the journal: 10 things I learned about bringing 14 women into the desert

Hello there, soul sister,

When I brought 14 women together in the Agafay Desert, I thought I was planning a retreat. What I didn’t realize was that I was also stepping into my own lessons; about leadership, sisterhood, community and myself.

Here are 10 lessons learned:

1. The Desert Strips Away Distractions
   With no city noise, everyoQne slowed down. Phones tucked away, conversations deepened, creativity flowed.

2. Women Create Instant Community
   Strangers on day one, sisters by day two. Women are quick to connect. Laughter around the dinner table, tears under the stars, community doesn’t need years to build, just openness and trust.

3. Silence Can Be a Teacher
   At first overwhelming, then liberating. The stillness made space for ideas and creativity to flow.

4. Magic Lives in the Unscripted Moments
   The best memories weren’t scheduled: dancing while waiting for our breakfast to be served, watching the sunrise together and allowing lessons / skills to be share by participants.

5. Nature Mirrors Us Back
   The desert, in its vastness, mirrored it all back, reminding us that we, too, are expansive and capable of holding multitudes. The desert reflected everyone’s storms and breakthroughs.

6. Food Is Connection
   It wasn’t just about nourishment, it was about ritual. Food became a way of saying, “we’re here together.”

7. Vulnerability Is Contagious
   The first time someone shared something raw, the air shifted. Suddenly, it wasn’t about curated introductions, it was about honesty.

8. Comfort Is Relative
   Sleeping in tents in the middle of nowhere isn’t everyone’s version of luxury. But when you wake up to a golden painted gold sunrise, you realize the luxury is presence and gratitude.

9. Holding Space Is Work, but Worth It
   Truthfully it’s draining. Being the anchor for 14 women means absorbing energy, listening deeply, and always being attuned. I had nights where I collapsed into bed questioning if I could do it again. But then I saw the breakthroughs, the friendships, the laughter, and I know, it’s worth every ounce of energy. Guiding 14 women through a shared experience is equal parts energy, patience, and intuition.

10. The Desert Changes You
    No one left the same. For me, the lesson was clear: leadership is equal parts planning and surrender, and my vulnerability isn’t weakness, it’s a bridge.

No one left the same. Some women unlocked creative blocks, others found clarity in life decisions, and others simply remembered what it feels like to breathe deeply. For me, it was a reminder of why I do this work: to create space where women can reconnect with themselves, with each other, and with the world.

Blessings, light, and love,
Your friend, Sally