CM West :: Retreat at Puget Sound 2019 {Recap}

I have to say, there is a big benefit to attending events here on the West Coast: my trip to Seattle felt so easy! Little travel time, no jet lag...I flew out of my local airport late Friday morning and was home by bedtime on Sunday. Heading to the East Coast is a delight but definitely requires more planning for and around. :)

Part of the draw of the CM West Seattle retreat is this location. I love Pacific Northwest weather (at least in short bursts!) and the retreat center itself is not only beautiful and updated but sits right on the Sound with water views from many rooms.

view from the room, day 1

and day 3 :)

As you can see above, the weather in Seattle was basically perfect! We had a bit of everything: sunny and warm the day we arrived, cloudy and cool the days after, with some lightning and thunder on Saturday night that we were able to watch move right over the water. We don't get thunderstorms here in California often (maybe once a year?) so that was a treat for me.

And all that GREEN!

I spent a lot of time walking the grounds. I told myself when I agreed to attend that I was going to do as much as I could to make this trip a true retreat for myself. I came out of summer feeling very depleted with a lot of outside work amidst a challenging first trimester -- and then launched straight into our school year without a real rest. This weekend was perfectly timed for just that. I usually bring lots of work to do on the plane, but this time I brought a novel, some spiritual reading, my reflection guides to do some school year assessment and my Mother's Diaries. I spent time with my nature journal, had fun with handicrafts and folk dancing, and spent some quiet mornings by myself in the chapel.

The retreat was perfectly laid out to accommodate such a weekend. The organizers really did a wonderful job. We were put in groups, and after each talk, we spent time discussing with our assigned group. The talks were short and there was plenty of time for narration, hands-on work, and rest. It was wonderfully paced and very refreshing.

My talks were on the last day, and I shared about "Education is a Life" and "Considering Our Three Tools." Other mothers shared about Atmosphere and Discipline the days prior, so I provided the endcap.

I had so many good conversations as well. Lots of great women (and dads and babies too)!

There won't be another overnight event for CM West in 2020, but I think they will have some one-day events in various places in the Northwest. But I'm so glad I decided to go to Seattle this fall.