05/20/2026
āWeāre going to our grandparentsā cottage.ā
Thatās something I used to hear growing up...especially from some of my friends. And the way they talked about it always made it sound like the best kind of weekendā¦ like a whole little world I didnāt know about yet.
And Iād be thinking:"Waitā¦ whatās a cottage?
And how come everybody seems to have oneā¦ except me?ā
I come from Jamaican heritage and my family and I had our own kind of fun. We did things. We went places. Itās just that the āweekend nature getawayā thing wasnāt really part of my childhood the way it was for some other families.
Nobody in my house was saying, āPack your bags.....weāre going to sit by a lake and be peaceful.ā
If anything, we were peaceful because the power went out and there was nothing else to do. But honestly? We had our own kind of joy.
For us, the big hangout spot was the court.
When it was safe, weād be out there...playing marbles, talking about everything and nothing, laughing until our stomachs hurtā¦
ā¦and of course debating.
Because in our court, everything turned into a debate.
You could say, āI like mango,ā and someone would be like,
āSo youāre saying pineapple shouldnāt exist?ā And someone would have to step in like a referee..... āAlright, alright.....one at a time...both sides will be heard!ā
And parents were mostly okay with it because we werenāt far. Some of them could literally look out the window and see you. Like neighborhood supervisionā¦ but the original version.:)
But when it got dark?
Oh, it never failed.
Youād start hearing parents calling names like it was roll call.
And then youād hear the one call that ended the whole vibe:
āSTEVENNNN!ā
That was one of my friendsā moms.
And when she called āSteven,ā everybody knew what time it was.
No discussion. No āfive more minutes.ā
You just started walking home like the lights in the theatre came on.
(Funny enough she and my mom became really good friends.)
In sharing this I'm not saying one kind of childhood is better than another. Different families, different cultures, different routines...and thereās beauty in all of it.
But Iāll also be honest:
Even though I had a lot of fun, I still remember feeling like I was missing something. Like there was a whole experience.....being in nature, getting away, breathing different air.....that I didnāt really get to have.
And thatās one of the reasons Iām so passionate about the Exhale Girl's Exhale For All Well-Being experiencing some kind of nature getaway now. Because I know what itās like to wonder about something youāve never triedā¦and to feel like it might not be āfor you.ā
Our yearly getaway to places like Yogi Bear is a big deal for us.
Some of our girls have never been camping.....ever.
So giving them a real camp experience....cabins, campfires, outdoor fun, ... itās not just a tripā¦itās a reminder that they deserve space to exhale, explore, and expand their world.
We are so appreciative and thank those who donate generously to our programs to help make things like this possibleā¦ but I want to especially thank Jolly Farmer Products for helping us bring our girls to camp again this year.
Because trips like these make great memories for them.
Written by: Tanika A. Chambers, Program Director.
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