Hi Gram,
The past few days have been a mix of fun and excitement! After my first night in the huge suite, I realized it was a bit much for just sleeping and showering, so I decided to trade rooms with my friends Alan and Katie. They’re full-time travelers like me and would definitely get more use out of the extra space and the soaking tub.
On Friday morning, I woke up early and met David for a morning walk. He’s one of my closest friends, and I always enjoy our conversations. This one, though, was especially deep and insightful. David has a unique way of helping me think through options and decisions. We ended up discussing my future, and through our conversation, he made it clear that living my best life isn’t just possible—it’s exciting. It’s amazing how a simple walk with a good friend can turn into one of those life-changing moments.
After the walk, I showered, grabbed breakfast, and caught up on a bit of work before meeting some friends to stroll around town. In the afternoon, I helped Amy with a couple of things, then joined the opening ceremonies and icebreakers for the retreat. Amy really does an incredible job with this event, and it’s so inspiring to see everyone so excited and engaged.
Tuesday morning, I woke early again and headed to the deck for a dance party led by Alan and Katie. It’s such a fun way to start the day—moving our bodies and laughing to the music. After breakfast and a quick shower, we all walked over to the main event and kicked off the day with some amazing speakers and engaging discussions. In the afternoon, a small group of us decided to take a little scooter trip and see some waterfalls. We all mounted up, with Chad carrying Suzanna as his passenger, and rolled out. We’d picked a waterfall about 45 minutes away, so we enjoyed a nice drive through the countryside and through some villages before turning off onto a gravel road and parking the bikes.
Naked children were playing in the stream next to the driveway, with a couple of adults also bathing and supervising them. I’m guessing that it was bath day, so the whole family came down to wash up in the river. We walked up to the ticket booth and paid our fees, then followed a set of stairs as they descended through lush jungle. What we found at the bottom of the stairs was a tiny beach and a small waterfall with a river running off to the right.
Much to my chagrin, the sign mounted on the stone face across the river had an arrow pointing down the river to the right with the word “exit” hand painted above it. We were going to have to walk through the water to get out. I reluctantly removed my gym shoes and socks and braced myself for the feeling of getting my feet wet. Everyone was very supportive, cheering me on as I walked across the small stones on the river bed, water washing over my feet.
Chad got some good video of the waterfalls and of me just slogging through the river until we reached the stairs leading up from the other side. We climbed the stairs to a second waterfall that had a nice instagram photo spot where we all posed before moving on. Everyone did well with the stairs and were rewarded toward the end with a little shop selling frappes and coconuts before we climbed the last few stairs and headed back to the scooters. We got back in time for dinner, another fun day in the books.
The next few days were a whirlwind, jumping from one activity to the next, from conversation to conversation, from shared meals to inspiring presentations. There was so much laughter, so many good connections, and it all made for a truly remarkable start to the event.