Today, we are excited to introduce Brittany! Through several, you will be able to discover the incredible story that lies behind this woman.
1.Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
My name is Brittany, and I own a historic bed & breakfast that I run with my husband, Joel. We're located in Northern MI, in an area known as the Chain of Lakes. I also run a retreat business where we bring women from all walks of life on culinary adventures around the world.
2.Can you tell us about your women's retreat: what is its name, how did it all start, and where are you today?
My retreat business is called Wilder Departures.
Our retreats started in 2021, predominantly for women who had experienced some form of sexual exploitation or human trafficking. We summited mountains across the USA & Canada as the physical representation of the emotional "mountains" these women were climbing over the course of their individual healing journeys. We started branching out, hosting retreats for any women who were going through some kind of challenging season, and now we're more broad in our community, but the message is the same: Women can do hard things, and it's more fun to do them together, within a supportive community cheering us on.
We have about 40-50 women who join us on retreats every year in beautiful places, but my favorite retreat is definitely our Banff retreat. During our time together, we hike and paddle (or snowshoe/ice skate in the winter months). We focus on nutrition and the importance of what we're putting in our bodies, and how food impacts our mental health. This includes participating in cooking classes on our retreats. We also do art therapy together, breathwork, and encouragement sessions to lift one another up, and create a safe space for sharing.
3. Why did you choose Banff as the location to organize these retreats?
I grew up in Ottawa, and had the chance to vacation to Banff in the early 2000s with my family. I was 9 years old the first time we came to Banff, and it stole my heart immediately. I feel like I really spent the next decade dreaming of how to get back more frequently as an adult. When we started hosting retreats for survivors of sexual assault, I knew that the mountains of the Canadian Rockies were the perfect backdrop for our time together, and provided exactly what we needed to serve these women, and grow together. Now, I've been back nearly 8 times, and I've lead 6 retreats over the last 4 years to the Bow Valley. The people are so friendly, the businesses are incredibly welcoming, the trails and outdoor activities are unmatched, and it's just started to feel like my second home over the years that I get to invite new friends into. It's been such a gift.
4.How do you perceive the evolution of the healing process over time?
We have offered a wide range of teas on our retreats, and also serve them to guests who stay here at our Bed & Breakfast in Michigan. Here at the Inn, we typically serve Jolene's Masala Chai, Banff Breakfast, Alpine Peppermint & Wild Blueberry Rooibos.
On our retreats, we lean into herbal teas, and we love to put Alpine Peppermint and Chamomile in everyone's welcome bag for them to enjoy either during our time together, or when they're back home, as they serve as incredible healing agents for trauma survivors. We also have Daily Detox on hand during our retreats, as well as Immunitea for anyone who might come down with something while we're together. Cinnamon Plum is a personal favorite of mine, so we typically have that available throughout our time together, and at breakfast each morning.
6.Do you have an inspiring story from a past participant that you would like to share with us?
On one of our last retreats to Banff, we had a woman who was very intimidated by our hikes. She hadn't done much hiking previously, she was a survivor of human trafficking who had recently been rescued from her trafficker, and she was a little intimidated when we arrived at Lake Louise to complete the Teahouse Challenge from Lake Agnes to the Plain of Six Glaciers and back. She was toward the back of the group almost all the way to Lake Agnes, but our team pushed her and encouraged her all the way up, stopping for water breaks as needed, and reminding her that she absolutely could do this. As soon as we arrived at our first teahouse, her entire demeanor changed. She took one look at the scenery around her, and gave our team huge hugs through tears, thanking us for pushing her to do hard things. She had done it - made it farther than she thought she would. She was toward the beginning of the pack the rest of that hike. For the rest of the week, she leaned in hard: hiking, paddling, sharing vulnerably at our sessions. At the end of the week, she told us her favorite hike was our first one at Lake Agnes - where she went from feeling so defeated, stuck in debilitating fear, to realizing she could do hard things with new friends. She said she was excited for her next season of healing, knowing she's not alone. We connected her with a long-term mentor when we got home to keep checking in with her regularly, and now she joins us on some of our retreats as a support for women who are experiencing what she did: they're scared, overwhelmed, and don't think they can hike miles. She now acts as the caboose, hanging out at the back of the hiking group on our retreats to encourage and uplift those who need a little extra support.
It's been such a gift to watch women become like family on these retreats, lift one another up, and stay in touch long after the retreat is over.
- Brittany
