In just over a week, I’ll be welcoming our group to Vermont for the Autumn Tranquility Retreat. As the date approaches, I’ve been reflecting on everything that happens before anyone arrives.
When you see photos from a retreat, you see all the pretty pieces… the yoga, the meals, and the people gathered together. Those are the moments we look forward to and remember. But behind each of those moments are hours of planning and decisions most people never see.
It all begins long before the first guest signs up. It’s time spend time researching destinations and venues, picturing what the experience could be, asking questions, checking costs, and deciding if an idea is possible. There’s also arranging rooms, considering dietary needs, offering packing tips, planning activities, and making sure everyone gets the information they need.
Then comes building a website landing page, choosing photos that resonate, writing descriptions of possibilities, creating social posts, sending email updates, answering questions, and spreading the word. There are calls with venues, chefs, and other partners, along with spreadsheets, schedules, and plenty of details that need attention along the way.
Creating a retreat means sharing an idea you care about and inviting people to join you. It means talking about it again and again, even when you worry you're repeating yourself. It means answering questions, following up, and hoping that the experience you’ve imagined resonates with someone else.
It also means taking a risk. There are financial commitments and decisions to make before you know who will sign up, signing contracts blindly, hoping people will follow your lead, and the personal side of it, too. When you put something you’ve created out into the world, you put a little bit of yourself out there with it.
I’ve felt all of these things and more while building Intentional Journeys. I’m excited about what I’m creating, and I’m not afraid to say I’m still learning as I go.
As Vermont gets closer, planning picks up once again. Gretchen, our host and chef, and I have been discussing meals and details for our time together. I’ve sent out emails with what to expect, packing lists, about “retreat rules” and sharing space with others.
I am thinking about the yoga sessions, the flow of our days, and how I want everyone to feel when they arrive. Yoga is a big part of our time together, but I also think about the hours in between. Some of my favorite retreat moments are when people have time to talk, laugh, and just enjoy being together.
There’s a lot of work behind these journeys, but I am honestly most at home when I am planning my next adventure. Bringing together my love of yoga, travel, and connecting people in this way is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and it feels good to see it taking shape.
I hope that you will join me on an adventure soon.
