Kelsey and Preston’s friendship began far from mountains or rivers. We met our freshman year at University of Miami, FL in 2010 and became friends through a blur of South Beach clubs and college frat houses, unable to fathom what this friendship would turn into – something special, something bigger than us. Probably because our souls were seeking something else…

Which brings us to 2016, when yoga and the mountains of Colorado brought us back together after world travel and corporate jobs. Preston called Kelsey up, post a break up, post living in Thailand, to ask about her yoga teacher training. She saw something in Kelsey’s new life in Denver – a sparkle that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she intuitively felt drawn to it. So, Preston bought a car, road tripped around the country, put 12,000 miles on her new Subaru, and landed in Denver to make a new life. Kelsey was her instant best friend. 

Life in Denver was all we dreamed of. We camped together, sang together, and road tripped together. We immersed ourselves in a community of healers and visionaries alike. We hiked from Crested Butte to a concert in Aspen, and back again the next day (where we forgot our sandwiches in our host’s fridge, oops!) We both started to find our way in the wellness industry, developing rituals and values that became increasingly aligned.

Through all of our adventures, we came to realize we had a shared vision. A vision that incorporated movement, adventure and play. This was a vision we wanted to share with others, because we were coming to realize that when we awaken our innate bond with mother nature, we awaken the truest essence of self. And through this, Awaken Retreats was born.

Our first retreat sold out, with 25 people traveling from Colorado and all across the country to be part of an immersive movement and adventure experience. From there, we have honed in on our vision, made daily efforts to live out our values, and committed to weekly meetings and meditations together. We hold each other accountable, hold space for each other, and reflect each other in our wholeness. We are so excited to continue on this journey of giving back to each other, our community, and our land.