3 More Weeks!!

hard to believe after all this time planning and anticipating that it is just 3 more weeks till the fall retreat!!  just like with the spring retreat, there was a time when i had a lot of doubts, when i thought it was not going to come together - when there were not enough participants to make it happen.  i had put so much time and effort into it and i felt that it was crashing down around me.

i'm learning to trust.... (slowly it seems...)  i'm now completely convinced that the group of 7 brave and beautiful souls signed up for the retreat is the perfect mix.  women of different ages and backgrounds, different talents and life journeys.  i just know that it's going to be amazing!

                                          

after the heat we have been having here in southern ca, i'm loving posting these very fall-like pics taken last year up on mt. palomar.  there is certainly a good chance for lovely fall weather, but i have to remind myself that there is always a risk when heading up into the mountains.  it could rain or - gulp -snow!  things may not go exactly as planned and that's ok.

at the last retreat, when we drove out to to the site of our morning hike, we discovered that, unbeknownst to us, it was turkey-hunting season. yikes - hunters! with guns! this was not in the plans!

i had to change the hiking destination at the last minute.  here is carolyn making the best of the situation and posing with one of the poor captured turkeys!  (not my thing at all!) so, my point is, it won't be perfect.  nothing ever is.  but it's going to be great.  i can feel it in my bones!!  can't wait!!

It's About the People!

i was having a conversation last night with some friends, one of whom was one of my former retreaters.  this was her comment: "although i loved the setting, the hiking and doing the collage, the very best part of the retreat was the people".  i couldn't have said it better - it is SO MUCH about the people!  i can pick a beautiful setting, plan stimulating activites and discussion topics, choose a delicious menu, but at some point, it is all out of my hands. 

the magic that happens at a retreat happens because of the connections.  and when you bring people together that are open and want to learn from each other, there is a pretty strong guarantee that this magic will unfold! once that spark is ignited, there is no telling where it will lead. we will grow in new ways that we couldn't even possibly anticipate.

so i'm excited!  now that i have a group in place, i'm ready to start planning the details of the october retreat and putting together my little "curriculum" (yes, i'm still influenced by all those years of teaching, but this is much more fun!)