Unfiltered & Off the Grid: Retreats, Reframing, and Realignment
Spring is dipping out fast and summer is coming in hot, literally and emotionally. In this T&A episode, Amber and I sit down to unpack what’s been coming up lately: trail miles, shifting energy, hormone chaos, and all the body image BS that bubbles up when you're trying to feel strong and grounded but also...soft.
I just got back from a the HOEM retreat, and let me tell you, it stirred up a lot - in the best ways. We talk about what it means to really unplug, how much noise we carry without realizing it, and why even the smallest reset can change the way we move through the world.
We also go there with social media fatigue, aging in endurance sports, shifting friendships, and self-perception in the middle of it all. This one’s not tied up in a bow. It’s honest and full of the stuff that never makes it to the highlight reel.
Redefining Strong (Again)
We talk a lot about performance in this episode, how it’s measured, how it shifts as we age, and how it messes with our heads. Sometimes I feel powerful and dialed. Other days, I can’t button my pants and feel like a stranger in my own body.
It’s not about loving every part of ourselves all the time. It’s about being in it, committed to movement, even if it looks different than it used to. And learning to be soft and fierce at the same time.
The Power (and Challenge) of Unplugging
I didn’t go on this retreat expecting a full reset, but stepping away from screens, structure, and expectations gave me something I didn’t realize I needed: space. Space to think. Space to feel. Space to be.
There wasn’t a big breakthrough moment. But there was honesty. Time away helped me notice where I’ve been going through the motions and where I actually want to show up differently.
That’s where I’m at now, open to what’s next, even if I don’t have it all figured out.
Friendship Without the Performance Plan
We also got into friendship dynamics. About how some friendships don’t revolve around regular texts, weekend hangs, or frequent check-ins, and that doesn’t make them any less real. There are people I genuinely consider friends even if we don’t talk all the time. And that’s enough.
It’s a good reminder that consistency doesn’t always mean frequency and the people who get you don’t need constant proof that you care.
No pressure, no production. Just presence.
Why You’ll Want to Hit Play
You’re feeling pulled in 10 directions and want to slow it down
You’re navigating changes in your body, your energy, or your relationships
You want a reminder that clarity doesn’t always look pretty
You’re here for unfiltered convo and permission to shift gears
