Reflections on the Italian Dolomites Retreat
Reflections on the Italian Dolomites Retreat
Damn I miss the mountains.
And pasta.
The Italian Dolomites are one of the places that I feel like I’ll keep returning to over and over again. Like for real, I’d love to live there one day.
Our latest retreat was the kind of week that makes you ask yourself why you ever bother doing normal life things like emails or laundry when you could just… live in a chalet with a spa and eat pasta forever.
See why I want to live there?
We had a cooking class led by the sweetest local chef who somehow managed to be charming, funny, and wildly good at multitasking.
There’s something humbling about learning pasta-making from someone who could make ravioli blinfolded and tell stories about her nona.
If you’ve never hiked Tre Cime, imagine Mother Nature saying:
“Oh, you think you’ve seen mountains?
How adorable.”
The views were outrageous.
The kind you take a picture of, then look at the picture and think, “Why does this look fake?”
Passo Gardena was a mix of rolling snow-covered, jagged peaks, and that amazing alpine air that makes you consider quitting your entire life to become a mountain guide even though your only outdoor skill is “owns hiking boots.”
I asked Sylvie, our real guide, if she was offering me a job and she laughed in my face ;)
We laughed.
We wheezed (kind of a lot).
We bonded over snacks like the true sisterhood we are.
And, probably my favorite - Lago di Braies is an absolute showoff.
Every angle is its good angle.
You haven’t lived until you’ve rowed an old wooden canoe across turquoise water so glassy it feels like you’re paddling through Photoshop.
We looked like the cast of a very chic outdoor lifestyle commercial—except realer, much funnier, and with wildly varying levels of rowing competency.
Another retreat in the books, another country we left slightly better fed, more connected, and absolutely convinced that this—traveling together, trying new things, saying yes to experiences—is what we’re here for.
So to the Dolomites group of 2025 - thank you so so much!
Love and miss you all!
We only have 1 spot left to join us in Norway!
Images by Personal Branding Maven Elise Kutt at Mod Bettie Portraits
My name is Anna VanAgtmael, and I am 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. Though we desire adventure and authentic experiences, naturally our fear holds us back.
My ambition is to inspire and encourage you to unmask your fears and jump into the unknown.
Anna VanAgtmael | Yoga Enthusiast | Travel Designer