relax Archives » Be Wholly

A few weekends ago, my friend Whitney and I went to a Women’s Retreat (which we playfully nicknamed Jesus Camp)

She grew up spending weeks at Lake Ann Camp during the summer. This was my first experience.

When she asked me to go, my mouth said “yes” but my head said “no.” I searched the calendar secretly hoping I would be busy. But this weekend, nothing. Crap.

I was excited and reluctant all at the same time.

I had a month or so to prep (worry) about it.

Before I knew it, the weekend was here. The anxiety started creeping in Friday morning and by the drive there, it was full force. My fitbit actually recorded a full day worth of fat burn heart rate, even though we spent most of the day in the car.

How stupid am I? Schedule a weekend away to relax and get refreshed, then stress about it and make it the exact opposite!

Despite the anticipation and anxiety, I was quickly reassured by the beauty of this place!

The entrance has a cute sign and the prettiest tree lined drive, which sadly I did not get a picture of. (Think beginning of the wedding shower scene of Bridesmaids, without the lemonade) haha

Upon check in at the welcome center, my anxiety started to ease up a little. We unpacked in the cabin and went exploring. The lake was so peaceful and very quiet.

There were so many cute, random places to sit.

Friday night we had dinner and a session with the speaker, Shannon Popkin, about her book on giving up control to God. This is something I really struggle with, so it was the perfect message for me to hear! And the chapel was beautiful.

There were a lot of fun activities. We did a high ropes course which was absolutely terrifying but fun. I had a slight internal panic attack during instruction, and even though I was scared out of my mind, I did the quick jump (kind of like a bungie jump) I was the first one of our group to do it, which is a HUGE milestone for me. I like to see things before I do them! You stand at the edge of the platform and just step off. Just take a step. Um what? I wish I could have taken a picture from the top. It was terrifying. But I did it!! Whitney chose a different course than I did.

Here is a photo of her in the cocooon of death which you wouldn’t catch my clautrophobic butt anyway near!!

During free time Saturday we went into Traverse City and stopped at a winery on the way. It had gorgeous views and was set up for a wedding that afternoon. Awe. We did some wine tasting, then went shopping and got some of the most delicious fro-yo I have ever tasted.

The weather was perfect, the scenery was great, and we had an awesome time!

If I had to do it over again, I would!

Likes:

VERY peaceful, quiet, and beautiful.

A variety of fun activities and free time to do what you want

24/7 access to coffee/tea (fellow caffeine addicts will understand)

Dislikes:

Sharing a cabin/bathroom with strangers

The moral of the story? Years ago you would not have caught me dead at something like this! But at this point in my life, it was the perfect getaway at the perfect time. And the topic was on point for me. The whole experience made me realize I have come a long way, yet still have a long way to go. Gotta step out of your comfort zone to grow!

I’m not a huge morning person. My life has forced me to rise early, but it’s often with grumbles and complaints.

We spend a lot of weekends camping, especially during softball season. So my early mornings don’t get a weekend off.

This weekend I decided to take advantage of my obnoxious internal alarm, and get up. Instead of laying in bed and scrolling aimlessly through my phone, I decided to go for a walk and get some exercise.

6:02am. Just me and the spirit, I soon discovered.

Most of the time, I’m so mentally distracted that I don’t get a chance to just be present in my current situation. This walk was different. Just about everyone in the campground was still sleeping or hadn’t emerged from their home on wheels. It was so quiet, except for 2 things.

The birds.

The chirping birds were deafening! I had music playing at a very low volume and it was soon drown out by the birds. Have you ever stopped to listen? Such a unique and pretty sound.

Air conditioners.

This might seem like a useless detail but the high today is expected to be 92 with crazy high humidity levels. Air conditioning is a blessing anytime, but especially today! Even our homes on wheels are designed to keep us cool. We’re so spoiled.

Not the best picture quality but this is the first thing I see on my walk. We have camped here before and I remember seeing this. Quite the windshield cover! Most are just black and boring, but this is a windshield cover with a purpose!

Heart shaped leaves! Normally I would not notice or just step on them. Today I noticed and brought one back for my family that was still snoring when I returned.