Coming Home to Cayssalie: A Personal Reflection
As some of you may know, I recently stepped away from the usual grind of daily life at Cayssalie. After enduring a challenging winter of renovations and the rush to complete everything before spring truly arrived, I needed a change of scenery. I was carrying months of accumulated stress, digital overload, and the kind of bone-deep exhaustion that settles into your very being.
I found myself in a bustling metropolis where the promise of deserted beaches existed only in photographs or during moments of lashing rain. Yes, I enjoyed myself. Yes, I slept. Yes, I dipped my toes in the ocean and savored fresh fish. Yes, I sipped Albariño wine and took in new sights.
But I also noticed things I hadn't anticipated: the constant traffic, the symphony of car horns, the over-population on one small island. I recognized the stress and yearning for escape in the face of the lovely woman at the supermarket checkout. She, like so many others I encountered, seemed to be counting down to her own retreat from daily pressures.
When I finally returned home to Cayssalie—where buds were still waiting to pop, flowers yet to show their petals, trees yet to unfold their leaves—part of me thought: here we go again, back to the routine.
But something remarkable happened. Literally on the drive down into the valley, I noticed the almost lightning-green of the young leaves, the utter peacefulness of the road, the complete absence of traffic. And when I turned into Cayssalie's entrance, I was greeted by a triumphant explosion of color, trees with vibrant leaves fully unfurled after just a week away.
A smile spread across my face.
This is what I want others to feel: a real coming home.
That first night back, my partner and I slid into our bed and simply said to each other: "Listen." And we did. Nothing—not even a distant dog's bark—interrupted the perfect silence. That is the magic of Cayssalie: the profound silence, the immersion in nature, the beauty of the forgotten ordinary.
Sometimes you need to go away to truly appreciate the retreat back to Cayssalie.
After just one week of being home, I feel renewed, rejuvenated, and refreshed, with a clear perspective on the next steps forward. This is the kind of restoration that regular vacations simply don't touch. I've rediscovered clarity, purpose, and a renewed sense of self that I hadn't felt in years.
So what makes Cayssalie different from every other retreat center or wellness destination? Perhaps it's not just what we offer to others, but what this place gives back to me—the keeper of this sanctuary—every single day.
The true power of Cayssalie isn't in elaborate programs or over priced amenities. It's in the simple return to what matters: silence, nature, presence, and the profound feeling of coming home to yourself.