Shaunie from @shaunieandthecity shares her experience of the Puerto Vallarta retreat in May 2018!
Why did you decide to join us on a retreat? What excited you most about the retreat?
I first learned about the Pangea Dreams retreat because I follow Lisa Homsy on Instagram. I saw her stories when she was hosting the retreat in Tulum and was really intrigued by what was going on. I tuned into a live lightroom workshop she instructed and at the time it seemed like algebra. (Truthfully I love algebra – always trying to solve my ex and find out y – haha jk) I decided to follow Pangea Dreams on Instagram to learn more about the retreats. I then stalked their website and alumni because I wanted to see if their alumni had advanced since attending the retreat. At the time I probably had about 3K followers and was really starting out and it felt really lonely honestly because everything was self taught mostly and I was completely in the dark. With everything from editing to posing to collabing. When I say collabing I actually mean with other girls on instagram. I knew no one else doing this. And, I also kind of felt super worried that my friends thought I was super into myself for even doing this. I really wished there was like an Instagram girl collaboration dating app. Like “hey wanna go out and take photos of each other?” Because I would see Mel & Lisa, Lisa & Aggie and Aggie and Christine, and I would think I want to do that! I actually don’t want to be in pictures by myself all the time. So, I continued watching and following Pangea Dreams on Instagram wondering if this was what I needed. My friend Amy has a huge following on Instagram and recommended Pangea Dreams, so that sealed the deal for me. I was seriously considering it and that referral was what I needed to pull the trigger. The things that most excited me was meeting other girls that were like-minded and trying to achieve the same goals as me.
What top 3 things did you learn while on the retreat?
I would say my biggest takeaways were learning to use my camera in manual, reaching out to brands and different income strategies.
How did your life change after the retreat?
So, I personally believe in the law of attraction. During the Pangea Dreams retreat I kept thinking I DO NOT want to go back to my 9-5. I worked all the time in a corporate job where I felt exhausted. The day I came back to my 9-5 they let me go. And that might sound super scary and some people aren’t ready for it and I had a second where I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it. But since that day I have been working on my instagram, collaborating with other girls in NY and reaching out to brands. I feel happy and free for the first time in years.
Would you recommend the retreat to a friend or someone who is interested in joining us on a retreat?
Yes! I already have and have a friend going to the next Bali retreat a couple others thinking about it.
What was a highlight from your trip?
I’d say my roomie Dom was my highlight. I came there to meet like-minded women and Dom and I just connected. We would shoot all day into the night when everyone else was done. Neither one of us ever got tired of shooting and we just vibed on our goals.
How has your blog or Instagram grown since the retreat?
I haven’t been back from the retreat for a month yet and my following has grown 3.5K!
Did the retreat live up to your expectations?
Yes, it was exactly what I needed to take me to that next level.
