Remember me
Earlier this month, my husband, daughter, and I took a trip to Big Bear, California — a quiet mountain town a couple of hours outside Los Angeles, where we live. This wasn’t a typical vacation; rather, we were trying something new. We were going on, what I now call, our “annual mini intention retreat.”
A friend had shared the idea years ago. She and her family go away at the start of each year to reflect, set goals, and make vision boards. As a Virgo and lifelong planner, I knew I wanted to make this a tradition. Our simple agenda was to find somewhere scenic and peaceful to rest, reflect, plan, and dream for the year ahead. Here’s how it went.
ReflectI love vacations, but I especially love finding the perfect place to stay. For this trip, I knew we needed a place that was peaceful and comfortable, but somewhere that also lent itself to creativity and dreaming. With a baby, we also needed a kitchen and a bathtub. Since we were going to the mountains during winter, a fireplace was a bonus.
We stayed in a small cabin managed by KindCabineer, a company dedicated to sustainability and supporting local communities. I love that a portion of our staywent to local organizations, including the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, which we visited on our way out.
After unpacking, we spent the first few hours looking back on the year. What worked, what didn’t, what we felt proud of, and what we were ready to leave behind. We talked through challenges, obstacles, and moments that shaped us individually and as a family.
It was a big year for us, and we had a lot to reflect on and process. After four years of IVF and fertility treatments, we welcomed our daughter in June. We took parental leave, my husband navigated a major career transition, and we lost our dog of fourteen years. In the fall, my grandmother passed away.
For your own retreat, I recommend bringing a journal and spending an hour or two alone reflecting. Then come together and share. We kept the conversation going over dinner, which made it feel natural. Next year, I also want to go through my photos, videos, and notes on my phone to catalog memories and clean out my devices. I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to join these conversations and share her own reflections on the year.
Helpful prompts:
What are you most proud of this year? What felt hard, and how did you feel supported? What additional support could you have used? What do you want to remember, and what are you ready to leave behind? How did you grow?The goal is simply to notice and name — saying farewell to the past year and honoring everything you moved through.
Dream
The next morning, we made coffee and sat down to dream. The plan was vision boards, but in my postpartum packing haze, I forgot the supplies. We improvised.
I made Pinterest boards instead to capture my mood and colors, and to create a visual of how I want this year to feel. We put on music, let our daughter roll around on the floor with her toys, and jotted down our dreams and goals. Mine: Finish my manuscript and grow my podcast, garden more, spend time outside, travel often, nurture our home as a creative and warm space. My husband’s: Biking and swimming every day, and taking our daughter on outdoor adventures.
We talked about what support looks like and how we can help each other follow through. For example, I want to finish my manuscript by April, so I need to write for at least an hour, five days a week. To do this, I need my husband’s help watching our daughter during that time, and I need him to hold me accountable so I don’t miss my writing window.
Plan
Planning is when it all started to feel tangible. But first, lunch and naps. Priorities.
We reconvened in the afternoon with a long to-do list that ranged from mapping out our big trips for the year to updating family passwords. I’m a big believer in eating the frog, so we handled the boring tasks first and saved the fun part — booking our spring trip to Portugal — for last.
We divided and conquered. My husband updated the bank account logins while I added birthdays and doctor appointments to iCal. We looked at the childcare schedule for the next few months, blocked off weekends for camping trips, and signed up for a pediatric first-aid class and infant swim lessons. Oh, and we reviewed the dreaded streaming subscriptions and went over the budget. Let’s just say “coffee shops” had its own Excel column.
As newbies to this retreat, we didn’t give ourselves nearly enough time, so a few things moved to the at-home list. Next year, we’re blocking off a full day for planning.
If you try this, come in with a short list of both big plans (like vacations) and logistical ones (like scheduling your annual physical). Utilize your calendar apps or bring a fresh paper calendar you can tack to the fridge at home. And reset your passwords!
RestFinally, rest. I cannot stress this enough: Don’t pack the trip so tightly that you forget to slow down and be with your family. We cooked breakfast together, lingered at the table after meals, went on nature walks, read by the fire, and — most crucially — slept in.
Yes, we planned and dreamed, but the real point was to slow down and reconnect. It also felt like a reset, a reminder of how we want to live when we get back home. A little slower. More intentional. Good food, long conversations, music playing in the background.
It’s been a few weeks since the retreat, and I feel grounded heading into the year. Taking time to reflect and close out the past year felt especially important after such a season of change.
That said, this retreat isn’t about controlling the year or mapping out every outcome. Life rarely follows the plan. Babies get sick. Things change. Hard seasons are inevitable. My goal with these getaways is to gain clarity and create a roadmap for my year, while accepting that life happens and we must stay flexible.
So, if you want to try your own mini retreat, my recommendation is to start small. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or go somewhere faraway and fancy (honestly, you could do it at home!). The purpose is to create space for honest reflection, plans, and dreams. Bonus points if you remember to bring the supplies for vision boards.
Happy retreating x
Kayti Christian is a Senior Content Strategist at The Good Trade. With an MFA in Nonfiction Creative Writing, her work has appeared in TODAY, Shondaland, and The New York Times. Since 2017, Kayti has been uncovering and reviewing the best sustainable home brands and wellness products. Her personal journey through four years of fertility treatments has inspired her to write extensively about women’s healthcare and reproductive access. Beyond her work at The Good Trade, Kayti is the creator of phone notes, a Substack newsletter with 7,000 subscribers, and the cohost of the FriedEggs Podcast, which delves into IVF and infertility.
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