03/11/2026
Something hit me on the plane home from Colombia…
And it hasn’t stopped echoing in my mind since.
The truth about why places like Nuquí feel so different from the world we live in.
I just returned from hosting my 5th international retreat… and the integration is already hitting hard.
Every year I’m reminded of the same thing:
No two retreats are ever the same.
And yet each one unfolds in ways that are profoundly powerful.
This experience was a full year in the making.
Interviewing retreat centers.
Working 1:1 with participants.
Crafting a deeply customized schedule.
Planning nourishing meals.
Building an exceptional team.
Together we held sacred ceremonies, healing medicines, workshops, guided meditations, excursions, adventures—and plenty of space to simply be.
These retreats require immense care to bring to life, and I’m incredibly proud of the team standing beside me.
This year 13 beautiful souls chose their personal evolution.
They showed up with courage.
They asked difficult questions.
They allowed themselves to go deep.
And what unfolded was extraordinary.
Powerful realizations.
Emotional releases.
Life-changing clarity.
Some rediscovered a love for themselves that had been buried for years.
Others found direction for their next step forward.
And every single person received exactly what they needed.
Witnessing that level of transformation will never stop humbling me.
I am forever grateful to those who trust me enough to walk beside them on such a sacred journey.
After the retreat, I stayed an extra week in Nuquí decompressing and doing some personal work of my own.
But the biggest realization I had didn’t happen in ceremony.
It happened on the plane ride home.
The truth.
Why does Nuquí feel like paradise compared to so much of our modern world?
It’s not just the breathtaking beaches or the lush rainforest.
It’s the freedom.
Freedom from constant noise.
Freedom from excess.
Freedom from the endless pressure of modern life.
No media noise.
No constant distractions.
No expectations pulling at you from every direction.
Down there… you can truly breathe.
It’s Mother Nature and humans existing in harmony.
And that land supports the deeper work. It allows people to open, explore, and reconnect in ways that can be much harder to access at home.
But the real truth?
Our minds are the most powerful tool we have.
They can move us forward…
or they can keep us trapped.
The world we experience is shaped by our perception—built through years of conditioning, trauma, patterns, and beliefs.
But when we change our thoughts, we begin to change the world we’ve unknowingly created around us.
We can be free.
And the land at Casa Balae shows people what that freedom can feel like.
A place where you can finally slow down…
listen inward…
and reconnect with the version of yourself that’s been waiting to emerge.
This retreat is for those who feel ready to go deeper—into themselves, their healing, and their evolution.
And this is exactly why I’ve once again chosen to make Casa Balae the home for next year's retreat.
✨ Save the dates:
February 21 – March 2, 2027
If you feel the call, trust it.
Comment NUQUI below or send me a DM and I’ll add you to the early announcement list.
You just might be meant to be there.
And a huge shoutout to my incredible team:
Gita Ivonelli, Tammi Kapitanski, Jordan McCormick, Max Francica, Santi Alzate, Shay Vetterman, Gloria, Joshua Ivonelli, Isaiah Ivonelli, Daniella & Nico.
Your dedication, skill, and heart made this experience what it was. I’m deeply grateful to walk this path with each of you.
*photos by Mark Wojahn
