A Week with Women's Quest

The women of the San Juan Island Bike Trip at our private wine tasting on night one.

Clear blue skies, mountain views, glistening sea waters, thick evergreen forests, rolling meadows, and great friends - these are the things that made up my week leading the Women's Quest group through the San Juan Islands.  We were all blessed by breaching Orca whales, the magnificent splash of the tail of a humpback, soaring bald eagles, and mama seals and their babies poking their heads above water to see who was making all the noise.  Our laughing, screaming, and other child-like behavior (like eating ice cream everyday) rounded out this perfect week in the Pacific Northwest.

Strong women at the top of Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island.

The idea for a San Juan Island trip started when I met Colleen Cannon, founder of Women's Quest.  I was talking about how gorgeous the area was and asked her why she had never traveled there before. Her response? "I have ALWAYS wanted to go there.  We HAVE to do this."  So the planning began for the first Women's Quest/Koa Fit adventure out at the San Juan Islands.

I can tell you all the routes we rode, how many miles, how many feet of elevation, but then you would really miss the point of the whole week.  The rides are just the foundation of the retreat.  The real magic is in Colleen's recipe of exercise, self-reflection, challenges, and doing as much fun stuff as one human can possibly do in a week.

The water views from San Juan Island.

The best part about trips with Women's Quest is the bond that forms between the women on the trip.  Somewhere between eating ice cream, peddling to the top of mountains, watching the sunset from the rooftop, and Paddleboarding around the marina, real friendships are formed.  With no work to worry about, family to feed, or details to plan, the conversations veer towards discussions of magic, life, and the greatness or mother nature.  Exchanges that are normally reserved for best friends and sisters flow easily and open discussions of the heart are heard regularly at our meals together.

Now that I am home, I reflect back often on the week with the ladies.  Holding on to each gift or lesson every single one of those amazing women gave me.  I try to hold a space, even for just a few minutes of the day, where I don't worry about my "to-do's" or my checklist, and instead focus on the important matters of life - kindness, compassion, and fun.

Want to ride with us on the San Juan Islands?  Email info@koafitusa.com and check out all the retreats at www.WomensQuest.com

Trying New Things

The gang getting ready to hit the water

This month at my studio, the trainers and I tried Stand Up Paddleboarding.  We started out early on a warm Friday morning.  Calm water and a beautiful sunrise greeted us as we headed to the shore to meet our guide.  With a few quick tips and some safety instruction, my team was headed to the water, board and paddle in hand.
Now, we're a strong bunch and we have good balance and great core control, yet one by one we got on the boards and were amazed at how uncoordinated we felt.  A little shaking in the legs, awkwardness as we tried our first stroke, fear to go to the deeper parts of the water.  It was amazing how this seemingly easy activity was challenging and humbling us.
Trying new things in life can be hard.  We usually approach them with fear, anxiety, and self-doubt.  Due to this, we try to avoid them or procrastinate until it is absolutely necessary to tackle them.  However, trying new things, whether we succeed or fail breathe life into our, well, lives.  New things inspire us to grow, to be courageous, to become better.  Without new challenges, without leaving our comfort zone, the body and mind become stale and unmotivated.
As the summer slips away and it is easy to get into a daily routine, remember to give yourself the gift of trying something new each day.  Try a new food or even a new way of preparing food.  Smile and wave at a stranger you may have not even noticed the day before.  Read a new book, try a new route to work, change your workout routine.  Challenge and change yourself everyday to keep yourself motivated and inspired.
The trainers and I eventually did travel to deeper water and the shaking in our legs subsided.  We became confident enough on our boards to try racing, headstands, and some yoga.  We left the water energized by the new skill we learned and the confidence we gained by overcoming our initial timidness.  Such a small change to our day, inspired us to go to the next horizon and become a better version of ourselves.