Why I Fly Across the World for Retreats (Even When the Weather Doesn’t Cooperate)

Dr. Briana Botsford posing in the Swiss Alps during a women’s hiking retreat.

Have you ever noticed how life has a funny way of challenging your expectations?

Mine certainly did this fall when I flew all the way to Zurich, Switzerland to spend five days with my good pal Dr. Jordan Robertson - and meet internet legend Alyssa Olenick in real life for the first time.

Yes, I crossed an ocean to hang out with a friend and an internet friend.
Zero regrets.

I had visions of blue skies and dramatic Swiss Alps views… you know, the postcard version.
But nature had other plans.

It rained.
A lot.

And while I love the saying “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,” it still stung a little. I’d come all this way for breathtaking peaks, and instead I got fog… and more fog.

What I Couldn’t Control - and What I Could

Somewhere between layering up for the millionth time and trying to take photos of clouds that could be mountains, I remembered something important:

Oftentimes the only thing we can control is our response.

Not the weather.
Not the circumstances.
Not the outcome.

Just our attitude in the middle of it all.

So I’ll ask you the same thing I asked myself:

• What do you do when things don’t go your way?

• When you’re disappointed?

• When something you were excited about falls flat?

Do you shut down?
Do you get frustrated?
Do you give up?

I’ve been there - in races with bad weather, mechanical failures, hormonal chaos (hello day 27 of my cycle). In those moments, the only thing I truly had control over was my mindset.

Smile and do my best?
Or get annoyed that reality didn’t match my plan?

The group of women retreat participants posing in the Swiss Alps after a hike, still smiling despite the weather.

Women Are Resilient - Especially Together

The group of 22 women I traveled with impressed me beyond words.
Almost no one complained.

We layered up.
We laughed.
We hiked through rain, snow, and fog together.

And honestly?

It was magical in its own way.

The views were moody, the skies were dramatic, and the company was immaculate.

There is something powerful about being surrounded by women who choose resilience, connection, and joy - even when conditions aren’t ideal.

I used to struggle with this.
There were years when I didn’t feel safe connecting with other women at all.
It took time, healing, and experiences like this to show me how energizing women’s community can be.

Why I Invest in Retreats - And What They Give Me

Traveling halfway across the world isn’t “necessary.”
But it is restorative.

Retreats give me:

• space to breathe outside my routine

• clarity I can’t get in a clinic or at a desk

• nervous system regulation I didn’t know I needed

• genuine connection with women who inspire me

• a reset I feel in my body for months afterward

Retreats change the way I show up as a clinician.
As a mother.
As a friend.
As a leader.

This is why I continue to go on them - even when the weather doesn’t cooperate. Because the point isn’t the view.
The point is who you become.

And It’s Why I Host Retreats, Too

I want you to feel this.
To have a weekend where your nervous system can settle.
Where you can laugh with other women who get your world.
Where you’re nourished, held, and supported.
Where the schedule is slow and the connection is deep.

You shouldn’t have to fly to Switzerland for that kind of reset (although… maybe someday we will).

This is why I created my first in-person retreat here in Alberta - to bring that same energy of connection, nourishment, intentional movement, and shared learning to women close to home.

If something in you is craving that experience… stay close.
I have something beautiful coming this April 2026 in the Rockies.

Get on the waitlist and be the first to grab your room for your reset.