Three friends

 Cassandra, Nicole, and Lakeiska had been carrying invisible burdens for too long. The stress of work, the anxiety of unspoken fears, and the grief of personal losses had left them drained. So, when Cassandra suggested an outdoor retreat in Dominica far from the noise of their everyday lives, her friends eagerly agreed.

The first evening, as they sat around a flickering fire under the vast expanse of the night sky, the weight of their emotions became evident. "Every scare, every fear, every doubt… they don’t just disappear," Nicole murmured. "They always shape us."

Lakeiska nodded, watching the embers dance. "And even joy, sorrow, and happiness… they all leave their mark," she added.

The days that followed were filled with quiet hikes, deep conversations, and moments of solitude. In the stillness, Cassandra found herself reflecting on the past, her insecurities, her hesitations, the anger she had long suppressed. Nicole and Lakeiska, too, felt the echoes of their emotions, each one leaving an imprint that could no longer be ignored.

One afternoon, standing on a small hilltop overlooking the peaceful river, Cassandra spoke, her voice steady. "I think wellbeing isn’t about avoiding emotions. It’s about embracing them, learning from them."

Nicole smiled. "It’s about understanding that every experience shapes us. Even the pain we try to avoid."

Lakeiska exhaled deeply. "And we’re still standing. Still growing."

As the retreat came to an end, they realized they were not the same women who had arrived. They carried their emotions differently, not as weights, but as wisdom. The Caribbean outdoors had given them space to heal, to reflect, and to truly embrace the imprints of every emotion.

Returning home, they knew the challenges of life would not simply disappear. But they had each other, and they had their newfound understanding: well-being was not about erasing scars, but about learning to wear them with wisdom and strength.