Women Loving Life Transitions:
A Reunion is a Retreat & You Never Know The Magic That Can Happen
You can grow, follow your instincts, get healthy and run a successful business.
Spoiler alert: This is a positive story.
Jennifer Schelter and Sarah Webb (Class of 1988) met their freshmen year at Connecticut College. “We said, Hi! in the dining hall and nodded to each other at parties,“ said Jennifer.
“Friendly, but not friends, per say,” offered Sarah.
But all that changed in 2018, when both decided to attend their 30th Connecticut College reunion. “We simply happened to sit next to each other and va-voom…we dove into a profound conversation the synchronicity of our lives unfolded,” said Jennifer.
Sarah and Jennifer discovered since graduation, they both completed MFAs in the theatrical and visual arts. Equally, they shared professional lives emphasized life coaching, yoga, writing and meditation retreats.
In February 2019, while driving home from facilitating the Women's Radiant Retreat at the Lodge at Woodloch, Schelter’s gut feeling and intuition said, "Ask Sarah if she'd be interested in assisting on the remarkable Radiant Retreat in Tulum, Mexico. Being the 13th year of the retreat, Jennifer acknowledged her desire to collaborate and took a leap. Despite never working together, she called Sarah. Without hesitation, she said, “Yes.”
While at the Radiant Retreat in Tulum we consciously, we created a sheltering space in which our students felt seen and valued whether it was their first, or their 6th retreat. We discovered that our voices complemented each other and served in new and excellent ways. We listened and trusted one another completely, and in the process the retreaters did the same,” said Sarah.
After the success of the retreat, Sarah and Jennifer committed to developing a partnership, offering a series of retreats emphasizing self-acceptance, writing, meditation, re-invention, goal setting and yoga.
If you had asked either one, “Why are you attending the reunion?” it was not because they were searching for a new career, or business opportunity. They went to celebrate the years past and get to know their fellow classmates anew. They went to listen and share stories, the bitter and the sweet, how they had grown, and were still growing. They went with respect to where they had begun their young adult lives. Through each other's presence and conversation, Sarah and Jennifer came away re-inspired, and re-educated by getting to know themselves through each other.
Over the coming year, they expanded the business of retreats to uniquely reflects their own belief in the power of intuition, vulnerability, honest communication, trust, and a leap of faith. They hope to contribute to others paths by creating spaces of inspiration, safety, trust, reflection, and self-acceptance. All this from sitting side by side at a 30th reunion!
“I’ve been in that stuck place before,” said Jennifer. “Sarah and I simply love to offer practices and trainings that help us all find peace and begin again.”
“Through our awareness we can meet new friends, develop a new sense of love and acceptance for the beauty of our lives,” said Sarah.
Two Connecticut College classmates are making a difference and never expected to need to meet and re-energize with the connection of love and kindness.
They invite you to join them on the Radiant Retreat (Tulum, Mexico and Mohegan Island, Maine).
for information, visit their websites:
tobejustsew.com jenniferschelter.com
reprinted from CC Magazine, fall 2019