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Newsletters>
First Newsletter
October 11, 2007
ALL EMPOWERED WOMEN
Welcome to our first newsletter! What can we say, it has
been two months since conception, of this website. We have
had a blast! We are so excited about where
this will take us next we can hardly sit still some days.
We have been able to learn so much about what inspires
other women and what they find empowering! We have met and
gotten to know so many women because of this. We have
spoken to many who love the site but tend to be somewhat
shy about sharing. What can we tell you,women learn from
other women. We are inspired by each other, even though our
experinces are unique, we connect so easily to each
other.That is what makes us so special! It is in the
connections we make. So Come on share with us.
We would like to take this time to say thank you to
all of the women whom we spoke to and shared themselves
with all of us and have taken time to join our message
board.
A special thank you to Vanessa Lentz for having patiences
through our giggles while taking our pictures.
You may contact her at 902 757 2808
October is Women's History Month
This is a great time to learn about what these women have
done for the world,their challanges and how they
overcame them. This is also a great time to look into the
women in your history, in your family and in your
community. If there is someone that stands out to you let
us know!
http://www.victoria.tc.ca/Community/Whist/
http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/index_e.html
We Just Had To Pass This On
Ten empowering women-only vacations
by Molly Feltner, SmarterTravel.com Staff - September 10,
2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Surf camp in Costa Rica
Art and culture in Florence and Tuscany
Organic food and yoga in Baja, Mexico
Kayaking and rafting in Wyoming's national parks
Insiders' Croatia
Sightseeing in style in India
Discover Europe's new frontier, Bulgaria
Spiritual journeys in Santorini, Greece
See Hawaii's wild side
Take a break in Sedona, Arizona
"After years of being scared of drowning, I made the
decision to learn to surf on vacation," says New York-based
acupuncturist Michelle Helfner. "I wanted to learn in an
environment that would be supportive. I had considered
co-ed surf camps, but I truly wanted this trip to be about
my empowerment and relaxation. The idea of choosing a
women-only camp ideally meant being surrounded by
like-minded women. In co-ed surroundings there can
[sometimes] be too much testosterone or a sense of
competition and always the potential for drama. None of
that appealed to me."
Eventually, Helfner booked a weeklong package with Pura
Vida Adventures' surf camp based in Malpais, Costa Rica.
She was drawn to the camp's promise of a women-only
environment, a safe destination, and surf instruction
coupled with yoga, healthy meals, massage, and other
activities.
"The trip was challenging and life changing," says Helfner.
"The [instructors] all made me feel comfortable and safe.
Once over my fear of the ocean, I felt accomplished at
facing a fear and moving right past it. It was amazing to
be in the water surrounded by a group of the most
supportive women. The best part of the trip was the group
of women I met—my 'surf chicas' who I still surf with
today. The Pura Vida vibe is still with me a year and a
half later. I cannot recommend this trip strongly enough."
Helfner is one of a growing number of women who've
discovered the joy of women-only vacations, a travel trend
that's been strengthening since the early 90s. Her feelings
about why she chose such a trip also echo the thoughts of
others, who've cited having the chance to try something
new—an adventure sport, a spiritual practice, immersion in
a different culture—in a noncompetitive, supportive
environment.
Women-only tours also appeal to solo women travelers. Not
just those without a travel partner, but women with lots of
personal and work commitments who want to be in an
atmosphere where they can express themselves more fully,
free from the requirements and judgments of everyday life.
"I find seeing the world from a woman's-only perspective to
have fewer boundaries, less inhibitions and to be much more
supportive," says Ellen MacDonald, a Colorado nurse who's
gone on several women-only trips without a companion.
With these factors in mind, I've selected 10 women-only
providers and trips that promise to give female travelers
an empowering and rejuvenating vacation experience.
Surf camp in Costa Rica
Provider: Pura Vida Adventures
Price: from $1,675
The fact that adventure activities tend to be at the heart
of many women-only vacations comes as no surprise to Tierza
Davis, founder of the Costa-Rica based Pura Vida Adventures
surf camp. "I think it's now acceptable to be a girlie girl
and a sporty girl at the same time," says Davis. "I always
have women at camp saying that they grew up at the beach
watching the boys surf, never trying it themselves, but now
they want to."
Davis, like other women-only travel operators, also knows
that women approach sports differently than men, so she
created an active vacation experience that's empowering and
well-rounded, not a test of physical prowess. On a typical
seven-day Pura Vida camp, you'll receive surf instruction
tailored to your level (including private sessions)
interspersed with daily yoga classes, massage, freshly
prepared meals, and cultural activities like Spanish
lessons and salsa dancing.
"Pura Vida is a spectacular vacation, one that will keep
bringing a wealth of inspiration, empowerment, and pleasure
long after your vacation ends," says Wanda Simmons, another
acupuncturist and Pura Vida alumna. "I tell all my friends
to book now, no thought necessary, it's an excellent
investment for your soul and well-being."
The details
Packages cover shared accommodations, surf instruction and
equipment, all meals, a one-hour massage, and yoga and
cultural activities. Trips run most weeks November through
April. For the lowest prices you must prepay 60 days in
advance. Winter flights from Miami to San Jose, Costa
Rica's main international gateway, start at $138 round-trip
plus taxes on American. Shuttle bus transfers from San Jose
to the hotel cost $35 each way.
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