Day Three: A New Kind of Home

girlvana yoga and meditation for teen girls

The prospect of staying for five days with a group of strangers on a semi-remote island literally 5000 miles from the familiar place I like to call home in England made me shudder with both apprehension and excitement. It's safe to say I was absolutely terrified of feeling homesick.

Little did I know that I wasn’t staying with strangers, nor was I so far away from home. When you are placed in a room full of thirteen teen girls and five mentors, sharing the same motivations and drives as you, and the same desire for meaningful life-long connections, the awkward small talk stage dissipates quickly. You feel as though you have grown up with these people, regardless of whether they are based thousands of miles away from you—they understand you; connect with you.

I have an indescribable feeling blanketing my body; a mixture of comfort, safety, love, worth, and pure deep-rooted laughter. I have goosebumps even thinking about it. And I have discovered something incredible.

Home is not just the place where you get up every morning and come home every night. It is also a place surrounded by people who understand you. Who care about you. Where you feel at ease, and hold a sense of belonging. I have found a new home in the shelter of my body, one which I had rejected previously. I have found a home in Bodega Ridge, with the breathtaking views and nourishing dishes. And I have found a home here, with all the people who have played a part in my Girlvana retreat experience.

A new kind of home.

And one which I will live in forever.