Why Women-Only Travel?
I remember in 1986 when Greg Hind from Hind clothing asked me to help him develop his “For Women’s Only” brand of clothing. I was a professional triathlete at the time and knew about training and racing, but I was a little shy about my opinions about clothing because sponsors always gave clothing to me (no shopping required).
At that time there was nothing for Women Only. We had to race and train in men’s ugly clothing that was mostly navy blue. I always knew that women desperately needed clothing in which they could feel good, look good and survive the elements.
I helped Hind become one of the pioneers in Women’s Only clothing. And we have come a long way BABY!! The confidence and joy from creating clothing that women felt good in inspired me to create adventure retreats where women could get the same feelings of empowerment and feeling good just by being together and having fun.
After 27 years of leading Women’s Quest transformational travel retreats around the world I would say I am passionate about connecting and guiding women. I have come to understand how profound and life changing traveling with a small group of like-minded women can be.
Here are some of the reasons:
#1 Comfort
This is the first word that pops into my head because when Women travel with Women they can relax and just be themselves, without needing to prove anything or take care of anyone. They finally get the time and space to re-kindle their own inner kid. There is no pressure to compete with each other because there are no approvals necessary or finish lines. We all understand each other and support each other’s dreams and desires. You get to wear anything you want, do whatever you want and do it at your own pace with lots of new friends all in a supportive environment.
#2 Community, Camaraderie and Life Long Friendships
Women that attend Women’s Quest often say to me, “I have found my tribe, where have you guys been all my life”. It is so funny how women come alone and leave with 20 new best friends for life.
We have had groups since the beginning of WQ, 1993 (before the internet) who have stayed together, celebrated together and helped each other through all kinds of hardships. We have a great Women’s Quest online community now to help women keep in touch, support each other and share stories.
#3 Challenge by Choice
Another favorite part of the retreats is that many times women are trying something new for the first time. My friend Sally Edwards used to say, “When was the last time you did something for the first time”? Women’s Quest is the chance to get out of the box, build confidence, and try something new in a supportive environment with professional guidance.
Our staff is comprised of many World Class and Olympic athletes and our greatest accomplishments at the end of a retreat is that we were able to inspire and teach someone about cycling, hiking or surfing (all while having a BLAST!)
The beauty of inspiring someone or helping them learn new skills, nutritional and wellness habits is that they will have these skills for life and it ALWAYS carries over into other areas of their lives..
It is our new way of getting Gold Medals.
#4 FEMALE FUN
Something magical happens when women gather with women. I think it is this hormone that women release which is Oxytocin, or the hugging hormone, which plays a big role in bonding.
Women just want to have fun, connect, and enjoy the precious time they have for vacation without needing to organize it.
They want a more active, meaningful experience with inquisitive and interesting women.
It may be a cooking class in Tuscany, shopping in Siena, horse riding in Iceland, visiting shamans in the remote areas of Peru or surfing in Costa Rica. Women just want to have FUN!