Opening (purpose + founder voice)
I started Wild Within because modern life keeps asking women to speed up, fragment, and perform. Alaska taught me the opposite rhythm—the one where tide and light set the pace, where a cup of tea can be a ceremony, and where a camera becomes a way of paying attention, not proof of productivity. Wild Within exists as a counter-space: a small, quiet circle where we practice being whole again. We move, breathe, write, and make images not to produce something impressive, but to remember the person we already are.
As a founder, my intention is simple: to build the kind of weekend I’ve always needed but rarely found—safe, spacious, beautiful, and grounded in nature. I’m offering structure without pressure, community without comparison, and creativity without the hustle. When women gather in a place like this, our nervous systems soften, our senses sharpen, and our inner compass gets louder. That’s the work here—and the gift we carry home.
What the pilot Weekend Was About
The Wild Within pilot gathered a small circle on Lena Beach to slow down, breathe, move, and see Alaska with new eyes. Over three days we layered yoga, guided journaling, mindful photo walks, shared meals, and fireside reflection—simple practices designed to restore attention and reconnect us to nature (and ourselves).
The House & the Space
A light-filled waterfront home became our nest: big windows facing the water and mountains, a crackling firepit for twilight circles, a long table for abundant shared meals, and stair lights guiding us back up through the trees at night. Indoors stayed warm and calm; outside was pure Alaska—tide flats, river stones, and glacier views a short drive away.
Culinary Heartbeat | Local Juneau Chef
Our culinary heartbeat came from local chef Shawnda O’Brien, who nourished us with the kind of care you can taste. She built every meal around comfort and seasonality—think crisp salads and bright veggies at lunch, golden-hour grazing boards, and warm, generous dinners that invited lingering conversation. From bacon-wrapped scallops to soulful Italian dishes, everything arrived family-style so the table felt like a gathering, not a service.
Shawnda also held space for details—dietary tweaks without fuss, hot plates timed to our schedule, and little surprises that made us feel seen. We paired meals with simple tea rituals and kept the atmosphere unhurried: candles at dinner, the sound of the tide in the background, and seconds always encouraged. It wasn’t just food; it was hospitality that grounded the weekend and helped everyone exhale.
Reconnecting with Nature | Photo Journal Prompts
One of the best received activities of the weekend was the Photo Journal prompts:
At Eagle Beach the weather showed up flawless—glass-blue water, tide whisper, soft sun—and the photo journaling prompts became everyone’s favorite moment of the weekend. We treated the camera like a notebook and the notebook like a camera: three textures, one quiet frame, leading lines to what matters, negative space for what you’re letting go, a motion-blur of something alive, and a simple self-portrait in nature (feet in the sand, shadow on the stones, reflection in the tide pool). Between frames we paused to jot sensory notes—sound, temperature, color, emotion—so images had words to anchor them.
The shift was immediate. Instead of “taking pictures,” the women felt taken in by the place. The prompts slowed our breathing, sharpened our senses, and turned the shoreline into a conversation partner. Later, their pages held small, luminous observations—pebble constellations, the hush between waves, a gull’s arc across the horizon—and their photos felt truer because they were made from presence, not pressure. It was connection, not performance—and it changed how they’ll see nature (and themselves) long after Eagle Beach.
Weekend Agenda (What We Actually Did)
Here’s an overview of how the weekend was laid out:
Friday
2:00–4:00 PM | Arrivals
Tea welcome station + choose-your-journal table; quiet music and ocean air.4:00–4:30 PM | Welcome Circle + Grounding Journal
Intention-setting and an optional card pull.4:30–5:30 PM | Tea/Happy Hour
A simple 2-minute tea ritual we repeated all weekend.6:00 PM | Dinner
7:00 PM | Fire + Journaling
“Arrival Integration”—one line share from each person.9:00 PM | Quiet Hours
Saturday
8:00 AM | Breakfast + Journaling
9:00–10:00 AM | Yoga with Kassie
Gentle flow to open hips, hamstrings, breath.10:30 AM–12:30 PM | Hike + Photo Prompts
Snack on trail, bear-aware spacing/voice. Prompts: textures, negative space, “one quiet frame.”1:00 PM | Lunch
1:30–3:00 PM | Rest & Optional 1:1 Creative Coaching
15-min slots (2–4 people) for story ideas or editing feedback.3:00–4:30 PM | Creative Exploratory at Boy Scout Beach
Story beats: leading lines, minimalism, motion blur, and a self-portrait in nature.4:30–6:00 PM | Free Time
Hot showers, warm-up, card download & cull.7:00 PM | Fire + Journaling
“Rose–Thorn–Bud” share (best/hard/next).9:00 PM | Quiet Hours
Sunday
8:00 AM | Breakfast + Journaling
9:00 AM | Closing Circle (20–30 min)
“What I’m taking home” + group photo.~11:00 AM | Good-byes & airport buffer
What Worked (and What We’ll Tweak)
Worked: unhurried mornings, small circle intimacy, simple tea ritual, fireside shares, creative prompts that reduced “gear headspace.”
Next time: Add printed prompt cards, block a full 30 minutes for the Closing Circle and incorporate photography (my passion) even more into the agenda.
Packing List (October in Coastal Alaska)
Waterproof shell (jacket + optional rain pants)
Insulating mid-layer (fleece or light puffy)
Wool/synthetic base layers; warm hat + gloves
Hiking boots with tread; extra wool socks
Daypack with water bottle/thermos, snacks, phone power bank
Quick-dry towel or small sit-pad for damp logs/rocks
Personal journal + pen; camera/phone + SD cards
Headlamp (dark walks to/from the beach)
Optional: trekking poles; hand warmers
Respectful wildlife distance + “bear aware” mindset (locals will brief)
sample Journal Prompts We Used
Arrival (Friday):
“What drew me here now?”
“Where in my body do I feel arrival?”
“A boundary I’m keeping this weekend…”
Morning (Sat/Sun):
“If I moved 10% slower today…”
“What does my attention want to rest on?”
“A micro-ritual I’ll repeat at home…”
On the Trail / Beach:
“A sound, a texture, a color—describe each as if to a friend far away.”
“Where is the simplest frame that tells a true story?”
Fireside (Sat): Rose–Thorn–Bud (best/hard/next).
Closing (Sun): “What I’m taking home and how I’ll protect it next week.”
Closing (integration + invitation)
The pilot confirmed what I’ve believed for years: rest and wonder are not luxuries; they’re fuel. In two and a half days, the group shifted from “doing” to “being”—and from there, the good work flowed effortlessly: clearer words on the page, kinder self-talk, truer photographs, easier breath. Wild Within isn’t a retreat you check off; it’s a pattern you can keep—tea rituals, slower mornings, small walks, honest pages—so your life feels more like yours.
If this resonates, I’d love to welcome you into a future circle. Add your name to the interest list, share it with a friend you’d want beside the fire, and start protecting one small ritual this week. The wild isn’t somewhere distant; it’s the part of you that knows how to come home.
