The Surfers Journal. Can a surf retreat change your life?

Session Two. 

Shaped by the rhythm of the waves, guided by the stories they bring to life. 

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Have you ever experienced a moment or a trip you wish you could bottle up forever?
Something that lights your soul on fire and gives life more meaning.

For me, that’s surf retreats with like-minded people. Maybe it’s the same for you, maybe it’s even the same trip... Some of you may know I work on retreats as a host, but that’s not why I’m writing this. The feelings I’m describing are the same ones I had before I ever worked on retreats, and the same ones I felt again recently when I attended one purely as a guest.

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There’s a different kind of magic in meeting people for the first time who share the same intentions, the same values, the same desire to grow. People you wouldn’t have crossed paths with unless you were in that exact place, at that exact moment, like destiny, almost.

Recently, I went on the Women Soulful Surf retreat in the Maldives. A place that honestly wasn’t even on my bingo card, not because I didn’t want to go, but because I wasn’t in the financial position to. So, I did what any 29-year-old does: I called my Nan, my Aunty, and my Mum. Not for a loan, but for permission. They’re the ones who’ve guided me to be better with money, and I genuinely thought at least one of them would say no.

But they all pretty much said the same thing.

"Go. Why not? So much can change in a year. What if this is the last time you can take a trip like this?”

I knew they were hinting (or hoping) that maybe in a year I’d be married, wanting kids, or would focus on my career. So, I booked it. And in the weeks leading up to the trip, I questioned myself every day. You know that sick feeling you get from spending money you don’t really have? That was me, all the way until I stepped onto the boat.

And after that point? Honestly, money hasn’t crossed my mind since. (Terrible for my bank account and my unstable job situation, but here we are.)

If you’re still reading, I’m guessing you want to hear about the trip…

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This was a real surf trip. I’ve never experienced waves, people, and energy like this. The cheers in the water. The dancing in the lineup and the only thing on the agenda is your next meal.  There was a sense of freedom that I hadn’t experienced in a while.

Other than eating, it was surf, surf, and more surf, a little bit of fishing, but mostly surf. You didn’t stop until your shoulders felt like noodles, though honestly, the only thing that made us leave the water was hunger. Sometimes we thought we could smell the food cooking on the boat while we were still sitting in the lineup.

The waves felt endless. The water was so clear you could see tiny specks of coral on the ocean floor. And the women… every single one of them taught me something. 

How to love yourself the way others see you. How to care for cuts, bruises, sore bellies. How to understand people differently. A new language. A new love language. More ocean knowledge. More self-expression. More softness.

All in eight days. Imagine what you could learn from people like that if you had them in your life forever. 

When the retreat ended, none of us wanted to leave. Was eight days too little?  What are the number of days that it would get too much? To be on a boat with nothing to do except surf? Honestly… it sounds perfect to me.

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There was a moment where it all hit me. On our final session, we surfed until just after sunset. I caught my last wave into the shallows and cried. Not because I hit the reef, but because everything hit my heart at once.

Imagine this:
A dusty pink sky. Silhouettes of islands and palm trees. Water so glassy you could almost see your reflection. Long, rolling waves. Warm water gliding against your skin. A lineup of just you and the girls. Elation The Label about to launch a new collection. Me wearing one of the pieces. I floated in the water, legs dangling, arms across my board, floating in the middle of the Indian Ocean, crying because I was so fucking grateful. Grateful that I got to experience something like this. Grateful that the stars aligned for me to be in this moment.

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People might say, “It’s just a surf retreat.” But it’s really not. I’m crying again now just writing this. That’s how real it is for me. I love reflecting on this stuff, letting myself feel it all over again. Right now, as I type, I’m back in that water, in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

So no, they’re not just surf retreats. They’re weeks that shape you. Weeks that stay with you. And it’s not just about the surf. It’s about the souls. The souls that were put there with you. The soul you discover within yourself. And sometimes that change doesn’t show itself immediately, but it quietly guides your life long after. 

The ocean always shows me ways to grow. Sometimes it whispers, sometimes it roars. I think this time, it held me. Maybe this is the real magic of surf retreats, not the waves we ride, but the parts of ourselves we meet along the way. 

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When people ask me how the retreat was, I genuinely don’t know how to explain it in conversation. So, from now on, I’m sending them this journal entry. Because this… this is the truth.

So to answer the question, can a surf retreat change your life? I say yes, in ways you may not even notice. 

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If you've made it all the way, thank you. Thanks for letting me show you a different part of my rhythm each time you read. 

The Surfer’s Journal.
Session Two. 

Love, Mel  🌺✨