Bonjour friends,
Sometimes life sends little signs just when we need them most.
Maybe this is yours.
Two spots just opened up for The Good Life Retreat in Provence, happening September 27–October 2. If you’ve been quietly dreaming of a magical escape, consider this your very loud invitation to say yes!
Yes to last-minute spontaneity.
Yes to a meaningful adventure.
Yes to laughter, community, good food, deep rest, and rediscovery.
If this tug on your heart is real, trust it. Or maybe you don’t need this trip, but you know someone who does. Please pass this along to a friend who needs a sign to pause and reconnect.
Below, I’m resharing a post I wrote last year reflecting on the life lessons I’ve gathered from hosting these retreats. Lessons #1 and #4 still touch me deeply and continue to be gentle reminders I return to often.
But first, here are a few words from past retreat guests who took the leap and left Provence transformed.
This one from Nancy, who I have since had the pleasure of seeing two times since the retreat:
Hello Ajiri, Thank you for such an amazing adventure !! The growth experiences overlaid with such laughter, fun, tears and delicious wine/food were next level. I returned home, about an hour ago, to a gift- a gift from you- the book of Peter Mayle’s that I have never read! Obviously I am gushing, but thank you so much for your acceptance, your guidance and I do hope an endearing friendship.
Until next time…
Sante,
Nancy
This one from Lauren, who has also returned to visit me in Paris:
If Madame de la Maison is an extension of the elegant and always authentic Ajiri Aki, then The Good Life Retreat is that, incarnate. Ajiri is adept at designing tablescapes fit for royalty. One glance at her Instagram feed and it’s clear that she has mastered what the French refer to as joie de vivre. Suffice it to say, my expectations for The Good Life Retreat were high as I hurriedly signed on to attend.
And from day one, those expectations were exceeded. Provence was stunning. The towns we explored were nothing short of magical. The region’s art and architecture, frozen in time it seemed, made for a romantic backdrop to our daily jaunts. The food and wine were exquisite and relentless in all the right ways. We fell in love with Provence and its residents with each encounter. But as wonderfully executed as these experiences were, it is clear that Ajiri’s gift of careful curation also extends to cultivating fellowship and community.
It’s rare, I feel, that a group of women from various backgrounds and at very different places in life could bond so easily, develop trust so swiftly and share so generously of their dreams, fears and vulnerabilities. With the retreat I wanted to immerse myself in a more intentional, thoughtful way of living. Mission accomplished on that front. But as we opened our hearts during late-night chats over wine by the fire, it dawned on me that the real magic of the retreat were the bonds that had been formed, the memories and friendships that would fill us long after we returned home. And that is, indeed, the good life
And Mikaela who has also become a dear friend, and we text and check in each other often:
When I read the description of the retreat it was exactly what I’d been looking for. I went into it thinking that even if I got 50% of what was listed I would be happy, but I had no doubt that Ajiri would deliver a full experience and did she ever! Every single thing that was promised was delivered, with style and joie! The group of women were so different yet so similar, and were a wonderful combination that elevated the experience even further. The friendships which grew among us so quickly, were an unexpected but welcomed surprise.
Every day brought a new adventure and experience of the French culture, and with Ajiri’s team taking care of all the details, we were free to just be in the moment. Every meal was delicious. The shopping was a dream. Every town, market, shop, restaurant, cafe or other location we visited was wonderful and enlightening. It’s hard to believe that so many things can be so right, but it was. The host team were exceptional and worked hard to ensure we were comfortable and taken care of. If you are looking for a retreat experience that is full of fun, exploration and new cultural experiences, this is for you. Comfortable shoes and an open mind/heart are the best accessories for this amazing experience.
Want to join us?
Learn more about the retreat here
Apply and book a call with me here
Let’s make this the autumn you say yes to the good life.
With love,
Ajiri
In 2022, I hosted my inaugural The Good Life Retreat, then decided to do another one in 2023, and this year will host two more in the Fall. Originally, I wanted to host retreats as travel experiences with like-minded people and share the lessons of living the good life and finding joie de vivre like the French. However, I’m not sure I was fully prepared for what these experiences would teach ME. I thought it would be lovely to reflect and share five important takeaways from past retreats to think about and discuss. #1 and #5 are my absolute favorite, though.
“Growing up, I never knew a relaxed woman. Successful women? Yes. Productive women? Plenty. Anxious and afraid and apologetic women? Heaps of them. But relaxed women? At-ease women? Women who don’t dissect their days into half-hour slots of productivity? Women who prioritize rest and pleasure and play? Women who aren’t afraid to take up space in the world? Women who give themselves unconditional permission to relax? Without guilt? Without apology? Without feeling like they need to earn it? I’m not sure I’ve ever met a woman like that. But I would like to become one.” - Nicola Jane Hobbs
#1. We need to remind ourselves and the world what rest looks like for women.
At dinner, we like to have themed discussions, play games, or go around and let everyone answer a question about themselves. It facilitates meaningful and fun discussions at a table where strangers from around the world come together to get to know one another.
One evening I asked, “What inspired you to join this retreat.” Last year T* said something that blew my mind. She shared that recently, becoming a stepmother made her realize she wanted to learn to relax. Growing up, she had never known her mother to be relaxed and wanted to be different for her children. T’s mother was sitting next to her. While this sounds like it could’ve been awkward, it wasn’t. Her mother didn’t seem hurt or surprised. We asked T’s mother how she felt about this. She responded that she understood how her daughter could feel this way since a child only seems to see a mother who is always planning, moving, organizing, worrying, scolding, and seeming exhausted. However, what her daughters couldn’t understand was that she wanted to make sure her kids got to travel and experience life so she had to do all those things that didn’t look like a woman lounging around reading books and sipping on rosé around the pool.
You can't even imagine when I tell you this conversation sparked a deep and emotional discussion around the table. Everyone, including the mothers, the motherless, the single moms, and the single ladies, had something to say about this. What does a relaxed woman truly look like? What should a relaxed woman look like?
The conclusion that I came to is somewhere in the middle and can look different in various scenarios for different women. Maybe like T’s mom, sometimes a woman needs to be moving, shaking, and planning to get to a trip in Provence. Maybe she wants to go with her kids or solo but absolutely away from work and daily responsibilities and it is there that she can relax. There she doesn’t need to cook any meals or wash any dishes. There she might not do any grocery shopping, meal planning, or laundry. There she might lay by the pool or feel delight in discovering a new town. There she might feel the joy of new flavors and new people. There she finds herself relaxed, inspired and surrounded by beauty and culture that bring her joie. She is modeling joy for her kids or her community and sharing life and experiences that she wants other to have and learn from. Maybe some women can only relax on vacation? (But if I am being honest, with small kids…vacation is not at all always relaxing.)
I love the above quote by Nicola Jane Hobbs because it immediately makes me ask myself if I am that unrelaxed woman. Are the women around me like this? Also, why are most women like this? Was my mother this way, too, before she died? But mostly, I love it because it inspires and challenges me to make sure that I can still be a mover and shaker while striving to show my kids and friends what a relaxed woman can be. Somedays, I think that I do a horrible job at being relaxed, but I am surrounded by friends who remind me that I am pretty OK at this goal. I think it’s enough to just keep trying. I want to try to be this way year-round and not only when I am on vacation. What are your thoughts on this for yourself, your mother, or the women around you?
#2. Our souls truly do collide at the table.
I am often asked why I love entertaining or why my business is centered around the table. The main reason I repeat is that I believe that our souls collide at the table. It’s a place where our past, present, future, desires-known and unknown, hearts, delights, sorrows, etc… meet for a meal. Sometimes, nothing has to be vocally said for so much to be shared and passed around the table.
At each retreat, strangers from all over the world sit together at restaurants and tables in the house to talk. Sometimes, it’s as simple as sharing your delight after having what you discover is your first cup of real chocolat chaud, hot chocolate, or a deep round-the-table laugh playing a game about guessing each other’s celebrity crushes based on personality types. Maybe it’s shedding tears over the beauty of a table setting or the recent loss of someone you love.
The beauty of sitting around tables with guests on these retreats can sometimes be the quietest person later telling me how much these daily meals touched their hearts. I love watching past guests stay in touch and visit one another in France, the UK, and the USA.
#3: We have to seek out joy in spite of [ fill in the blank].
Something else I have learned from gathering around tables on the retreat is a deep desire or need to experience joy in spite of what is going on in the world around us and in our personal lives. This profound longing can’t always be satisfied by distractions or ignoring what is currently causing these stressors; sometimes, it requires us to draw close to something that is a source of joy itself.
As C.S. Lewis wisely noted, and that I will repeat in another article, “If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.” Just as he points out, we have to stand near fire to feel warm or enter water to get wet. Immersion in a retreat all about joie and living a good life is like entering into the source to get the joy you need that you can savor and use time and time again.
Our feeds and the news cycle constantly spew out bad news, triggers, and suffering. Days and weeks are easily jam-packed with epic to-do lists. It’s easy to overlook the need to nurture ourselves or to feel guilty about seeking pleasures while others suffer.
I have noticed that many past guests were going through something or just wanted to drown out the negativity online or suffering. They consciously chose to seek out and embrace this experience that would bring light and joy into their lives. For some, it was a reminder or a learning experience. I was shocked when guests told me they chose this retreat specifically because it wasn’t asking them to do yoga every day or cook meals every day when they were tired of doing that at home. They were happy just to take a moment to feel joy for a week day in and day out. They were seeking to enrich their lives and take the experience back home as a source of joy they could constantly draw upon.
#4: Pivots, changes, and transformations are all a part of life’s journey.
One thing that almost all guests have in common is that they have either gone through, are going through, or are considering a pivot, change, or transformation. Lord knows I have fearlessly and fearfully pivoted many times in this life, but I’m also deeply afraid and often traumatized by transitions. They bring about so much stress, anxiety, and prolonged periods in the emotional valley. These retreats reminded me that pivots and transformations are a perfectly normal part of life.
#5: Every host’s repertoire should have a tarte soleil recipe**.
During the retreat, we visit my friends Cindy and Nicky Mackintosh, from
Domain de la Récolte, who welcome us with the most extravagant spread. Someone (cough…me) always gets teary-eyed at the beauty and design of their home and the table. After breakfast chats, we head off to the garden to pick fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Then we get busy singing, talking, and cooking in her dreamy kitchen. Last year, they taught us how to make a tart soleil with homemade olive tapenade.
Since the retreat, I have remade that tarte on trips with groups of friends using pesto, a sun-dried tomato dip, and various types of tapenade. The possibilities of what you can spread inside are endless and it looks incredibly impressive on a table for guests.
*I haven’t used any former guest’s real names, only scrambled initials.
** I know you will probably ask me for a recipe but I am not a recipe writer so follow Domaine de la Récolte on Instagram and maybe she will share the recipe.
Just a reminder that we have one spot left for the retreat this Fall so reach out or forward this to a friend who would truly enjoy this experience. More information on the dedicated retreat page here.
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