Support + Encouragement
Time and time again the women spoke about feeling supported throughout the trip—not only by guides Rita and Michele but also by each other—mentioning empathy, understanding, compassion, flexibility, and inclusivity. With work, family obligations, and household responsibilities left behind, the chance to shed their caregiver roles and focus on themselves felt like a gift.
“Sometimes we’d spread out during our rides—it’s just the nature of the game—but we always waited for each other,” says Natalie. “I think empathy comes more naturally to women. Everyone was thinking about the others, which made it a much nicer experience for all of us.”
As a guide, Rita is always attuned to a group’s dynamic, and she noticed that this tour differed from others she’s led. “By the end of the trip, I realized that they looked after each other more than usual. There was a lot of empathy, a lot of taking care of one another. As guides, we always take care of the group, but we don’t always see it so plainly among the guests.”
For Leigh, one of the highlights of the trip was the sense of being totally pampered. “It was wonderful to be taken care of the entire time,” she recalls. “This trip was very much for me—and not having to plan what I was going to eat, not having to think about what I was going to do next, not have to worry about a spouse—I really enjoyed that. Everything was laid out so nicely.”
Rita shared that she frequently observes this with her guests. “Suddenly, they’re being cared for in a way that removes all the stress—everything is taken care of. They start to feel like they have a mother figure, in a sense, and it usually only takes a couple of hours for them to trust us completely!”
