We aspired to be women in the wilderness. Now we are.

Without action, values are only aspirations.

10 years in.

10 years of…

Book clubs and conversations about how to live fully,

Oracle cards, belly laughs, hidden talents,

Mary Oliver, meteor showers, wandering in the woods,

Paddling Minnesota lakes, tower hikes, 

Portaging, watching the seasons change,

Taking inspiration from animals, northern lights, 

Waking up to a foot of snow and shoveling out cars,

Snowshoeing, tending fires, saving lost dogs,

Singing, poetry, movement,

Caring for ourselves, listening,

Healing.

Taking up space.

10 years spent with women quietly holding the world together.

Together, these weekends help us move forward. 

Through grief, barriers, glass ceilings, heartache,

Through joy, milestones, and change.

We witness one another.

Remind one another of our own light,

Our own humor, 

Our own resilience and capability.

Others may not see it

Or understand

But it’s no matter

We know.

We have mirrored our inner landscape

To map the northwoods.

We’ve reclaimed our right to sisterhood.

Bonds bound in nature, steeped in sunshine,

Forged spontaneously.

We aspired to be the type of woman who had adventures in the wild North.

And we became exactly that.

With twigs in our hair

And wind in our heart 

We part, 

Until we meet again.