About Wild Life Retreat
About Us
The irreplaceable loss of a child is a gut-wrenching, soul-shattering, someone-just-dropped-a-nuclear-bomb-on-my-heart experience. And yet, somehow it leaves you alive, still breathing, still walking the earth, expected to go on. My daughter, Lindsey, died in a boating accident while on vacation at the age of 22. She was vibrant, energetic, and full of life — a girl who wanted to do and see everything. Losing her shattered my world.
In the weeks that followed her death, I found myself surrounded by other mothers who had also lost children. What began as shared grief quickly became something more — a bond forged by deep love, unspoken understanding, and a profound ability to hold space for one another in our darkest hours.
These women helped shape my own path forward. Inspired by their courage and compassion, I created Wild Life Retreat as a space for mothers navigating the unimaginable. A place to come together, connect, and begin the lifelong journey of healing — not alone, but side by side.
My hope is that through tears and laughter, rest and reflection, we learn to savor this unpredictable, beautiful, wild life again. ~ Jessie Partridge
Our Retreats
Planning Our Retreats
We organize retreats every fall and spring with the aim of exploring new destinations each season. We’ve come to understand that grief requires space. The emotions are too overwhelming to be contained within ourselves. This is why we often seek solace in mountains, oceans, lakes, the vastness of the sky, and even the universe in times of despair. Bearing this in mind, we meticulously research locations that will provide our guests with expansive views and the breathing room they need to savor moments of personal reflection and to cherish the memories of their lost child.
Intimate by Design
We endeavor to curate an environment of intimacy and inclusivity where every individual is genuinely heard and acknowledged. We believe healing happens in spaces where you feel truly seen and heard. That’s why we intentionally keep our retreats small — welcoming just 12 to 16 participants.
This close-knit setting allows for genuine connection, heartfelt conversation, and a sense of belonging. It creates the space for meaningful bonds to form — often ones that last long after the retreat ends.
In a world that can feel overwhelmingly large and impersonal, we offer something smaller, quieter, and deeply personal.
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat together is a gift.”
There’s something deeply healing about the sound of laughter over a shared meal — the comfort of gathering, the warmth of breaking bread together.
At Wild Life Retreat, mealtimes are sacred. Each dish is thoughtfully prepared to nourish the body and uplift the spirit. From hearty homemade meals to lovingly crafted appetizers, we aim to delight your palate and create moments of connection around the table.
Because food isn’t just sustenance — it’s soul care.
Mind-Body Connection
At Wild Life Retreat, we honor the profound relationship between our inner world and physical selves. Practices like meditation, yoga, mindful movement, and breathwork help us ground in the present moment — a place where healing begins. These gentle yet powerful rituals create space for grief, release, and renewal. They allow us to move with our pain rather than away from it, offering comfort in motion and peace in stillness. Whether you are sitting quietly in reflection or stretching into a new posture, each moment is an invitation to return to yourself — with compassion, with strength, and without judgment.
Through connecting mind, body, and spirit, we begin to soften the sharp edges of loss, and open to the possibility of calm, clarity, and even joy.
Creative Expression
At Wild Life Retreat, creativity is more than art — it’s a pathway to healing. Each retreat includes thoughtful craft projects and activities designed to encourage self-expression, spark insight, and support emotional resilience. Grief can be overwhelming and difficult to put into words. Through creativity, we give shape to what often feels unshapable. Whether painting, writing, crafting, or simply making something with your hands, the act of creating can help release what we hold inside — memories, emotions, love, and pain. While it’s not a cure for grief, creative expression allows us to honor what we’ve lost and celebrate what still remains. It is a gentle reminder that beauty can still exist — even in brokenness — and that we can carry our love forward in meaningful, tangible ways.
Special Guest Speakers
Each Wild Life Retreat features a special guest speaker who brings their own unique light to our shared experience. Whether it’s a licensed therapist, sound healer, art therapist, or even an intuitive medium, these guests are chosen with care to support your healing journey in a meaningful way.
From grief counselors and yoga instructors to breathwork guides and creative arts facilitators, our speakers offer insight, comfort, and new perspectives on navigating loss. These sessions often become a highlight of the weekend — providing space for deep reflection, emotional release, and the gentle reminder that healing can take many forms.
Each speaker is chosen not just for their credentials, but for their heart — and their ability to meet you where you are with authenticity and care.
Our Team
Wild Life Retreat is truly a family — led with heart by our founder and lovingly supported by her husband and children. Behind the scenes, you’ll often find one (or several!) of her five remaining children photographing moments, setting up activities, driving to off-site events, serving meals, or helping clean up. Their presence brings warmth, energy, and quiet support to each retreat. But their role goes beyond logistics. As siblings who have experienced the profound loss of a sister, they offer a unique and powerful perspective. Many mothers find themselves drawn into quiet conversations with them — about what it feels like to grieve as a sibling, and what it’s like to watch a parent grieve.
We’re also blessed by the help of returning retreat participants — mothers who know firsthand how much this space matters, and now generously give their time and energy to support others.
These moments of connection, reflection, and mutual understanding are part of what makes the retreat experience so layered and special.