Reflections on the Northport Retreat

**This blog was written on 10/15/19, I waited to publish until we got the beautiful photos back from Mod Bettie Portraits!

I quit my day job of the past 7.5 years (that was part of a 13 year career) on Thursday (10/10) and hosted my last retreat of 2019 on Friday. We wrapped up an incredible retreat yesterday (Monday), and today I’m sitting in a coffee shop reflecting on the past few days. What an incredible whirlwind.

The guests on this retreat were some of my favorite women. I didn’t know any of them and only two of them knew each other. I love when most of the guests are “strangers” because it keeps everyone more open-minded and more willing to interact with each other.

This was my first retreat co-hosting with my bestie Jenn of Feral Yogi. It was my sixth time hosting with my dear friend Elise of Mod Bettie and Naughty Bettie and 5th time hosting with Chef Abbey of Abbey Dexterous and the Hot Spot and they are all stuck with me for life. Not only are they the best at what they do, but they are also so kind and funny and I love spending time with them. Abbey makes everyone feel loved and nurtured with her incredible cuisine. Your taste buds will be delighted and it’s like you can feel a warm hug with each meal, too. Elise makes everyone laugh a lot and has a knack for instantly making guests feel at ease. And she always captures the best moments, she took all of these incredible photos.

And Feral is always authentic. She is fully and truly her brand. She believes in empowering women to believe in themselves, to stand in their truth, and to embrace their wild. She’s one of my favorite yoga teachers and best friends, so I kept feeling grateful and humble to be there with her. She crushed her first retreat and I was so damn proud of her and happy to support her and her itinerary the best that I could. I think with her guidance, all of our guests were able to set intentions and release some past pain or future worry.

We didn’t have the best fall weather for getting on Lake Michigan, so we had to cancel the kayaking excursion, switch the hiking adventure to a different day, and add a “plan B” of cider and wine tasting. The “plan B” excursion ended up being my favorite part of the weekend. The majority of us piled into one car, turned the music up loud, sang our hearts out, pulled over in people’s driveways to take in the beautiful fall colors and pick apples. It was the ultimate girl time fun and I loved it!

The house we stayed in was incredible and maybe one of the most beautiful places that I’ve stayed. It provided the perfect cozy back drop to hear the wind, waves, and rain outside and we got to see some beautiful sunrises and sunsets on our private beach on Lake Michigan.

What I wouldn’t give to have a long weekend with the same group (I miss everyone already) in the same scenic place, but here I am in a coffee shop feeling grateful to be able to do this work.

This retreat re-affirmed that I want to release and host multiple retreats with different themes because I keep seeing different needs. Retreat with us! We really have the best team and the best time!

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