Winter Camp 2025: Day in The Life

Dear Diary,
This morning I woke up at 5:30 for Tahajjud, and honestly it was a whole mess. Someone was running late, everyone needed the bathroom at the same time, and the entire cabin felt like chaos. The walk to Fajr was freezing and still pitch black, thank God I brought a jacket. I prayed Tahajjud, made dua, prayed Fajr in jama’ah, did adhkar afterward, and then went right back to sleep.
A few hours later I woke up and started getting ready, which took way longer than it should have. Everyone somehow needed the bathroom again at the exact same moment, and I couldn’t find half my clothes, so the whole morning felt rushed. I ended up late to breakfast and had to eat really fast because the workshop was about to start.

The workshop was a debate, and it was actually really fun. Some groups didn’t take it seriously at all and basically turned their debate into a comedy skit, while others treated it like a full-on courtroom battle. The different styles honestly made it way more entertaining and kept everyone engaged. The workshop lasted around two hours, and by the end, everyone was either laughing or still arguing their points.

After a short break, we went straight into a lecture. The lecture was really good and kept my attention, especially because it focused on honesty and why it’s so important in our everyday lives. It made me reflect a lot, but by that point, I was honestly really looking forward to REC time.

REC time was so fun, we did archery, and I was better at it than I thought I’d be. The walk to the archery area was definitely a walk, but once we got there it was totally worth it. Everyone was laughing, cheering each other on, and trying to hit the target.
After that, we had lunch, it was chicken and rice, and the food was actually pretty good. Then we prayed, did adhkar, and read the Qur’an, with everyone taking turns reading. Reading the Qur’an was really calming and peaceful, especially after such a busy morning.

We had another lecture afterward, and it was about having confidence in the deen. Then, out of nowhere, the camp committee started chant competitions, which instantly brought everyone’s energy back up, including mine.

By the time it was Maghrib, we prayed, ate dinner, and then went back to the cabins to hang out. That part was honestly so nice and relaxing. I love being in an environment where no one judges you and everyone feels safe opening up and being themselves.
Later, it was time for Isha. After praying, we went outside and had a really deep talk. It got emotional, and a lot of us had tears in our eyes. Afterward, a few of us laid outside, stared at the stars, and just talked about life. The sky was so clear, and the night felt peaceful. We didn’t stay up the whole night, but we definitely stayed up pretty late.

Alhamdulillah for everything. I’m really grateful I got to experience this, and I already miss it.