Retreat vs. Vacation: The Sweet Life Difference

Every year, the Sweet Life Annual Retreat is our invitation to pause, reconnect, and reimagine what’s possible.

At Holistree, we created the Sweet Life because we knew there had to be another way. A way for Black women to lead, create, and live without constantly pouring from an empty cup. A way to be in spaces where rest, ritual, joy, and community aren’t afterthoughts - they are the foundation.

The Sweet Life is both a practice and a promise: that you can be successful and still be nourished, that you can achieve without abandoning yourself.

Vacation vs. Retreat

There is a difference between taking a vacation and choosing to retreat. A vacation is often about escape - checking out from the world, sometimes with the stress of planning every detail yourself. It can be beautiful, but it doesn’t always leave you restored.

A retreat, especially with Holistree, is different. When you retreat, you step intentionally into a sacred container designed for your restoration and renewal. Everything is curated for you - the accommodations, the experiences, the rituals, even the spaces in between. Instead of worrying about logistics, you are free to simply arrive, soften, and receive.

That ease is part of the transformation. You’re no longer managing or performing. You are cared for, so you can do the deeper work of reconnecting to yourself, your desires, and your vision for what comes next.

The Sweet Life Approach

At Holistree, we believe wellness isn’t about adding more to your plate - it’s about creating rhythms and experiences that bring you back to your essence. The Sweet Life Annual Retreat is where this comes alive. Each year, we gather women who are ready to embrace rest, ritual, storytelling, and legacy as leadership practices.

We don’t design retreats as temporary escapes. We design them as immersive experiences that ripple back into your daily life. Our participants often share that they return home not only refreshed but with new clarity about how they want to lead, work, and love. Every detail is intentional. Every moment is curated to exceed expectations - not through extravagance, but through presence, care, and alignment.

The Sweet Life is, at its heart, a commitment to Black women. To center our joy, our rest, and our right to experience the fullness of life. Our retreats are sacred spaces where we get to practice what it feels like to be deeply supported, celebrated, and poured into. Spaces where you don’t have to hold it all together - because we are holding it for you.

If you’ve been craving the sweetness of being cared for, of being in community with women who reflect your brilliance and your softness, of being reminded that you are worthy of luxury and ease - then you are already aligned with what the Sweet Life offers.

Our next Sweet Life Retreat - our 4th Annual gathering - is happening in Cape Town in 2026.

Learn more and join the journey here: The Sweet Life 4th Annual Retreat