FAQ | Retreat of TBD

Where is retreat?

Our Retreat location tends to change from year to year. For TBD 5 (2025), we gathered at The Big House Lodge, 751 Big House Road, Cle Elum, Washington 98922

Is there a Facebook event?

Yes! For TBD 5 the event is here

Who’s organized TBD 5 (2025)?

Your TBD 5 organizing team was Blaze Creature, Jeremy Lightsmith, Laura Coon, Lindsay Christensen, Milan Prince, Samara Lerman and Valkyrie JS.

Are kids welcome?

Yes! We would love for your kids to come. They can even offer and attend sessions (although some sessions might not be open to young’uns). We’ll co-create norms around kid participation, interaction with others, adult-only times and spaces, and whatever else is relevant. Parents – feel free to reach out to Jeremy (organizer bringing a 3-year-old and 11-year-old) if you have questions or ideas.

What is the covid / health policy?

Our full health & wellness policy can be found here

If I have an ongoing symptom, but have been cleared by a doctor, am I still able to attend?

If an attendee (of any age) has chronic symptoms prior to Retreat that a doctor has evaluated and declared not contagious, they are welcome to attend. As with all other attendees, if symptoms change/worsen, we are asking that they depart.

How did the organizing team addressed community feedback in shaping the health and wellness policy for TBD 5?

We are doing the following to address a variety of concerns and questions brought up by the community:

Moving outside the winter months - we have a May date in hopes of getting more distance from cold and flu season, as well as the part of the year that also carries the highest COVID rates. We also have chosen a venue that allows for a lot more outdoor sessions and play, which hopefully can offer opportunities for those who do choose to mask indoors to be able to engage unmasked if they’re comfortable.
Consistent + visible daily testing - We are addressing the ways in which people were impacted by a lack of follow-through on daily testing by asking for a “Morning Rapid Test Fairy” volunteer. This attendee will hold the responsibility of assuring that attendees have tested prior to joining breakfast or morning news. We hope people will budget the time necessary to test before each day starts by setting this expectation clearly and holding this boundary each day.
Accessibility coordinator - Blaze will be acting as our Accessibility Coordinator for the event this year to provide a beacon for those who need support or needs addressed prior to and during Retreat. Blaze will also be in contact with registered parents prior to Retreat to coordinate potential avenues of support.

### What is your return policy?

We are able to offer refunds if you are unable to attend Retreat due to illness. We are also very happy to transfer your ticket to someone else if you find someone to transfer it to. We will do our best to help you find someone for your ticket on the waitlist but cannot guarantee a taker, especially closer to the event.

How do invites work?

TBD retreats are special in part because of their closed, invite-only model. Events are shared only by word of mouth and within private channels—please don’t publicize them.

Who can invite?

Alumni (past attendees): If you’ve attended a TBD retreat, you can invite others. Invitations must be personal and direct—let your invitee know why you’re excited for them to join. If they accept, help them join our communication channels (e.g., Facebook, Discord). You don’t need to attend their first event.
First-time invitees: If you’ve been invited but haven’t attended yet, and feel called to invite someone into the space - we encourage you to reach out to the person who invited you to see if they are willing to invite and hold space for them.

Inviter Responsibilities

Be your invitee’s first point of contact, help them understand what to expect, and guide them through registration. Participate in an accountability process, if needed, for your invitee at their first event.

Why this way?

TBD events thrive on trust and connection. Every attendee is personally invited, creating a safe(r) environment where we can lean into our vulnerability, address our mistakes, and take responsibility for ourselves and each other. We encourage you to invite trustworthy, fun, and values-aligned people, trusting your judgment to maintain the integrity of our community.

If I’m attending MFC before TBD 5, should I assume that counts as a COVID exposure?

If there are reported/known covid cases post-MFC, then anyone attending MFC will need to take a NAAT or PCR test on Friday 5/23, 5 days post-exposure. In this case, you’d take a rapid test on Wed 5/21 and then a NAAT/PCR test on Friday, to complete your pre-event testing. For those who are able, we’d love for you to treat MFC or any other large, indoor+unmasked event as a covid exposure, regardless of official post-event reporting.

Note: Taking a NAAT or PCR test anytime on Friday satisfies your Friday pre-event testing; no need to also take a rapid test within 4 hours of arrival.

The organizer team is making tests available for any attendee with a covid exposure in the week prior to the event - coordinate a time with David if this is the case for you.

More questions? Feel free to reach out to retreatoftbd@gmail.com