for a short while, I get to meet Farah, another one of our usrah members who is in Drake. Unfortunately, Drake's spring break is yet to come so they cannot follow us but still, it was really nice to be able to see her and hug her and have a short gossip with her and Preetha, another one of our housemates. I guess living together in the same house has made us so close but more than that, the ukhwah that was built because of our usrah together has bonded us in this special way. Only Allah SWT knows the excitement and the happiness that we feel when we meet each other. I guess this is what people call 'manisnya ukhwah'. When you love someone because of Allah SWT. :)

After that, we continue our journey and arrived at ISU at about 11 pm. Dz was not home when I arrived at her house. I was so tired so I fell asleep immediately on her bed. And that night the three of us - Nik, Dz and I slept on the same mattress. :) The next morning, we hug each other and say hello for the first time face to face since we arrived in this country. Hehe. And then as usual I talked to Nik and Dz, but not so long because after that we have to get ready and go to the program.

The program was really good. There are participants from four universities: ISU, UIowa, Purdue and Drake. Kak Hanna began the first slot by presenting on Our Fikrah. And then we have a break for zohor prayer and lunch. We had ikan sepat for lunch! Isn't it wonderful. I wonder how they find that fish in U.S. The food was great. But before lunch, we had a taaruf' game. We were asked to write three things about us on a piece of paper and then to crumple it and throw it randomly in the room. The person who pick our papers will have to guess who we are. It was fun playing that and by the end of the game, we know almost everyone in the room. After that we continue with the second session. I sat beside Kak Atikah from Drake that day. And I love talking to her. She knows a lot and she is sweet and confident.

After that, we have a game session outside. We were divided into three groups. We were then asked to put our hands together and then to entangled ourselves and form a circle. Alhamdulillah after much difficulties and try and error, my team, team no 2 won the game. Through this game we learn that as long as we work together we can solve almost any problem even though it seems impossible. After the game session, we had our dinner outside, like a picnic. It was really fun and nice and we eat together in groups in the trays. The menu for the night is rice with chicken soup and cabbage. Again, the food was awesome. Thank you ISU sisters for cooking these delicious food.

After dinner, we perform our Maghrib prayer together and then we continue with the third slot which is Sayonara Jahiliyah with Kak Maryam. After that we return to our places and go to bed. The next morning, we continue with the slot with Kak Maryam. We also have some group discussions on what is considered jahiliyah, those jahiliyah's things that we do and how to solve these problems. After that the program ended. Before we say goodbye, we sat around in a big circle. Each of us was given a piece of paper and was asked to write our names on it. And then we passed around the paper in the circle and each person will have to write down what they think of the person whose name is on the paper. As the circle complete and everyone has written down their impression or thoughts or wishes, we got back our own paper. It was fun to read those thoughts that people have on you. I am really thankful for all the kind and warm wishes. Hope to see everyone again in another program insyaAllah.

And also it was during this circle that I was overwhelmed with emotions. Thank you Nik, for being a shoulder for me to cry on. I have no idea why my tears kept coming down and why I could not speak at the time, but I suppose I just miss you and Dz and us Bubbletea Di Syurga so much. It was embarrassing though, I dislike crying in public but it does not matter anymore. Because it just feel nice to get a hug from you Nik. Hehe. Mengada-ngadakan? Thank you for all the supportive words you kept giving me at the time. InsyaAllah I will remember them and thank you for the hadis you dedicated to me. I already read it. Jzkk. :) I love you fillah nik. And dz, I read your statement in the paper and of course I know which one is for you. Thank you for considering me as your best friend although we are far from each other and do not keep in touch as often as we used to now. It was fun that I get to makan suap2 with you. Hehe. It was fun that we get to sleep together with nik side by side. It was fun cam-whoring with you. Haha. Although rasa macam tak cukup masa je kan the times we spend together but it really meant a lot to me. InsyaAllah ada rezeki we will meet again, eat together again, sleep together again, take picture byk2 lg and do things together because of Him insyaAllah. :)

After that writing down thingy, we perform our zohor prayer together and then is the session to salam2 and say goodbye before we went down for lunch. It was really nice to meet everyone. Although we were there for only like 48 hours but I feel close to everyone somehow. And then after that we have lunch downstairs. I ate on the same table with my usrah sister here Kak Faizah, and with Nik and Dz and their usrah sister Kak Ani. It's like kind of awkward and funny at the same time. Some mixture of the old usrah group and the new usrah group. Haha. I dunno how to say it but I suppose Dz and Nik will know what I mean. But that was our farewell lunch. And after that we have to say goodbye. Kak Ani and I got a surprise gift from Dz, a keychain with ISU logo on it. Aww.. thank you my dear ex-roommie. <3 :D But I won't forget your promise: "this is all for now but there's more to come!" hehe. I'm waiting for more. LOL. Just kidding. I don't need more, I only need you to be happy and to keep on fighting in this path. See you in Jannah Dz, insyaAllah like you wrote on my paper. :)

After that, I walk around the lake while waiting for our car with my fellow Purdue sisters. We take some pictures. They actually got a lake! How nice! I wish Purdue has one. Okay, Syira, stop it. Be thankful with what you have. Huhu. Anyway, then we headed back to Purdue. Well, not really. We went to Drake first to send Kak Atikah. And before that we stopped by at a mall in Des Moines for a short while. It was a beautiful mall and it was fun the time that I got to spend with the kakak2 Purdue, and then we sit down and just eat ice-creams. Just normal stuffs but I appreciate every second of it. I am so gonna miss them. This is the last semester for most of them and they will be graduating in May. I wish I can spend more time with these kind sisters but of course this is life and I need to be strong and learn to move on. :) And I need to learn as much as I can from them before they leave. Oh, and one sweet thing is.. hehe.. Kak Faizah my usrah sister saw me crying at Nik earlier and she said, "Syahirah, if you have anything don't keep it to yourself. Share with us." Oh.. although I feel embarrased that people had seen me crying.. haha.. but I dunno why I'm not embarrased now to tell it here to the whole world.. haha.. okay, anyway, it was sweet.. that's why if any of you readers have not join usrah, go ahead. I meant it. It's great to have kakak usrah coz they will worry for you although I was just crying ngada2 kot mse tu. Entahla sbenanya tak tau nape. Haha.But they will be willing to hear you anyway. And at the same time when you have your usrah group, friendship tu lg sweet and you can support one another. <3 Bestkan? :D

Okay, then after the mall, we send Kak Atikah back home, pray there and we continue our journey. Somehow the journey back feels much longer than the journey when we came to Iowa. Maybe because it was already night by then and we were so tired and sleepy. But I decided to stay awake to accompany Kak Maryam when she drive. I love accompanying people driving at night. I don't really know why but I love talking to these kakak2 when they drive at night maybe because I could talk to them personally and learn a lot from them while everyone else is sleeping. Hehe. :)

Okay, so it was already subuh when we arrived at Purdue. Alhamdulillah we have a safe journey back. It was a great program and I have learn a lot from it and also throughout the journey because we have done a lot of sharing along the way as well. Alhamdulillah, may this knowledge we gain could help us in our life till the end. I wish all Bubbletea Di Syurga members could have gone but time and distance does not allow some of us to be there. But it is okay, insyaAllah wherever we are we will always join any tarbiyyah that we can and we will keep on fighting in this path in our own ways. I miss my group but I know we each have our own responsibilities and obligations. May Allah SWT guide us always and may we see each other again, sit drinking the most delicious bubbletea ever in Jannah. I love you fillah Nik, Dz, Farah, Emi, Fatin. :)