From lost luggage to lifelong friendship (and the best meals ever).
From lost luggage to lifelong friendship (and the best meals ever).
Today is a special day—two of my favorite humans share a birthday: my husband and our incredible chef, Abbey.
Now, my husband is wonderful (even if he’s terrible for my brand—he’s not into group travel at all), so today, I’m going to talk about Abbey.
Abbey is the kind of person who can see beauty in everything.
She marvels at architecture, art, and even everyday details most of us miss.
She welds, she crafts, she creates pieces that carry her thoughtful touch.
She’ll try anything (not a food snob in the least), always has travel snacks ready because she knows I’m a grumpy airport traveler, and somehow manages to troubleshoot anything—yes, even that time we nearly got stuck at the bottom of a river in Costa Rica.
She buys gifts for everyone but herself.
She has the driest, best sense of humor.
And most importantly—she feeds us all so well.
I first hosted with Abbey at my second-ever retreat in fall 2018, in breathtaking Banff. Just one month before that retreat, the chef I had booked cancelled. Total panic.
I posted in a few Facebook groups, desperate for help.
Enter Abbey: the coolest, calmest, most capable human I have ever met.
We exchanged a few DMs, she came to one of my yoga classes, and we ended up talking for four hours. I booked her flight the next day.
Then, as if to test her resilience, her travel to Banff was a mess—12+ hour delay, luggage lost for 48 hours—and she still managed to cook meals from scratch that blew our minds.
She even wore my clothes (which were definitely a bit short on her!) without a single complaint.
Strangers who share clothes due to lost luggage? That’s how you know you’ve got a friend for life.
Since then, Abbey has been an essential part of our retreats—and if you’ve ever wanted to experience her delicious food, her calm presence, and her quiet magic in the kitchen, consider this your invitation:
Join us on our next retreat and taste it for yourself.
Happy Birthday, Abs—you make everything better.
Images by Personal Branding Maven Elise Kutt at Mod Bettie Portraits
My name is Anna VanAgtmael, and I am retreat host, travel designer, and a certified yoga instructor with a passion for yoga, travel, and connecting with others.
I believe in trying everything once. My values lie in collecting memories over things.
My ambition is to inspire and encourage you to unmask your fears and jump into the unknown.
Anna VanAgtmael | Retreat Host | Travel Designer