A Grown Up’s Gap Year – The Newsletter #21

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This week’s episode of A Grown Up’s Gap Year – The Podcast dives into what actually makes a Retreat experience worth it.

Spoiler: it’s not the infinity pool or the fancy juice bar. It’s the moment you realise you’re sleeping well again. Thinking clearly. Feeling ready to re-enter the world without breaking into a sprint.

Not all retreats are created equal.
Some change your life. Others just deplete your bank account.

So in this issue, we’re talking:

• The difference between retreats and just a ‘nice hotel’
  
• Red flags (and green flags) to look for
  
• The diary notes and mindset shifts that last
  
• Why mid-life women deserve more than a mandala and a massage

“I needed space to remember who I was.”

That’s what I wrote down, sitting under a pine tree in Austria – day four of a retreat that wasn’t about hustle, wasn’t about fixing me… but made me feel deeply well.

And yes, it was a generations-old ‘Cure Hotel’ and stunningly sparse holistic rooms with Alps vistas – but what made it transformative was structure, not rigidity. A thoughtfully held container. The kind of space where I didn’t have to make a single decision… until I wanted to.

There is a reason the notion of ‘taking the waters’ has existed for centuries. Long before wellness became a trillion-dollar industry, humans understood the profound healing power of intentional retreat. Joining a structured retreat, whether it’s a wellness retreat, a creative writing retreat, or a spiritual retreat, can be a transformative experience. When facilitated by experienced professionals, it is the most cosseted feeling, akin to being cared for like a child again, to have most decisions made for you, from nutrition, activity, and limited exposure to the outside world.

The ultimate feeling in letting go.

Wellbeing at its core.

Why not now? Why not you?

and as always…

Don’t let our epitaph read, “F++k, I forgot to live my life!”

Until our next chat.

Have a fabulous week, and enjoy the episode.

Love & Hugs,

Monique x

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Honestly? The retreat directories out there are… underwhelming.

Too elite, too vague, or too influencer-y.

So I’m building something better.
A curated, grown-up guide to wellness retreats that actually work.

In the meantime, here are a few places I rate:

Additional resources to peruse:

→Best Wellness Retreats In Australia

→Wellbeing Travel

YOUR TURN

Experience a retreat that changed you? Or one that completely missed the mark?

Reply and tell me. I’ll feature a few in a future episode (anonymously if you prefer).
Because A Grown Up’s Gap Year comes in all shapes – and the best insight comes from someone who’s been there.

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“I want to take a solo retreat next year – but I’m overwhelmed. There’s everything from yoga weeks in Ubud to juice cleanses in Byron. How do I pick something that actually helps, not just feels Insta-worthy?”

Here’s what I look for – and what I share in my book:

• Structure, not rigidity. You want a loose itinerary, but room to flop.
  
• Informed support, not just pretty packaging. Who’s running it? Do they have a background in clinical care, coaching, and creative process?
  
• Take-home strategies. Because a week of celery juice and chanting won’t matter if you’re back to inbox hell two days later without a wellbeing toolkit to help you navigate it.
  
• Location that aligns with you. Sounds obvious, but don’t book a jungle hike if you hate leeches, or really prefer to be by the ocean.

Start small. Maybe it’s a one-night solo stay at a wellness hotel nearby. Maybe it’s just subscribing to several retreat newsletters. Or commit fully, put the date in your calendar, start picturing yourself in the picture, bliss.

Retreats that work best don’t sell you the dream – they guide you back to your own version of wellness, which often includes stillness, community, nature, and insight.

Oh, and I wrote a Guide To Retreat at Home – JUST FOR YOU

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(READ · LISTEN · DO)

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A retreat is an idea remade. Generally, places of new routines, introducing (or reintroducing) healthy lifestyle and wellbeing practices. Originally designed as places for quiet contemplation, bathing, massage, and the like. These days you might add medical screening and mindfulness teachings to the list.

Your partner might be setting off on her own ‘woman’s adventure’ soon – retreating in order to return restored. There is a good chance new routines might enter your home life.

Like eating at the table, together, sans phones – conversation the only distraction from the healthy home-cooked fare on your plate. Slumped evenings in front of the box might make way for a post-meal neighbourhood stroll. You might be encouraged to make use of those ‘health insurance’ extras that are usually forgotten – massage, gym membership, and the like.

This is all very good advice. And perhaps one day you might go retreat together. Partnering with Purpose – and lifestyle to boot.

Now that sounds just the ticket.

Happy week, and as ever, thank you for tuning in.
Love from us. x

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COMING UP NEXT WEEK:

We’ll head to Kyoto and hear from Ayako Fukuda, Director of Wellness at Six Senses – a woman who embodies what wellbeing looks like when you live it, not just visit it.
Start with stillness.
Find your version of escape.

WANT MORE CONNECTION?

– Your Life. Your Turn. Find Where to Begin.
Which season are you in? 

– Join The Club (free Facebook community) – lovely conversation, practical ideas, and weekly prompts.

– A Grown Up’s Gap Year – The Podcast. New episodes and show notes each week.

– Whitsundays 2026 Wellbeing Escape — add your name to the EOI list.

– Buy the book! Your one-stop-read for everything you need to know about how to have your own ‘Grown Up’s Gap Year’.