What Happens When Coworkers Go On a Retreat

When anyone starts a new job, all they can hope for is that the people they’ll be working with are decent, kind, and welcoming human beings. But if you’re lucky, some of those coworkers may go on to be close friends that you can’t imagine life without. 

That’s where this story begins for two of our recent retreat guests, Jerrie-Lynn and Mary-Pat, who are both based in New York. 

“We’d end up in the same meetings, sometimes on the same floor,” Jerrie-Lynn explains. “And quite quickly we realised that were quite similar. It was a bit of happenstance, being put together, but it made us realise we have the same rhythm and flow to how we go about our lives.”

Over time, that familiarity grew into a friendship, and a couple of years later, a phone call changed things again. As Jerrie-Lynn approached her 50th birthday, Mary-Pat reached out with a simple question: what do you want for your birthday?

“I’m really big on bucket list items,” says Jerrie-Lynn. “I think everyone should get to do what they want to do because life is short. So when Mary-Pat asked me what I wanted to do, it was easy – I wanted to go to Greece and lie on the beach.”

And then, as if by happenstance again, Mary-Pat mentioned she’d signed up for a Greece wellness retreat with her gym, and suggested she come along. “Mary-Pat said, ‘I’m going on this retreat, do you want to come?” Jerrie-Lynn recalls. “And I jumped right at it.”

The Perfect Timing

The timing of the trip played a huge part for both Jerrie-Lynn and Mary-Pat. Just five days after they returned home, Jerrie-Lynn’s youngest child would be leaving for college, marking the end of a chapter that had defined much of her life for years. “My life has been 110% about my kids,” she says. “Everything else just goes on the back burner until they go.” Like many parents, her focus had been almost entirely on her children, meaning work, family life, and responsibility naturally took priority, and anything personal had been put to one side.

The trip came at a point where she was beginning to think about what life might look like next, and what it meant to start rediscovering herself outside of that role.

Before arriving in Crete for the retreat, she and Mary-Pat spent a few days in Santorini, giving themselves time to settle into the European timezone and island life.

Mary Pat described her own situation in a similar way, although from a slightly different perspective. For the first time in decades, she was no longer responsible for anyone else on a daily basis. She refers to it as her “untethered era” – where she can make decisions based on what she alone wants, rather than what is needed of her. She had already committed to travelling once a year to somewhere new so Crete with a group of like-minded people felt like a great place to start. 

Pre-Crete Expectations

Before arriving in Crete, both Jerrie-Lynn and Mary-Pat had a sense of what they wanted from the experience. For Jerrie-Lynn, it was about getting back on track and finding balance during a time of change in her life, while for Mary-Pat, it was the opportunity to step away from day-to-day life and simply experience something and somewhere new without having to think too much about the details.

“I’m somebody who has done these adventure trips in the past,” says Jerrie-Lynn. “But this was the first time I’ve really been out of the country; I’ve been to Canada, but not further afield. Mary-Pat is the kindest, sweetest person, and I knew she wouldn’t invite me on a trip that would be anything other than brilliant. And what a vacation this was – we were on the beach, we were exercising, we were eating healthy. The whole trip we were replenishing ourselves. I’m at a point in my life where I’m getting back on track, so the balance of adventure, exercise, and peace and relaxation was perfect.”

“I was just hoping to see a new place,” says Mary-Pat. “And I couldn’t wait to not have to think about anything – I knew the workouts were planned, and the restaurant reservations were made. I was just looking forward to going with the flow. I’d follow both Kayla and Stella anywhere after this trip. There were people from the gym who had gone the year before – all at different life stages – who said it was the best week of their lives. So I didn’t hesitate in booking.” 

Two Different Starting Points & One Retreat Experience

Despite being similar in many aspects of their lives, the one area in which they differ is their fitness. 

Mary-Pat is someone who trains consistently and has built a routine around movement, often starting her day at 4:30am with CrossFit. Whereas Jerrie-Lynn had taken a step back from training in the months leading up to the trip, largely due to family commitments and the demands of caring for both children and unwell parents.

“Our entry point into the workouts was very different,” Jerrie-Lynn explains. “We are on a different athletic level as I wasn’t as well trained whilst Mary-Pat is incredibly consistent with her training.”

But none of this mattered during the workouts; there was no pressure or sense of comparison for anyone in the group. 

“We all did the same things,” she says, “but at different levels, and we all felt completely supported.”

Mary-Pat reflects on it less as a contrast in ability and more as a reflection of where they each were in life, and still able to each get what they needed from the week.

“We’re in different chapters in both life and training,” she says, “but we just rolled with it together and just felt so in sync.”

This also came through in other ways throughout the week. “I always wanted to be out the door on time, whereas Jerrie-Lynn was often more last minute.” But it didn’t create any friction, it simply became part of their established vacation dynamic.

Taking Home a Slice of the Mediterranean

One thing we always ask our guests is if there is anything they’ve learned or put into practice during the retreat that they’re going to take home with them.

For Jerrie-Lynn, it was the way she looks at food thanks to the lasting effect of the Mediterranean way of life.

“I realised even more than I did before how everything in New York is so commercialised, on a level that I wasn’t even conscious of. But going somewhere like Crete, where there’s no fast food, makes you do a total reset. In Greece, eating well isn’t a conscious effort – everything is clean and organic, and it’s definitely changed how I now eat at home. In America you have to make a conscious effort to make sure the food you’re eating is clean and healthy. I also bought a Nespresso machine when I got back as I started drinking Nespresso in the villa every morning!

What’s wild is even the algorithm on my phone reset whilst I was away. Before the retreat I was constantly blasted with shopping and food – all the commercial things – but when I got back everything was about vacations, beaches and health.”

What Mary-Pat took away from the trip simply solidified what she’d been thinking when she booked it – not to take life for granted.

“At this time in my life, I don’t take anything for granted. I’m seeing some friends have hip and knee replacements, and being in Greece to train every day made me even more grateful that I have the physical ability to do things like this. So whilst I have the means, I’m committing to one trip a year. It also made me so grateful for the friendship I have with Jerrie-Lynn and the ease with which we travelled together. When we’ve travelled together previously for work we’d be away for four days at a time with separate hotel rooms, then cut to this trip sharing a room for 12 days straight without any issues.”

The Moments That Stay With You

When reflecting on the week, it wasn’t necessarily a single day or activity that got stored in the memory bank, but the shared moments throughout the week which defined it. 

Mary-Pat reflects on the overall atmosphere of the group, and how naturally everyone settled into the rhythm of the week: “We were all so respectful of each other and just quietly taking it all in.”

For Jerrie-Lynn, one particular daily ritual stayed with her.

“We got up every morning to watch the sunrise. It was so, so incredible. We’d get a cup of coffee and walk the few steps to the beach and just sit. And it got earlier every day, as we wanted to watch it rise up from the dark sky. As the week went on, more and more people came to watch. On the last day, everyone from the group joined and we were just all so grateful to be there. It was a mixture of feeling so happy and fulfilled, yet sad that the retreat was over.”

Why They’re Coming Back

Both Jerrie-Lynn and Mary-Pat are returning for another retreat, this time exploring the Hawaii of Europe in Madeira. 

As to why it was an instant yes to rebook as soon as the Madeira dates were announced – it’s because they know the experience, trust the people behind it, and understand what a week like this can offer them.

For Mary-Pat it’s less about focusing on the specifics of the trip, and more about how the week naturally unfolds.

“I like that the itinerary is there for me to glance at, but I don’t take a deep dive into it. I will follow Stella anywhere, so I’m excited to see what each day brings. I chose single occupancy this time so I can still get the amazing views of the ocean and the community of the group, but I also have my own space. I don’t have any crazy expectations, I just want the adventure again.”

She also reflects on something she hadn’t expected from the first trip to Crete – the connections she made and how those relationships have carried on back in New York.

“Jerrie-Lynn didn’t know Kayla before, and now she knows her, her husband, and all the other people that were in Crete. So going to Madeira will be a reconnection of sorts. We get to see our friends, and that’s not something I thought would come out of a week in Greece. There are so many solo traveller trips, but I didn’t expect it to feel like this, especially with the owner of the company.”

For Jerrie-Lynn, the decision to return is about the structure of the retreat, and the people behind it.

“I loved the agenda in Crete,” she says. “I love that every day we had a different experience and adventure, as there was always so much excitement and anticipation. And I have full expectations that we can all continue to have lifelong adventures like this.”

She also loves the way the retreat was run, and the attention given to each individual.

“I only met Stella that week and feel like she is my friend – she is such a special person. She was tucked away with a different person every day to talk to them, get to know them, and make them feel special. She has such a gift for connection and curiosity.”

For both of them, the desire to join another More Life Adventures retreat isn’t just about going somewhere new, but more about the way the experience is shaped overall.

“These kinds of trips give us the opportunity to go to a new place with amazing people,” she adds, “and we can ask all the questions and absorb everything that the country has to offer.”

What They’d Say to Someone Considering a Retreat

We always want to know what our guests would say to someone who hasn’t been on a retreat before. And both Jerrie-Lynn and Mary-Pat are clear in their answer: it’s something that’s difficult to fully explain until you’ve experienced it for yourself.

“Just do it,” says Mary-Pat. “You can’t even compare it to a hotel stay. I talk about Crete so much that one of my customers and his wife are going in June. In Crete, we felt like locals. Jerrie-Lynn sprained her ankle on the last day and we were trying to get a compression sock for the flight home. The pharmacy didn’t have one, but the grocery store owner was going to the next town and picked one up for her. We exchanged numbers and had to force him to take money for it. That was just the whole vibe of the town. I’ll still do my annual trips exploring somewhere new, but Crete is now an anchor place for me.”

Jerrie-Lynn’s response is reflective of feeling completely looked after from start to finish: “Every day was better than the day before. And the customer service in the village – people bent over backwards for us. There wasn’t one time during the trip where people weren’t asking, ‘how can I make this better for you?’ Everyone was so kind and welcoming. There was no language barrier, and people could not have been kinder. Everyone just went the extra mile.”

A Crete Retreat in Three Words

When asked what three words they’d use to describe the week in Crete, Jerrie-Lynn answered with “cleanse, connected and inspired,” and Mary-Pat’s response was “adventure, friendship, and necessity.”

Their experience shows how powerful it can be to step out of your day-to-day life and routine and into something – and somewhere – new. Especially when shared with the right people. 

So the question is, who would you bring? Whether it’s a friend, a partner, a colleague, or simply time for yourself, experiences like this are always better shared. Explore our 2026 retreats in Greece, Portugal and the French Alps here.