30 April 2026 - Issue #032

Hey Reader,

I'll get straight to the point: this month changed my life.

April brought shifts on both a personal and professional level that feel subtle and not-so-subtle at the same time.

The kind where you know nothing will be the same anymore from now on.

This is the month I traveled all the way to the northwest of Bali to spend a weekend at Sumberkima Hill talking about the future of retreats and the importance of co-creation.

It's also the month I drove to the east of Bali to spend a weekend in Amed, soaking in the sunshine, watching the sun set behind the sea and mountains, and enjoying the chill vibe that makes Amed truly special.

The best thing about this month and everything that happened before, in between, and after those two weekends is how things unfolded in my head and heart in a way that feels just right and natural.

One after the other, all the pieces of the puzzle found their place.

As a result, this clarity is making me feel the type of calmness I've been seeking for most of my life.

Now it's here.

I can touch it.

I feel it every day when I know for a fact that everything is happening for a beautiful reason.

The direction my business and my life are taking makes complete sense now, even though I couldn't quite see either when I started this journey or every time I made the decision to pack my bags and leave a place.

Speaking of leaving, in just over a week I'll be leaving my home in Ubud and I can't quite believe this is happening.

Of course I'll return to Bali in a few months, but it still feels like this beautiful Ubud chapter is coming to an end and the next one in Bali could take a completely different form and shape.

The truth is that Bali is shaping my life in a way no other place ever has.

I truly believe April wouldn't have been this life-changing if I had spent it somewhere else, and the gratitude I experience towards this island, its land, its culture and people is something difficult to put into words.

Speaking of the many lessons Bali has taught me, the most important one has been captured in this article I wrote back in March around the Nyepi celebrations.

From the Blog

What Bali Can Teach Us About the Art of Pause How deeply have we been conditioned to keep going, even when everything is telling us to stop? We try to rest while still carrying everything. We take a holiday and bring the anxiety with us. We book a weekend away and spend half of it mentally at our desks. We tell ourselves we are pausing, but what we are actually doing is pressing pause on the surface while everything underneath keeps running. You cannot genuinely arrive at stillness if you haven't first released what you were holding. Read the Article

What's Stirring

Reading this article after the weekend I just spent felt very interesting.

You see, I had plans for our time in Amed: go snorkeling, explore the rice terraces, spend time at the beach, discover this new place as much as possible.

Then I got there and those plans felt constricting.

Suddenly the weekend of exploration turned into a weekend of rest where all the plans and intentions for the day disappeared.

It struck me how challenging it was for me to experience boredom and embrace it rather than fight it.

To not feel the need to go out of the beautiful villa we had booked, and instead to just be.

Watch a movie.

Sit by the pool.

Go to the same cafe twice because we simply loved it.

Read a book.

It felt like a proper nurturing experience and a proper reset that made coming back to normal life in Ubud very interesting.

Early on in the week, I was chatting to Dhara - the lovely soul who is co-creating A Pause in the Season with me - and we discussed once again how this retreat comes from our hearts, souls and needs.

It's not something we put together following some random trend in the wellness industry, it's not shaped in a way that feels forced or directed by external factors.

It truly is the result of what we've both gone through and are still going through in our lives, and the recognition that this is exactly what other women need.

Today marks the end of the early bird sale for our retreat and it feels like the perfect opportunity to explain a bit more about the behind the scenes of this experience, where it came from and why.

I'm sharing my personal story and how I spent most of my life moving through the world with the quiet feeling that I didn't quite fit as a woman.

And this is Dhara's story, trust me there isn't a better person to lead this restorative and nurturing retreat.

Retreat Radar

​ ​A Pause in the Season Ubud, Bali | Nov 6 - 11, 2026 A six-day retreat for women moving through seasons of change, the kind that are not always visible, but that shift something deeply. This is for the moments where you feel a little disconnected, a little unsure, or simply in between versions of yourself. A space to slow down, to soften, and to be around women who understand without needing much explanation. All of this in Ubud, the kind of environment that naturally invites you to come back to yourself. More Info

I have no idea what May has in store for me.

I know it's going to be another beautiful and intense month where I'll say goodbye to Indonesia - but only after exploring more of it - and return to Chiang Mai, the place where almost a year ago I stood at a crossroad and took the path that led me here.

From one special place to another.

From one chapter to the next.

What I do know is this: the clarity I found this April, the calmness I can finally touch, the understanding that all the pieces are falling into place - none of it would have happened if I'd kept forcing things.

If I hadn't learned to pause.

If I hadn't let the plans dissolve when they stopped serving me.

That weekend in Amed where I did nothing was more valuable than any packed itinerary could have been.

That's what A Pause in the Season is about.

Not fixing, not becoming, not achieving.

Just pausing. Softening.

Being held by other women who understand what it means to be in between versions of yourself.

If you've been feeling like you don't quite fit lately, or like you're navigating a season of change that no one else seems to see, join us in Ubud this November.

You won't regret it.

Ciao ciao,

Milla

P.S. Hosting a retreat, event, or programme soon? I'd love to feature it in Retreat Radar. Just hit reply with the details (where, when, what makes it special). It's free and open to everyone in this community 😊