The case for adult sleepaway camp

A real life experiment in what happens when you take a group of 34 adults, strip away obligations, distractions, kids, and expectations, and give them room to just be

Feb 19, 2025

This past Valentine’s weekend was the most magical weekend of my life. Mark and I gathered 32 of our closest friends in Tulum to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, but also to celebrate what love means to us.

To us, love is time. It is complete presence without distraction. It is giving people the space to rediscover themselves, to disconnect from work, the world, and their kids, and to reconnect with each other. We called the weekend Love Summit. Most of our friends had also been at our wedding, so it became a mini-reunion of sorts, but really, it was something more.

It was an experiment in what happens when you take a group of adults, strip away obligations, distractions, and expectations, and give them room to just be.

I will preface this by saying that I feel like the luckiest person in the world. Getting 32 adults to leave work and real life behind is no easy feat, and half of us have kids under ten, meaning five days of childcare had to be arranged by most of us. But that in itself speaks to how much we all needed this.

When we had all arrived, we had an opening ceremony as a group where we set intentions for the long weekend, and the same themes kept coming up:

disconnecting from the outside world, from work, and familial obligations
reconnecting with ourselves and each other
carving out space for joy, fun, play, and exploration

I had anticipated most of these intentions, and designed Love Summit as a weekend dedicated to the power of connection, dance, communing with nature, having zero small talk and a lot of big talk, and most importantly, summiting the mountain of self love and realizing what we all deserve.

The weekend itinerary. Morning activities were optional so everyone had plenty of free time to connect with each other on their own terms, but 80% of the group did everything to my surprise!

The Power of Play

When I was organizing the weekend, I asked everyone to bring a skill, a passion, or something to share with the group. As adults, we have so much to offer the world, but we rarely get to express those gifts outside of work or parenthood.

Our new talented friend Jen led an optional watercolor class that, to my surprise, almost everyone attended. Some of us had not held a paintbrush in decades, and yet, something unlocked. I witnessed a room full of adults in their 30s enter a complete flow state mixing colors and creating in real time, laughing and giggling and in some cases, using their fingers to create patterns and shapes.

My friend Katie organized team games for the entire group, including a sandcastle building contest, wheelbarrow races and crab walks, trivia, and a “Chopped”-style cocktail-making competition. Through team trivia, we learned that one friend had completed three rollerblading marathons, another had hosted a press conference for Chuck Schumer, one had been on a double date with Miley Cyrus, and another spoke Nepali and Swahili conversationally.

I thought I knew these people. But I had never seen them like this, so vulnerable and open and willing to share and make memories, even when some guests arrived not knowing a single person.

The Magic of Presence

One of the most radical things about the weekend was that no one did or talked about work at all, and no one was glued to their phones. Some people forgot to check them for days. There was a 14 hour stretch where I had no idea where mine was, and just assumed it was swept out to sea, and I had made complete peace with that. Out of the 34 of us, we took barely any photos, which is unheard of in 2025. But it makes sense. When you are fully present, you do not feel the need to document every second. You just live in the moment, without needing to prove to others what you’ve experienced.

For some, that intense presence extended even further. We created opportunities, without pressure or obligation, for those interested in trying safe, tested psychedelics in a responsible, supportive environment. We set ground rules and created an environment of psychological safety for everyone involved. Two thirds of the group felt comfortable enough to participate, and for some, it was their first time having any substances besides alcohol. We all opened up, danced under the stars, and felt the oneness sweep over us. There was no judgement, only love and shared understanding.

Many said that this specific experience with psychedelics fundamentally changed their perspective on life, their marriages, and their relationship with themselves. One person, who had spent years feeling emotionally blocked, described finally being able to access a deep well of love for themselves and for others that they had not felt in decades. Another said it helped them tap into and process grief they had not even realized they were holding onto. I realized that I desperately want to learn how to DJ. It’s been something I’ve been wanting to do for years, but I know now that I want to really dedicate time to doing so, just so I can play music for friends in settings like Love Summit.

This is what I keep coming back to:

As adults, we so rarely have spaces designed for self-exploration. As kids, we have recess, summer camp, and unstructured time to run barefoot and get lost in creativity and play. We paint, we make messes and mistakes, we aren’t as afraid to share how we really feel. But as we get older, those spaces disappear. And yet, the need for them does not. Adults desperately need to play and discover. Adults need sleepaway camp. Adults need a safe container to express themselves and then act on their fears, wishes, and desires.

The Vision for More

Eventually, my dream is to create something bigger. Retreat weeks, or adult sleepaway camps, or maybe even starting a commune once I’m retired (lol), where people can disconnect, reconnect, and be. No constant phone notifications. No small talk. Just real, meaningful, intentional connection. There would be dancing, nature, and shared meals that turn into late-night conversations under the stars. We’d all be summiting the mountain of self-love, on a beautiful beach, away from the rest of the world and from the pressures of society.

Right now, I do not know what that looks like beyond our own friend circle. Part of me feels like the secret ingredient is the people we invited and the trust we fostered within our group, and I do not yet know how to recreate this trust with strangers. But I do know that this kind of experience is needed now more than ever.

We live in a world of burnout, loneliness, and hyper-connectivity that leaves us feeling lost and wanting more. If a weekend like this can remind people of who they really are — who they were before life piled on expectations and responsibility — then maybe the case for adult summer camp is not just a dream. It is a necessity.

I know this because I have a group chat of 34 depressed adults that have just re-entered reality, begging for a Love Summit V2.

And I have good news for them: it’s happening.

xx,

Bella