LSR Blog: Part 1: Why
Part 1: Why
My dear friend, Paul, has an incredible house on Lake Sirena, Lake Placid, Florida; an area I spent a great deal of time in when I was in my pre- and early teens. Several years ago, a family member passed away and my family gathered to celebrate him in the town he had chosen for retirement: Lake Placid. Paul gracefully allowed my family to stay at his vacation home. The property is quiet and has plenty of space, allowing our group (we rented the house next door too), to gather, commune, support, eat, laugh and rest; finding belonging, healing, love.
And that’s when I knew.
I knew that I wanted to offer a healing retreat at this property. I wanted to share the serenity of this space with others on a journey where they, too, could benefit from the fully stocked kitchen, shady backyard, comfy rooms, stunning view, and good company.
And thank goodness, Paul said yes.
Twice actually.
My first attempt at a retreat in this space was foiled by the pandemic. That first retreat was scheduled to begin three weeks after the world shut down. So, obviously, that didn’t happen (ugh – do you remember the chaos of that time period?!)
Some time passed, I moved from Jupiter to Port St. Lucie, and I began a friendship with a really stunning human who places similar value on real conversations, inner work, and honesty that I do. The more time I spent with Carmen, the more I had a desire to co-create with her. So one day, I popped the question: Would you like to co-host a yoga retreat with me?
She also said yes, thank goodness.
Actually, she said something to the effect of I think so, but let me sleep on it. And when she came back with a yes, it included visiting the property, adding in art projects and she wanted to bring on Sarah DiMatteo for her culinary expertise && I was all YES! YES! LFG! (note: I have recently learned what LFG means and its a favorite of my internal dialogue.)
I love collaboration– it combines friendship and productivity, melding it into awesome, rewarding experiences, for me and for whomever is on the receiving end of said collaboration. I mean, collabs can be difficult too, but we grow and connect and learn and love and we do it together. Collaboration brings me to a few key words that I’m cultivating this year: Faith, Grace & Joy.
More about Faith Grace & Joy in Part 2.
Deets & info about our upcoming retreat can be found at: