Joining the writer’s retreat was a big step for me on my journey to becoming a writer and sharing my story with others. It’s hard to go ahead and take the time and invest the money and believe in yourself. I was surprised the first night as I sat at the dinner table and people really opened and bared their souls. It was such a freedom from the masks we had been wearing for so long due to Covid. What struck me the most was the women who openly shared about their experiences of being raped. It helped me be ok with coming to terms with my own childhood trauma of being raped by two neighborhood boys at the young of age between 5 and 7. Chloe later let us know that this hadn’t been a normal occurrence to have such a high percentage of women sharing this common experience. Even without that I thoroughly enjoyed the openness and transparency of each individual. Chloe has a holistic style of incorporating the mind body and soul into the writing process. The writer’s circle was transformative as well as therapeutic. The area, Taos, Goji Berry Lodge that she chose for the retreat was just incredible with turkeys, goats, chickens and cats. It was the perfect setting to restore and reset the soul. The food was organic , wholesome and nourishing to accomplishing our purpose of coming to write. There was also plenty of nature walks, yoga, music and movement.

- Gabrielle