If there is one thing we have been missing in the last years, it is social interaction. How important these can be for a working group, we were able to see in this year's institute retreat, which could finally take place in presence again after a break of two years. As location we had chosen the old village school of Stolzenberg, where we got in the mood for the coming days with a short hike to Schlossburg and an adapted Bergisch coffee table. On the following days, there was a lavish program with excellently prepared research presentations by the doctoral students, interesting insights from the "executive floor" and group discussions that surely will have a lasting effect. It became immediately clear how much more effective such an exchange is under eye contact instead of via webcam. Despite a few hours in the seminar room, there was still enough time to talk extensively with colleagues, play board games ("KATZE ... BROKKOLI .. AHORNBLATT") or compete in Mario Kart in cinema format. Of course, in the evening there was also a barbecue and a toast with a drink or two. The two group games, in which we had to guess IBOC-specific terms in teams and guide each other through a small course blindfolded, will also remain unforgettable - here, of course, our special thanks goes to the Orga team, consisting of Mona, Sebastian and Marcel, who really did a great job of organizing both the games and everything else for us. Personally, I found the four days really nice and I suspect that the rest feels the same way. :)
