Meet Katie: Wife, Mom of Two, Introvert

The magic behind every Rest & Play experience isn’t the beach house, the meals, or even the beautiful sunsets. It’s the women who show up. Women with different stories, different backgrounds, different seasons of life, and different reasons for saying yes.

This series is dedicated to sharing those stories in their own words.

Meet Katie! Katie has attended every Rest & Play retreat since our very first gathering in 2021. She’s a wife, mom of 2, creative, and a dear friend.

As an introvert, she understands something many women quietly wrestle with: the desire for connection while also needing solitude and space to recharge.

Many women who identify as introverts hesitate to attend a women’s retreat because they worry it will feel overwhelming, exhausting, or overly scheduled. Katie’s experience offers a different perspective. Her story highlights one of the things that makes Rest & Play unique: the freedom to engage deeply in community while also honoring the need for rest, solitude, and personal reflection.

When asked what keeps bringing her back, this is what she shared:

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“As an introvert, Rest & Play has been one of the most life-giving gifts I’ve ever given myself.

I’ve attended since the very first retreat in 2021, and it has become one of the most important rhythms in my own healing journey and in reconnecting with the woman God created me to be.

The reason that’s so significant is because I’d been to many wonderful retreats before. While most of them were meaningful and I genuinely enjoyed them, I would almost always come home more exhausted than when I left. The social part of me was full, but the part of me that recharges in quiet, solitude, and spaciousness was completely depleted.

Rest & Play is the first retreat I’ve ever experienced that honors both.

There is so much freedom built into the weekend. If you want to spend time with a group shopping, exploring, laughing, and connecting, you can. If your soul needs a long walk, a beach chair, a good book, a nap, or simply listening to the waves by yourself, you can do that too.

There is no pressure to perform, participate, or conform. The invitation is simply to listen to yourself and pay attention to what would nourish your soul most in that moment.

Ironically, because my introverted needs are met so well throughout the retreat, I actually enjoy the community pieces even more. By the time we’re gathered around the table sharing incredible meals and conversations, I can’t wait to be with these women. The connection feels energizing rather than draining because I’ve had the space I need to refill my own cup.

Every single time I’ve attended, I’ve come home more rested, refreshed, and rejuvenated than I thought possible—not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and relationally.

I return home a healthier version of myself—a better wife, a better mom, a better friend—because I’ve spent a few days remembering that resting and being is just as vital as working and doing.

If you’re an introvert who’s hesitant because past retreats have felt like ‘too much,’ I understand completely. I was that woman too.

Rest & Play is different.

It’s one of the few places I’ve found where both solitude and sisterhood are equally honored, and where I’ve never felt pressure to be anything other than exactly who I am.“

— Katie

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One of my favorite things about Katie’s story is that it reminds us there isn’t one “right” way to experience Rest & Play.

Some women arrive craving conversation.
Others arrive craving quiet.
Some need encouragement.
Some need rest.
Some need both.

And all are welcome here.

The Women of Rest & Play is an ongoing series sharing the stories of the women who have shaped this community. We can’t wait to introduce you to more of them!

Interested in learning more about upcoming Rest & Play retreats? Apply for our upcoming experiences here!