It’s been 3 months since the last I Am Enough retreat. Women from all over the US and Canada flew to Boise, Idaho to participate in a weekend of opening hearts, unclenching fists, and self-discovery. And what a weekend it was. From the moment the women arrived at the hotel every detail of their weekend was thought out and taken care of… from food each day, transportation, and activities. The only requirement to attend the retreat was the promise to arrive with an open heart and an open mind… the rest was left in my care.

The retreat started on a Thursday evening with drinks and appetizers. One by one each attendee entered the hospitality suite- some with smiles of excitement and some with a slight fear and hesitation in their eyes. By the end of the night the room was filled with laughter and anxious feelings on what was to come the following two days. As I was saying goodnight to each person, I realized we were missing an attendee because her flight didn’t arrive until midnight… little did she know she would arrive the next day with open arms waiting to hug her and a personalized hashtag of #whereskristina!

Each day started started with a provided breakfast and a physical activity. We started our Friday off with a morning walk along the Boise river and ended the day with two hikes… yes two! One hike was our warm up at Camels Back in the historic Hyde Park District and our second was a 3.5 mile sunset hike up to the top of Table Rock- one of Boise’s most breathtaking views. It was a perfect way to end a day full of seminars lead by Jen Jewel from Inner Jewel Athletics and Ashley Swoboda... along with a workshop lead by me. We shared tears and laughter and made a life changing pledge.

The last day full day of the retreat was on Saturday and we started the day off by surprising the women with a special trip to the Bodybuilding.com headquarters to do a group conditioning class lead by Kandace Hudspeth. By the end of her class there wasn’t a dry shirt in the building! It was a perfect start to another day filled with more workshops lead by Macaile Hutt from Take. Your. Heart. (hearts were definitely pounding during her workshop) along with an additional workshop lead by me. By the end of the day a deep connection was created... a connection that can only be made when the walls come down and the door to vulnerability is opened.

Group exercise room at Bodybuilding.com. Photo by Laken Fulton Photography

Bodybuilding.com. Photo by Laken Fulton Photography

Although the retreat officially ended on Sunday morning, we celebrated Saturday evening with a group dinner. I wanted the women to have a memorable evening, so I chose to treat them to dinner at Grimaldi's at the upscale Village at Meridian. The wine was flowing and the food was devoured. After two hikes, a group workout, and hours of laughing and crying... an evening of relaxation was much deserved.

Each and every woman had a story... just like all of you have a story. But many of us spend our entire lives not realizing that it's our story that makes us who we are. Some people run from it and some people don't want to talk about it, but just like a book... it's not the cover or the description on the back that makes it worth reading~ it's the pages inside that make it unique and special. With every sentence... every chapter that is written~ our lives are a continuous journey with many necessary endings and hopeful new beginnings.

I wish I could share all the details of that weekend, but it's the details that made it so intimate and special. Stories were shared, tears & laughter were abundant, and lives were changed. We may have only been able to share a few days together, but our connection will last a lifetime. None of us are perfect, but we are our own kind of beautiful and we are more than enough.

2015 I AM ENOUGH RETREAT RECAP

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