Women of Drummer Recap

I was over the moon excited to go to Ramblewood this year because until the very last minute, I didn’t think I could. My health has been rough, it’s an expensive trip and I was worried about even having the spoons to play. The lichen planus (a horrid autoimmune condition) especially made me feel extremely self-conscious. I was so sad that I hadn’t registered to attend but had resigned myself to staying home and making the best of it. But then someone else couldn’t attend after all and sold their registration at a nice discount - and thanks to some wonderful friends, I was able to buy that ticket - and my wonderful Daddy figured out the airfare to take me along. I was stupid excited - but also nervous. Nervous about going back in my present condition. I told everyone I had no plans to play or get naked.

But then cabin L changed all that.

The spirit of Women of Drummer doesn’t let you sit in awkwardness. Nobody cared that I wasn’t moving well or that my skin looked bad. What mattered was that I was there. That kind of acceptance made me feel sexy and empowered in a way I hadn’t expected.

We stayed in a cabin with a couple we’ve been bonding with, a newer friend we had only just started to connect with, and their girl who we had never met. I’m not the most social butterfly. Honestly, I’m more of a baby dinosaur than a butterfly. But it worked. The energy between the six of us in cabin L was incredible. It didn’t take long before we were talking, laughing, and best of all, playing. Sure, there were tons of opportunities outside the cabin, but we had the most fun staying in and playing together. Now, I’d love to give y’all all the juicy details, but I don’t play and tell. Not without the consent of everyone involved anyway, and I am not about to text four other people to ask what’s safe to spill and what’s not. What happens in cabin L stays in cabin L. I can tell you this much though: there were staples, needles, sutures, and plenty of blood. And yeah, there was some less stabby play too.

And then there was the contest. Friday night we had the pleasure of meeting the contestant and watching their play scene, along with hearing Nicole’s step-down speech. She killed it this year and represented Women of Drummer beautifully. Her speech was powerful and so well delivered; it was one of those moments that hits you right in the chest. Another highlight for me was Star D. Love’s performance. Damn. They are uber hot and such a spectacular talent. Saturday evening kept the vibe rolling. The room felt electric, the energy was good, and it was a blast watching Tomo run the auctions both nights. The emcees, Star and Shawnna, were hilarious and kept the whole thing moving along.

The Route 66 hospitality party was another highlight. I got to sneak in early — maybe a little privilege of being a past Route 66 title holder — and was treated to the most wonderful fire cupping and massage by the one and only Spicy Kitten. Sexy, sassy, and exactly what I needed. My body had been hurting really bad since the flight, and that really helped.

Women of Drummer truly feels like a homecoming. A real family reunion. It’s hard to explain how it feels when you drive up to Ramblewood after a long year away. You see people you only get to see there, people you’re lucky enough to see throughout the year, and you get to welcome newcomers to the family. WOD is a magical place where nobody cares what clothes you wear ,and let’s be honest, most of us aren’t wearing any. It’s one of the few places where all bodies truly are sexy and appreciated.

Every year, I end up doing something I swore I’d never do. My very first year it was joining in for the fisting party and stepping into the whip circle even though single tails had been a hard limit for two decades. The next year it was stripping down to my underwear for paint whipping, when I had never been outside around that many people undressed. And this year it was walking out in broad daylight to the pool, getting completely naked, swimming, and then laying out to dry off with nothing on. That’s something I never could have imagined myself doing.

Women of Drummer is kinky summer camp for grown-ups and it is so much more too; it’s an incredible movement. It empowers its community to take up space, speak our truths, explore our kinks, and share it with several hundred others in the most beautiful East Coast campground. And then it sends its title holder out to travel and represent all over the world. If you’ve never been to Women of Drummer, please go at least once and experience it for yourself. And attend the regionals if you can, just get to know the movement and the alumni and then jump right in and be a part of the revolution.

HUGE congratulations to Dee Duval, your Woman of Drummer 2025. Watching your run was exhilarating, and I have no doubt you will represent that patch with strength and fierceness. The movement is in good hands. Thank you to Toni, Fidget, and the whole WOD staff and crew for another unforgettable year. And for the record — cabin L crew is a forever kind of thing, so please put that in your notes Toni. ;)

And now, I need some sleep!