Why you need a weekend away, now!
Last weekend we had our annual BUF weekend surf retreat and let me tell you, two cheeky days down the south coast with awesome surf, legendary company and nutritious food was all it took to feel completely rejuvenated. It reminded me why regular weekend getaways need to be on everybody’s ‘must do’ list!I'm sure you'll all agree that life can be pretty darn hectic and it's so easy to get into a pattern of all work, no play. Sometimes all that's stopping us from taking a break is we don't have a partner in crime giving us a nudge. Or we get so caught up in how busy we are at work and think we'll just wait until things settle down a bit. Or maybe we think that we'd better save some cash so we can go away with our partner for a proper holiday in 9 months...Well, screw that. What the hell are we working so hard for if we don't stop and enjoy the fruits of our labour! Work will always be busy and if you wait for the perfect time to take a rest you'll be old and wrinkly before you get that chance. And even great relationships benefit from having a bit of independence.The solution my friends is to grab your nearest girlfriend(s) and start planning a weekend away. To help inspire you to get out there and enjoy your life a little more, here are my top 4 reasons to take a weekend break with your BFF ASAP:
- It’s a great way to clear your head and get social. Being social is great for your mental health and clearing your head will help you be even more productive at work (work smarter, not harder and all that).
- It gives you something to look forward to, especially if you know work is really busy for the next few months. This way you have a little golden light at the end of the photocopier-lined tunnel.
- It’s a more affordable option than traveling overseas, and if you plan a few little weekend trips a year to break things up, you’ll always have something to look forward to and a huge variety of “holidays” to look forward to, nicely spaced at regular intervals throughout the year. Big win!
- Lastly, my favourite; it’s forced relaxation – a lot of the best Aussie beach or bush weekender locations have nothing to do but relax!
Now, if you're inspired but don't know where to start, fear not! We've got a big calendar of events coming up this year so we can do this together.First up, check out the details of our next uber-girly weekend away, the BUF May Wellness Retreat (only 2 spots left in our oh-so-chic house). This one’s all about good food, great company and blissful yoga by the sea. Sigh…Or if adventure is more your style, stay tuned for GO Adventures by Agoga to announce their weekend adventure trips. They’ll kick off this May and involve 24 hours of kayaking, bushwalks, naturistic workouts and just general crazy outback adventures (both boys and girls welcome at this one).Oh and our next big surf getaway will be held in September, when the sunshine returns in all its glory!Until then, for a little extra inspiration, read on to hear about what we got up to on our surf weekend away...-----------------------Last Friday we (gasp) left Bondi and took to the road down the south coast. We stopped at Kiama for dinner to eat our pre packed Eat Fit Food dinner box (they do these lunch boxes that includes a fresh juice and snack bar - no thinking required, delicious and easy). The convoy reconvenes and we’re back on the road heading down to Manyana which in case you didn’t know is an absolute untapped resource for relaxation, quiet beaches and just enough cars to make it un-eerie. Hello population 400! We arrive at 9pm to a cup of tea and freshly baked nut slice by our in house yoga instructor and nutritionist. Our previous ideas of cracking open a bottle of wine quickly vanished as we one by one make our way to bed.Saturday morning included an early-ish rise (typically 7am is a sleep in for us, so nothing to complain about) where we started the day with a yoga session on the deck to watch the sunrise and warm our bodies for the big day ahead. What’s really perfect about these types of weekends away is that all you have to do is turn up and everything else is taken care of for you. All your meals, your activities, your rest and active times are all sorted, at no point are you deliberating with time trying to decide where to go or what to cook – it’s done for you. Perfect for anyone who is constantly stressed at work and needs some down time to re-boot, re-charge and re connect. One word: Easy.The great thing about Manyana is all the different facing beaches with all its different conditions, perfect for beginner, intermediate and advanced, we source the best one for us, load the convoy and off we go. We see a bunch of native wildlife along the trip and when I get back to HQ I forget all the real names of the beaches but rather recall the animals we saw along the way “Are we going to the place with the dolphins or the kangaroos this afternoon?” I catch my sentence after the girls giggle at my question; we’re certainly not in Bondi anymore!After our first (patient) surf session with Claudia Hirschberger, director of Venus Goes Gidget, we come home for lunch and a wonderfully scheduled down time. Some of us stayed at HQ to read, nap or study while the others took a trip to Stingray Bay, known for its infamous and might I add ginormous stingrays. We head back for our second surf session and giggle throughout our hilarious partnered yoga stretch to lengthen all those tired arms from flippin’ all those shakas and paddling against the currents. Our dinner was cozy and before we all call it quits and head to bed it’s not without a little bit of girly gossip over a cheeky glass of red wine together in the lounge room, the waves crashing in the background. The next morning we’re well into the swing of our new routine and settle in for yoga and our third surf session. We have lunch and laugh about each other’s triumphs in the 1 ft height waves. Sometimes just the feeling of catching a wave on your stomach is enough to get hooked as we plan our next trip in a few months’ time. The clock dictates our movements and before we know it the boards are tied up, the bags are packed and our recharged bodies are piled back into the convoy for the ride home back to Bondi, just as we left it.New friends, new hobbies, new passions for surfing and a very relaxing time away. I think we can all agree it was simply put super rewarding and nourishing to give ourselves some well-deserved time out in a relaxing and less stressful environment. We had such a lovely weekend and I for one was super stoked to share it with such lovely BUF girls! Check out all the photos on Facebook
