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The Kumbaya Connection for Grown-Ups
Digital Detox isn’t the only organization offering camp for adults, which seems to be an increasingly popular American summer pastime. Below, four retreats that bring grown-ups together, often requiring them to disconnect from technology that dominates their lives.
Camp
S’mores, wake-up calls by bugle and same-sex bunk beds: Camp (theuniquecamp.com) might be as close to the summer camp archetype as an adult can get. But it’s not all stencil printing and frigid swims. The 100 or so attendees sign up for workshops like Conflict Management and Interpersonal Wizardry, and Pinterest Marketing 101. “I wanted it to be the coolest, most awesome, nonbusiness conference ever,” said Sonja Rasula, the founder. Although many campers engage in social media professionally, posting at Camp is forbidden. “We checked their cellphones,” Ms. Rasula said, referring to the first Camp, which took place in Big Bear Lake, Calif., in early June. “There was no e-mail, Instagramming or tweeting. That’s when people want to show off, ‘Oh, I’m unplugging.’ ” $1,200 for four days and three nights
Under 30 Experiences
This year-old self-titled “experience company” (under30experiences.com) creates (or “curates,” as they put it) international trips for 20 to 30 young professionals that offer R-and-R and intellectual stimulation: a getaway to Nicaragua may include surf lessons and, back on land, a lesson in microfinance. “This is for people who really want to break out of their comfort zone and see something new and connect with other ambitious young people,” said Matt Wilson, a founder. Despite the name, those who have passed the three-decade mark are welcome. “It’s not age-restrictive at all,” said Mr. Wilson, 27. “As long as people are awesome and good to travel with for five days.” (In addition, the company’s Web site stipulates “no divas, egos or complainers.”) $1,200 for five days and four nights, plus airfare
Life of Yes Retreats
The founder, Saya Hillman, 34, sought to recreate that blank-slate feeling of her first day at Boston College. “After college, there are not a lot of opportunities for adults to meet people and experience self-discovery in fun, non-awkward ways,” she said. Her weekend retreats (macncheeseproductions.com/retreats), which take place in small towns around the Midwest, combine camp staples like art projects with comfort-zone-pushing activities such as improv. Life of Yes gatherings are smaller than others, usually 10 people, and attendees range in age from 20 to 50-something. Besides confiscating cellphones, Ms. Hillman mandates that everyone come solo without previously knowing any other campers. “It levels the playing field,” she said. “You’re not going to be with your friends who know you as an extrovert or a class clown or whatever.” $425 for two nights, typically beginning on Friday, and two days
Restart
Less like Camp Anawanna and more like Malibu’s Promises, Restart (netaddictionrecovery.com) is a recovery center for people addicted to technology. Most clients are men in their late teens and 20s whose online gaming habits have led them to fail high school or college, said Hilarie Cash, 60, a founder, who worked as a therapist before opening Restart in Fall City, Wash. Participants undergo a minimum 45-day unplug and work on a plan for how they can responsibly use technology. Ms. Cash is considering offering a shorter, less intensive option. “The population we’d love to do that for is the parents,” she said. “Many of the parents of these young adults are themselves spending too much time online.” $18,500
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