Women Who Can’t Not: The Woman Who Came For Camp And Found Connection

Katie Doyle signed up for the Camp Retreat expecting a fun few days in the woods, some outdoor adventures, and the chance to meet a few new women. What she didn’t expect was to leave with a new sense of connection, a group of women she could depend on, and a reminder that the things we’re afraid to do are often not nearly as hard as we imagine.

What made you decide to book the retreat?

Charlotte: What inspired you to sign up for the first Camp Retreat?

Katie: I’m always game to try new things. I think it’s really fun to experience new things, and I was excited about the vision for The Camp Retreat getting a bunch of women together to do cool activities in nature and get to know a bunch of new people. That’s really what inspired me to go on the first Camp Retreat.

Charlotte: And what inspired you to join for the second Camp Retreat?

Katie: Honestly, the first Camp Retreat really exceeded my expectations. I was just expecting to have a really nice, fun couple of days in the woods and meet some nice women.

But it really exceeded my expectations.

First of all, having a chef cook these incredible meals for us really kind of blew my mind. I do all the cooking in my house because I love good food and I want to eat really well. So having someone who is a far better chef than I am, who appreciates good food and great meals the way I do, cook for us every day was such a delight.

I also just didn’t expect to meet so many women who I didn’t know, who I bonded with so quickly and felt like I had known for a long time.

It was just really easy to be around these women. And then all the really fun little surprise-and-delight experiences that I wasn’t anticipating—all of that just made it better than I expected, for sure.

What were you nervous about before arriving?

Charlotte: If you think back to the first one or the second one, did you have any fears or hesitations going into the weekend?

Katie: I guess my only fear, maybe the first time, was: Are these people going to be people that I enjoy spending time with? We’re together for three days. If I don’t really enjoy spending time with them, this is going to be kind of a long three days.

But very quickly, my fears went out the window when I met these women.

The second time, maybe I was a little bit concerned about the accommodations. The first time I had a very large tent with a big inflatable air mattress. I like to be comfortable, not going to lie. The second time I had a much smaller tent and a tiny little inflatable, and I didn’t think I would be as comfortable.

And to be fair, I was not.But what was so cool about my accommodations this time is that the tent I was in had netting all across the top, and most of the sides were all netting. So I got to have this like star bath every night when I went to sleep.

So, yeah, I think those were my only fears. But everything worked out just fine.

Charlotte: Did you have any personal goals going into either of the weekends?

Katie: I guess my only goal is I feel like my life has become a little bit... I don’t know what the word is. My social circle has gotten smaller.

I feel like I spend time with the same people over and over again, and I wanted to challenge myself to actually get to know new people and hopefully meet some people that I could bring in and make part of my friend group.

So one of the things I was really focused on was trying to get to know the women who were there. And I think I did that successfully.

Everyone I met, without exception, I would be delighted to see again. But a few of the women I met, I know we will stay in touch, and hopefully we will become friends or sustain a longer-term friendship.

What surprised you once you got there?

Charlotte: What was your first experience like when you first arrived, maybe that first night?

Katie: I think the first thing that struck me is you kind of arrive and you have to pick your camp spot, and it feels a little bit uncertain. Where should I go? How do I get this tent set up?

And right away, the women who were already there kind of helped me figure out where to go and offered to help set up the tent.

So it’s just immediately a very welcoming, warm environment.

And then we all gather for dinner, which is such a great way to bond with people. And then we play the name game, which is a great way to get to know people in a really fun and hugely non-threatening way.

You have a few good laughs, and by the end of the night, I don’t know, you just feel like you’re all in it together. You’re all there for each other.

I felt almost like going to sleep that first night like I had this new set of people that I could depend on if I needed them.

It was a really cool feeling.

Charlotte: Thinking about the whole weekend, what were some of your favorite moments?

Katie: I think a couple of my favorite experiences were a mix of the planned activities and the unplanned downtime.

I really loved our survival expert, our survivalist who came to visit us, Woniya. She really inspired me. She is such a badass. What a cool woman.

She knows how to live off plants and forage for animals and survive for weeks in the wilderness. I was really inspired by her.

So I thought that was really fun—to kind of learn about a brand new way to approach a brand new lifestyle. I had never even considered living completely off the land.

But equally, I think just sitting around the campfire or sitting around and playing games with people in the hour between our last activity and the next meal—those downtimes when we just chat—I really enjoyed those as well.

I feel like people are just pretty real, and you learn a lot about each other and you have some good laughs.

Charlotte: Were there any moments that surprised you?

Katie: There are a lot of moments that surprised me.

There are the planned moments of surprise. It’s really fun to have all of the curated gifts from the sponsors. Some of them are super cool things.

I absolutely love the little fanny pack bag that we got that’s made out of recycled or upcycled ski clothing. That is so cool. I’m using that lip balm all the time.

Like, those things are really fun and special.

And I think some of the other surprises are just how fun some of the activities are.

This year we went to the Emerald Pools, which is a beautiful spot. Even the hike in is beautiful. We had a fun little ride over there together and a fun little hike in, and the water is so cold. It was such an adventure to dive into it.

There are a lot of little moments of surprise and little surprising experiences that you weren’t anticipating having that proved to be memorable.

Charlotte: You had a life lesson at Emerald Pools. Do you want to share?

Katie: You know what? I did have a life lesson at Emerald Pools.

I am a person who’s terrified of cold water. I do not enjoy it at all. I dip my toes into Lake Tahoe even though I live pretty nearby.

So I’m terrified of cold water, but I just decided it was a really hot day when we were at Emerald Pools. And I decided that I was just going to dive in.

And I was diving in because I knew it was going to be hard and I just wanted to kind of get it over with.

And I dove in. It’s shocking at first. And then, you know, 10 seconds, 15 seconds later, you feel great and you’re enjoying yourself.

The lesson I got was that most hard things are not nearly as hard as you think they are. Which is absolutely true. It’s been true over and over again in my life.

You build something up as being really, really difficult, then you do it, and it’s actually not nearly as hard as you thought.

Charlotte: What do you think is the magic of the retreat?

Katie: I guess one of the things that really has stuck with me after the second retreat is that I think this is the magic of the retreat for me: You get together this group of women who have largely never met each other, and who come from really different places and different life experiences and different circumstances.

These are not a bunch of Bay Area tech women. These are people who’ve had really different experiences than I’ve had. And yet you figure out so quickly that you have so much in common.

That, to me, is... I don’t know. It gives you a lot of confidence in humanity at a time when I think we’re all struggling with a lot of stuff that’s going on in the world.

Like, at the end of the day, we are all really connected.

What would you tell someone thinking about joining?

Charlotte: After the retreat, did it shift anything for you mentally, emotionally, or physically?

Katie: Well, I didn’t go on the retreat because I felt like I needed empowerment of some sort. I really went to have a fun time and meet cool women.

But I guess I did walk away just feeling a lot of positivity and, I don’t know, I think that was encouraging to me.

I’m kind of going through some changes in my life, so it definitely helped me to kind of move forward with some of the things that I need to tackle with some positive emotion and momentum.

I would say that was maybe the biggest feeling.

Charlotte: Coming back from the retreat and returning to the real world, were there any reflections or anything else you were thinking about?

Katie: Yeah. I think the big thing for me when coming back from The Camp Retreat, both Camp Retreats, I remember thinking about it all the way on the drive home and it lingering for many days after the retreat.

It was just this feeling of connectedness and feeling less stuck inside of my head and the challenges that were immediately in front of me.

And feeling a lot more like, “Everything’s going to be just fine. I got this.”

Charlotte: What would you tell someone who’s on the fence about joining?

Katie: If you’re thinking about The Camp Retreat and you’re hesitant for some reason, I think that’s all the more reason to go.

Whatever is feeling scary or overwhelming, or you’re not sure about, this will be a great experience.

You’ll discover things and meet people you never even imagined. You’ll learn things about yourself that you didn’t know.

I would encourage everybody to go.

Charlotte: Here’s a couple of rapid fire questions for you. What’s one word you would use to describe The Camp Retreat?

Katie: Meaningful.

Charlotte: What’s your camp alter ego?

Katie: Winona (our surprise guest camp dog)

Charlotte: Anything else you’d like to share?

Katie: No. Honestly, I’ve had a great time both times. I’m looking forward to the next.

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