Second Acts: From Family Counselor to Camp Counselor for Women
- Tracey Gramenz
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we breed a certain kind of woman; one who excels at outdoor sports from snow level to sea level, is equally versed in kale and kite boarding, and isn’t afraid to bike a century in the pouring rain. Tracey Gramenz is that kind of woman. A former bike guide turned entrepreneur, Tracey channeled her love for the outdoors, nutritious food, and vivacious female spirit to create a private guiding company called RAW Retreats offering rigorous yet restorative bike/yoga/XC ski retreats for women. A welcome respite for the power-mom/career-driven/adventure-seeking woman, RAW invites you to slow down, take a step back, and breathe for a moment.
So tell us, what exactly is RAW Retreats?
R.A.W (real active women) retreats are active getaways for women that both challenge and pamper. Typically they involve road biking in the summer or cross country skiing in the winter, and always feature a private chef, in house yoga and massage, and local wine tastings. The trips are short, limited to 3 day weekends typically, and are intended to give women a space to relax and connect with their bodies, nature, and other like-minded women.
I worked in the outdoor industry for 5 years, guiding cycling tours for Bicycle Adventures, and felt as though the work really reflected my personality. I was able to be outdoors and active, connect with people from all over the country, and work a little bit with food (we made lunches on the road for guests). As much as I loved the company and the work, I wanted to create something that more truly reflected my values: namely, I wanted to place a greater emphasis on sustainable travel. For me that meant using local and organic foods, focusing on the whole body by incorporating yoga and massage, and traveling to destinations closer to my Seattle base, thus eliminating air travel for many. On a personal note, it meant creating a company that was sustainable for me as a woman. At the end of my career at Bicycle Adventures I was pregnant with my first son (I now have another on the way) and I knew I would no longer be able to, nor would I want to, take off one to five weeks at a time to guide. My company allows me to work on promotion and admin during the week, then lead an occasional weekend trip. For me, this truly is the best of both worlds. I am able to be a mom and an adventurer.
Prior to guiding cycling tours I worked as a family counselor. The job required a lot of car travel and, over the 5 years that I worked for the non-profit, it really wore on me. I decided to ditch the job and my car and lived a very local life for a full year. I biked everywhere, waited tables at a restaurant 3 miles from my house and had more time to connect with my local community. I loved it. After the year I was ready for some adventure and wanted to share my new found love of cycling with others. I applied for the job guiding with Bicycle Adventures and my life took on a new trajectory, bringing me to where I am today.
This past summer I was sitting around the dinner table with a group of women who all came from pretty diverse backgrounds. One of the women posed the question: what is the bravest thing you have ever done? What ensued was a time of incredibly vulnerable and authentic sharing among women who had been strangers less than 30 hours ago. After nearly an hour at the table we pulled away from sharing, ate freshly baked macaroons and ran down to the water and plunged into the phosphorescent-filled Puget Sound. The evening was a perfect example of why I created these retreats.
I love that being active in the outdoors connects me more deeply to myself and to other ladies that I am adventuring with. And I love how much better food tastes at the end the day.
Girls just want to have fun!
