Parent-Teen Retreats

Dear Diary,

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Today was… weirdly nice. Mum and I are at this mother-daughter retreat in a cozy chalet in the woods. It smells like pine and hot chocolate, and there’s a fire that makes everything feel super calm. There are other teens here with their mums too, which is actually fun—we’ve been chatting and laughing about random stuff.

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The pace is really slow, which I love. I have my own space, so I can hide out whenever I want, and Mum actually seems relaxed too, not like usual.

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We got to choose what to do all day—walking by the lake, pottery, or visiting the farm with animals (my fave, obviously). I went to the farm first and somehow got a goat to chase me around while I tried to sneak a carrot. Mum was crying laughing by the time she found me.

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Lunch was hilarious. Mum dropped half her wrap on the floor and blamed a chicken. We laughed so hard, I think everyone thought we were bonkers.

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Later we just read and talked by the fire. Not the boring “school stuff” kind of talk, actual stuff. Weirdly, it felt really good. Seeing Mum like this—calm, funny, and just… her—makes me feel like we’re actually on the same team for the first time in forever. I think I’ll remember this warm, quiet feeling for a long time.

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—Me