Good News Girls Coastal Retreat
A Day to Reset, Reconnect & Look Ahead
July 25, 2026
A Day to Reset, Reconnect, and Look Ahead
SATURDAY RETREAT July 25, 9am-7pm
Spend the day with us on the Connecticut shoreline in New London for a retreat designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and think about what’s next for you in a real, practical way.
Just a short walk from the water, our home base is a charming captain’s colonial, the Dragonfly House, an 1890s historic house with wood floors, handcrafted details, and that classic New England shoreline feel—comfortable, relaxed, and full of character.
*LIMITED Overnight Options - SOLD OUT
What’s Included (Day Retreat Experience)
Your retreat day is designed to feel full, meaningful, and unrushed.
- Morning walk at nearby Harkness Memorial State Park to start the day grounded, energized, and inspired by the beauty of the Long Island Sound.
- Tour of the beautiful historic Eolia Mansion and its stunning gardens at Harkness Park.
- Guided Life Design Workshop with real, usable takeaways customized to YOU.
- Fresh, healthy, delicious meals shared together, lunch and dinner.
- Sunset beach walk at Ocean Beach Park.
- Time to relax, connect, and enjoy a beautiful coastal setting.
Workshop: Designing Your Way Forward into a Next Chapter
You are not done yet. No matter your age or where you are in life, you have the potential for many lives still ahead of you.
Life Design is a creative, practical method for imagining possible futures, testing them with small, low-risk experiments, and building the collaborative team that helps you get there. In this afternoon workshop, you'll create your own “Odyssey Plan,” prototype your ideas, discover concrete ways to test them, and identify the people who will champion your next chapter. Simple, practical, and surprisingly eye-opening.
Leave invigorated. Leave with a plan. Leave with your people.
It’s not about having everything figured out.
It’s about getting unstuck, seeing new possibilities, and taking a step forward that feels right.
Beautiful setting. Meaningful conversation. Real takeaways.
About Mary O’Neill
An enthusiastic Good News Girls member, Mary O’Neill is a seasoned and dynamic educator, presenter, and facilitator whose passion is to help people reach their full potential and empower them to lead more meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Many of you know Mary already, but do you know she is an award-winning instructor who has designed and delivered courses at colleges throughout the state, including her popular Philosophy of Happiness class?
In addition to her Ph.D in philosophy, Mary is a Stanford University-certified “Designing Your Life” educator and a Life Design Catalyst program facilitator. She is the Director of Life Design at Boston Global Communications, the Career Services Coordinator at CT State Northwestern, and the founder of You Doing You Life Design and Career Coaching.
She is NCDA-certified in Facilitating Career Development and holds a professional certification from Florida State University in Well-Being, Trauma, and Resilience. On top of it all, Mary is a pragmatic idealist who makes transformation exciting and fun!
Overnight Registration
ROOM ARE SOLD OUT
Overnight Stay Option (July 24-26, very limited)
We are only able to offer 4 rooms at the Dragonfly House.
What’s included with your overnight stay:
- Friday evening arrival with wine and light bites/charcuterie.
- Saturday morning breakfast before the retreat begins.
- Full access to the retreat day experience.
- Sunday morning breakfast before departure at 11am.
- Two nights in a beautiful, historic shoreline home.
Select one of 4 available bedrooms pictured below.
- $500 per bedroom (for 2 nights)
- Registration includes payment for the day-retreat for ONE member (valued at $125)
Total for one person reserving a room: $625 - You may reserve a room for yourself or share it with a friend.
If sharing a room:
- One person reserves and pays the $500 room fee.
- The second guest pays that person directly for their share of the room.
- The second guest must also register separately for the Day Retreat at the member ($125) or non-member ($145) rate.
- Rooms are first come, first serve, and availability is limited.
Room One
SOLD OUT
Room Two
SOLD OUT
Room Three
SOLD OUT
Room Four
SOLD OUT
