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Sisters just doing it for themselves

An island for women only?

Yes ... it looks like you, too, sister, will soon be able to go to a vacation destination without the fellas breathing down your neck, demanding that you cater to them instead of yourself, compete for their wanted attention, or worry about their unwanted attention.

Kristina Roth, an entrepreneur and founder of SuperShe.com -- a website for women who want to be good to themselves all the way around -- has created SuperShe Island, a retreat off the coast of Finland. It's basically a grown-up, female version of those childhood treehouse sanctuaries little boys start and quickly put up a sign saying No Girls Allowed.

No men are allowed on SuperShe Island.

There are other vacation opportunities catering to women only, from do-it-yourself girls trips (a la the popular 2017 comedy of that name with Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish and Regina Hall) to all-women travel tours. But this is an island. Providing a taste of the all-female societies in the Wonder Woman comics and a number of science fiction/adventures movies.

"Roth says her aim is for women to vacation at a destination away from society's pressures and embrace an all-female energy," according to a story by Francesca Street at CNN Travel. Roth got the idea for the retreat from her own life scenario: existing in a "men-dominated world," she ramped up her travels a couple of years ago and, she says, "just met a lot of amazing women around the world." With the help of a man -- her Finnish boyfriend -- she has carved out a vacation spot featuring four cabins that sleep up to 10 people. You can't just "roll up" on this island, set to open in July. Guests will be chosen by Roth via an online vetting process.

SuperShe Island has critics ... including one who fears the island would be only for rich, white, straight, able-bodied women, according to Street's story. I'm sure there are those -- and I don't mean just men -- who have cracked jokes about it being an Island Reality TV thing where the women engage in verbal or physical cat fights or, at best, just sit around being catty as they compete with one another.

I admit that I would be nervous about female stereotypes playing out on an all-woman vacation island, but not those of the reality-show kind. As one of a gazillion women who are pulled in a gazillion different directions, who have a work ethic that tends to go overboard and are not always armed with the good sense and discernment to say no, my concerns would be that we wouldn't be able to help ourselves and that ...

• Someone would want to put together a potluck. Where there are women, there's got to be an equitable way for them to provide food for each other ... even if it's just a matter of filching "free" food from the retreat's restaurant/cafeteria and taking it to late-night get-togethers.

• Someone would want to put on a big event ... and form committees to plan it. May just be a talent show, may just be Movie Night, may just be a dance-off, but the urge to put on an organized event, carve up duties and be sure that everyone RSVPs may be too strong to overcome.

• Someone would want to begin something. Hey, this retreat needs a mini-library!

• Someone would want to have self-improvement classes. OK, we're on this island wanting to celebrate and take care of ourselves, but do we know how to do that? As the story goes, the retreat would offer "wellness activities and opportunities for bonding," but yoga and meditation sessions aren't gonna quite cut it.

• Someone would want to start a networking, business or charitable organization. We need to organize! Exchange those business cards we weren't supposed to bring! Collect dues for island camps showing girls how to put themselves first!

• Someone would want to run for something. Island needs a president and cabinet to make sure those pesky fellas stay out!

As a lover of vacations in more tropical locales, I'd be more likely to go to The Resort, the Bahamas vacation spot for plus-sizers mentioned in a side link in the story about Roth's resort. Started by James King and his wife in 2015, The Resort is billed as "the world's only plus-size friendly resort" and includes such perks as widened doorways, reinforced chairs, beds and other fixtures, and an atmosphere free of judging.

Oh, wait. A six-day stay at The Resort -- not even a week! -- costs a mind-exploding $16,400.

Never mind either of these destinations. I'll wait for some generous soul to open the broke-folks' luxury resort.

Email -- your first and last resort:

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Style on 03/18/2018

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