As a Latina, Women’s Retreats Felt Unwelcoming. But This One Taught Me About Sisterhood

I’ve never been on a girls’ trip. As a first-generation Latina from New York, my teens and 20s mostly consisted of family trips to my parents’ homelands of the Dominican Republic or Costa Rica — save for my semester abroad in 2013 and short work trips.

That’s why when I got an invitation to The Pink Retreat, billed as the "most colorful girls’ weekend getaway in Palm Beach," I immediately said yes. The four-day retreat is an annual gathering of women of all ages who love Lilly Pulitzer and everything about the brand's brightly colored and floral-patterned fashion. While I saved up my money to buy a new Lilly Pulitzer agenda every year as a young adult, I couldn’t afford the clothes that ranged from $200 to $750. That became a source of insecurity leading up to this trip, but the retreat healed the part of me that was still afraid that others would pass judgment on me. I quickly learned this retreat was about so much more than collecting preppy resort wear or the late designer herself. It’s a celebration of women finding sisterhood regardless of age, race, ethnicity, ability, profession, or background. 

The trip to coastal South Florida featured an itinerary with plans to craft, dance salsa, go on a historic walking tour, and dress up for afternoon tea. It sounded like the perfect opportunity to live out my girls’ trip dreams while fully embracing my señora era. Some were there on mother-daughter getaways, celebrating special occasions like their daughter’s high school graduation. Some were navigating changes at home, in their work, or in their marriages. I, for one, was there grieving a recent layoff. As women exchanged words of encouragement and support, it was reassuring to see how empathetic everyone was.

Tosha Williams, a Nashville-based mom and entrepreneur, founded the retreat in 2017. This year, Williams organized her fifth retreat and welcomed more than 500 attendees. Guests traveled to Palm Beach from as far as Alaska and many traveled by themselves, hoping to make new friends along the way. From the moment I arrived at the West Palm Beach Hilton, the retreat’s host hotel, it was easy to spot other Pink Retreat guests by their head-to-toe, neon-patterned prints and their matching travel mugs, duffle bags, and purses. Since I don’t own anything from Lilly Pulitzer, I brought my cutest pink and floral outfits. To my surprise, not once did I feel out of place. 

The Pink Retreat’s main events featured a welcome party in Downtown West Palm Beach, a ladies night at the Gardens Mall, and a cocktail party at the National Croquet Center. For the rest of the retreat itinerary, guests could select from several different events that took place multiple times so they wouldn’t have to miss out on anything. 

I kicked off my electives with a meditative tassel-making class with Amanda Perna, a two-time Project Runway contestant and designer behind the Delray Beach-based brand House of Perna. Using yarn, wire, and beads, we handmade beautiful tassels to adorn our purses. Later, my dancing skills were put to the test during a salsa class with prize-winning Dominican dance instructor Julissa Hernandez. We also got to soak in some of the local lore through a guided tour of Worth Avenue and afternoon tea at the Flagler Museum.  

In my off time, I explored other parts of West Palm Beach for the first time. Driving through the neighborhoods felt like traveling back to the 1920s, with streets lined with beautiful buildings and homes in Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, and Mission Revival architectural styles. The palm trees and royal poinciana tree flowers blooming bright red reminded me of being in my family’s hometown in the Dominican Republic. To unwind and relax, I collected a handful of seashells and dipped my feet in at the beach and later got a CBD body massage at The Spa at PGA National Resort. 

I also enjoyed some of West Palm Beach’s most delicious culinary dining experiences, including Sourbon, Swifty’s at the glamorous Colony Hotel, James Beard Foundation Award-nominee Chef Pushkar Marathe’s Stage Kitchen & Bar, and Pink Steak. While I have access to a bunch of world-class eateries in my hometown of New York City, the hospitality, quality, and decor at these restaurants had me hungry for more.  

At the retreat, I met so many women who, like me, had been looking forward to this girls’ trip to unwind, dress up, create art, dance, catch up with old friends, and meet new ones. We shared a mix of quiet, meditative moments, like while we were crafting or observing the art and architecture throughout the city, and then there were boisterous, fun moments, like when we couldn’t contain our laughter while learning tough salsa dance moves or discussing the details behind one another’s outfits at the cocktail receptions. To help with mingling, newcomers and repeat retreat-goers wore different-colored lanyards, which led to fun conversations with women who genuinely wanted to converse with me and exchange stories about their first The Pink Retreat.

I watched as women mingled, laughed, danced, and made TikTok videos with one another. I spoke with groups who had become friends once they realized they owned the same dress. I became acquainted with friends who first met at a past retreat and used The Pink Retreat as a way to catch up. Some guests have become each others’ bridesmaids. Others have consoled one another through deep periods of sadness. This was sisterhood.

The evening before checkout at the Hilton, I sat near a large group of Pink Retreat attendees who had taken over the lobby’s lounge area. I was heartened to hear the belly laughs coming out of women who, by this point, kicked off their shoes and sat on the couches and the floor, champagne bottle in hand and delighting in one last night together. Their laughter was contagious and I felt overcome with gratitude. I may not have known anyone when I arrived at The Pink Retreat, but by the end, I felt secure in knowing they would welcome me back with open arms.