My name is Annabella Morenzie and I organise retreats.
My family is very large both on my mother’s and father’s side. However, it is only my mom’s brothers and their families and my dad’s eldest sister I really consider as my family. The extended I just consider as my relatives. I would very much like to have a family one day.
My early childhood from since I was a baby was in Malabar. In 1991, we relocated to Santa Rosa Heights, where I still reside with my parents.
During my first job in BWIA Duty Free in the airport, I became involved with the youth paper for Catholic News (Vision Magazine), where I was PRO. I did a pastoral communications diploma with the University of Dayton Ohio. In 2011, [after] a two-year course at the UWI Open Campus, I began my BA in mass communications at the College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago. God is giving me the strength to balance studies with work and family.
My spirituality is getting stronger slowly but surely. In 2009, just after my father retired, he took in with a heart attack and about a month or two after my dad came home from the hospital, I collapsed at work. The doctor at the hospital said it was a fainting spell, but I went for a second opinion by my family physician. After explaining the symptoms to him, he concluded I have epilepsy. This has not stopped me from living my everyday life. My spiritual strength from my parents has been strengthened by working in youth ministry.
After doing a retreat in October, the experience I had is undescribable, but I have no regrets and I do enjoy working with youths and young adults. Many young adults just want that person to sit and listen.
I have many favourite colours but my extremely favourite are purple and blue. Because I have been told it brings out my natural beauty even more.
For relaxation, I just surf the net. Or just sleep in my alone time. I get miserable when I lose a lot of sleep. What keeps me awake is if I have a lot of assignments to do and, knowing I am tired, it would worry me if I would finish to submit it in time.
The last good book I read was Fifty Shades of Grey. I do not think they are “bad” books.
The last good movie I saw was Heaven is for Real [which] basically showed that the only way God can be true is if you believe in him.
Being unfaithful is not the answer to whatever problems you are experiencing in your life.
I love to meet people and build that rapport with them.
A retreat is where you get that chance to go to a quiet place and become one with your inner self. It is not a Catholic concept because I am sure many religions have their own retreats in their way. All the retreats I have been to were all Catholic-based but, in the recent one I did, there were one or two non-Catholics. In past retreats I did, it was all narrowed down to self-identity.
The best part of organising retreats is that you get a chance to meet and interact with persons from all walks of life. I won't say there is a worst part but it is indeed a lot of hard work—which pays off in the end, based on the success of the retreats, which I would say have been successful thus far.
A Trini is hospitable, kind, generous and always willing to lend a helping hand.
To me, Trinidad and Tobago means a cosmopolitan nation living in harmony [surrounded by] sun, sea and sand. With good food.
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