The cool water laps at the sides of our paddle board as my friend and I propel it forward, water swirling away from our paddles. In the distance we hear the faint laughter of the other girls on the dock. It seems to be a recurring problem to have one of the boats get loose and to have to retrieve it by a series of calculated moves by multiple people, or by simply paddling out with another boat to drag it back, but that adds to the fun. Everything is perfect. This is just the weekend we needed to bond with each other while relaxing.

After paddling back to shore, we drive to the lodge to set up our beds and listen to a talk on how we view ourselves as women and how to keep a healthy mentality by the things we tell ourselves.

Now it’s time to dress up! So many different hats and colors to take pictures in, why not have a photo shoot? We feel like ladies from another time as we sip our tea and take delicate bites of our scones and tea sandwiches. Small talk or real talk, it doesn’t matter. We’re just enjoying being together. The serious play done, we proceed to put on goofy skin-rejuvenating face masks. These face masks help us appreciate who we are when we don’t look our best, Mrs. Nelson tells us during worship.

In the morning we awake after a long and restful night to pack up and get creative. Fall shapes get splashed with colorful paint–these will serve as reminders of the wonderful memories we made together.

~ Rachel C. and Maleah M.