Reflections on the Ireland Retreat

I got back from my hosting in Ireland/scouting Scotland trip a few weeks ago and have been hard at work getting next year's retreats ready for you ever since.

My first trip to Ireland was in mid-March of this year to quickly scout the area before bringing our 10 guests along for the ride. Big thanks to my husband for always being up for covering a lot of ground in a short period of time ;)

Can confirm: May in Ireland is a bit nicer than March for weather, but as our driver, Liam said “Ireland has rain and then less rain.”

If you’re new here, it rained a lot more during our retreat in Costa Rica this year than it did when we hosted there last February. My buddy, Augustin said “usually the rainy season is over by now, I don’t know why it won’t leave.”

It’s funny how when visiting other countries, locals feel the need to apologize for the weather.

1. It’s not like anyone can control the weather, so there’s no reason for anyone to apologize.

2. I love green lush places and that requires rain and usually a lot of it.

3. What’s so bad about rain?

Have you ever been hiking only to have the sky open up and unexpectedly dump water on you? I think it feels incredible. Like a deep cleansing that only the universe knew you needed.

One time in Zion National Park, my husband and I got to the top of Angel’s Landing and the sky turned dark quick. Like black. We started to head back down and it poured so hard that there were waterfalls all over the towering canyon walls.

It’s one of my favorite memories and one of the most beautiful experiences that I’ve ever had.

By the time we got to Scotland, me, Abbey, and Elise were just used to it.

We were hiking along a beautiful cliff on the Isle of Skye, and I saw some rain coming. The thing about being on the coast or up in the mountains, is you can visually see a weather pattern coming in and when it's leaving. I could feel the direction the wind and rain were coming and could tell we had the potential to get soaked, so I loudly stated "let's ride it out on the other side of these boulders." The three of us pulled the hoods on our raincoats over our heads and assumed our positions. A nearby stranger asked if I was a local and I laughed in her face. I explained that I wasn't, but felt confident it would pass soon.

That's the thing about weather, it forces you to be adaptable and present.

I feel the same way about travel, and it's one of the reasons why I love it so much.

And I was reminded in Ireland and Scotland that rain usually leads to rainbows as we got to see several beautiful ones throughout our trip.

Our retreat guests didn’t let the rain bother them either. It could be because I did tell them to bring a rain coat (an improvement from Costa Rica - haha!) Or it could be because we had another great group of adaptable humans. Of the 10 women that joined us, 6 of them were past guests and it’s such an honor for me to see old friends again, truly.

Join us on our next adventure!

My name is Anna VanAgtmael, and I am a certified yoga instructor with a passion for yoga, travel, and connecting with others.

I believe in trying everything once. My values lie in collecting memories over things. Though we desire adventure and authentic experiences, naturally our fear holds us back.

My ambition is to inspire and encourage you to unmask your fears and jump into the unknown.

Anna VanAgtmael | Yoga Enthusiast | Travel Designer