LMDES GETAWAY

I first came across Las Morenas De España (LMDES) a few years back on Instagram, I'm not sure exactly of the details, but most likely I was posting pictures from my travels and either they reposted one of my images based on the hashtags I was using or maybe I tagged them in an image that I had taken in Spain. LMDES is a digital platform and community that provides resources and experiences for expats and travellers worldwide with a focus on women of colour. Their aim is to empower and inspire women to take that leap of faith and move abroad, creating a life without limitations. The founder of LMDES is lovely Ms Sienna Brown (IG: @siempregirando) pictured below on the left. Sienna also works closely with Dani (IG: @danni_melena_de_leon) who is the Community & Content Director at LMDES. Sienna invited me to attend their LMDES Thrive Conference back in 2016 which I have previously blogged about here and since then, we have stayed connected on Instagram. Fast forward to a few months ago, Sienna approached me to photograph their first ever LMDES Getaway - a 5 day retreat based in a luxury villa in Jávea, Spain.  The retreat was to consist of a series of workshops and discussions as well a bit of yoga, meditation and exploring thrown in. Here are some of the pictures from the retreat.

DAY 1

All guests received a welcome gift which included a bottle of wine, a beautiful notebook designed by Sabina Alcaraz, a gorgeous face cream from Ametis Cosmetics and Spanish sweets by Turrones Alcaraz Servant. I also received some goodies (thank you LMDES!), although passed on the wine as I don’t drink, but I can confirm the face cream from Ametis Cosmetic is really lovely as were the Spanish sweets.

Once all guests had arrived, they quickly settled in with introductions and an icebreaker which involved sharing an embarrassing story followed by a welcome dinner of paella.

DAY 2

After breakfast, guests gathered for a workshop focusing on meditation and the importance of morning rituals led by nutritionist, Sarah Somian of Deliciously Vibrant.

Later on in the afternoon, there was a round table discussion and Q&A with the LMDES team focusing on living in Spain as an American expat.

The evening was spent learning to cook Spanish cuisine, with a cooking class by Concina Eneldo which included, learning to make sangria and tapas dishes such as patatas bravas and croquetas de pollo y jamón.

DAY 3

The third day started with a transforming breakfast and healthy options workshop again led by nutritionist, Sarah Somian – Check out Sarah’s website, www.deliciouslyvibrant.com for some amazing tips, she also has an e-book which includes a really great sweet potato toast suggestion as an alternative to using bread.

Sarah also explained the importance of adding protein into your smoothies as well as overnight oats, which I had personally had never heard of. Sarah’s workshops very insightful and I would definitely recommend all to check out her website or give her a follow on Instagram @deliciouslyvibrant.

After breakfast, we headed into the old town of Jávea for a photo walk with yours truly, but first a group picture at the villa to kick start proceedings – thank goodness for tripods and camera remotes!

When the photographer gets photographed… haha..

Another picture thanks to Sienna’s trusty tripod and my camera remote.

We ended the photo walk with late lunch at, Spanish restaurant La Siesta on the beach front.

In the evening, there was a wine tasting session led by Nicole Angela of Nicole Angela Travel & Taste.

DAY 4

The fourth day began with yoga by the pool led by Sarah. It was the perfect setting – palm trees, blue sky, fresh air..

After the morning yoga session, the ladies had some free time to do as they pleased. I tagged along with the group that wanted to go on a hike 🙂 Of course we stopped for pictures along the way…

In the evening, Sienna led a workshop focused on how to create the life you want, goal planning and vision boarding.

The final evening ended with a lovely group farewell dinner.

For more information about LMDES Getaways, head on over to the LMDES website at www.lasmorenasdeespana.com/events/ where you can sign up for future events. 

Photography by Tanya Weekes Airline: Ryanair + Jet2 Location: Jávea, Spain