There’s a Side of Japan Most Travelers Never Get to Experience. I Want to Take You There.
Imagine spending a week on a beautiful Japanese island, eating incredible food, meeting local people, exploring traditions that have been passed down for generations, and discovering why Okinawa has fascinated people studying longevity for decades.
Now imagine doing all of that with a small group of women who love a good adventure just as much as you do.
I’m creating a Rooted Reset™ retreat that takes us beyond the usual tourist stops and gives us a chance to experience Okinawan life in a much more personal way.
And I’m going there myself this November to find the people, places, and experiences that will make it unforgettable.
What If We Could Experience the Things That Make Life Feel So Good Here?
You’ve probably heard Okinawa mentioned in conversations about the world’s longest-living people. But what interests me most isn’t simply how long people live.
It’s how they live.
The food they cook. The relationships they maintain. The time they spend outdoors. The traditions they continue. The ways they move through everyday life. And the sense of purpose and belonging that can be so easy to lose in our busy, modern world.
I don’t want to travel halfway around the world to sit in a conference room talking about those things. I want us to experience them.
I want to eat the food. Meet the people. Learn the traditions. Try things we’ve never done, laugh around the table, and see which little pieces of Okinawan life we might want to bring home.
Because I don’t think you need another list of things you’re supposed to do to be healthy. I think sometimes you need a chance to experience a different way of living and decide what you love about it.
The goal isn’t to come home living like someone else. It’s to come home with a few more ideas for making our own lives even better.
Let Me Show You What I’m Going To Okinawa to Discover.
I’m not ready to hand you a finished itinerary just yet, and there’s a reason for that. I want to experience these places myself, meet the people behind them, and make sure what we create is something really special.
Here’s some of what I’m exploring on my scouting trip in November.
Sit Down With People Who Have Called Okinawa Home for Generations.
I'm especially excited about spending time with Okinawan residents and learning about their everyday lives. I have an overnight homestay planned, which means sharing meals, conversations, and time with local hosts instead of simply visiting an attraction and moving on. I want to understand the stories behind the traditions and what daily life really looks like. And I'm exploring how we might create a meaningful opportunity for our retreat guests to learn from local people, too.
Eat the Food. Learn to Make It. Bring Some of It Home.
If you've been following my work for a while, you already know I LOVE connecting food, health, and culture. Okinawa gives us an incredible opportunity to do that. I'm exploring traditional Okinawan cooking, local ingredients, markets, and opportunities to learn from people who actually prepare these foods. Not so we can come home with a complicated new diet. So we can discover a few delicious, practical things we might actually want to make again. And yes, I fully expect some really wonderful meals along the way.
Explore the Island in Ways You Wouldn't Normally Think to Plan.
On my scouting trip, I'm heading out on a mangrove canoe experience and exploring the forests and natural landscapes of northern Okinawa. I'm also looking into forest bathing and other ways to enjoy the outdoors that feel less like a workout and more like an experience. Imagine paddling through mangroves, wandering somewhere beautiful, seeing a completely different side of Japan, and having plenty of stories to tell over dinner. Those are the kinds of days I want us to have.
Try Cultural Traditions, Not Just Take Pictures of Them.
I'm looking into experiences like bingata, Okinawa's traditional textile-dyeing art, along with opportunities to explore local crafts, Ryukyuan history, and cultural practices. I love the idea of sitting down with someone who knows a craft deeply, hearing how it has been passed down, and trying it ourselves. Because there's such a difference between taking a picture of something beautiful and getting to understand the person, history, and work behind it.
Explore What Ikigai Actually Looks Like in Everyday Life.
You've probably seen the word ikigai on social media. But I want us to go beyond the diagrams and actually explore what gives people a reason to get up in the morning. For some, it may be family. For others, a garden, a lifelong craft, community responsibilities, friendships, or a sense of being needed. I'm looking into opportunities for conversations and experiences that help us understand these ideas in their cultural context. And maybe they'll spark some really interesting conversations about our own lives, too.
Stay Somewhere You Can't Wait to Come Back To.
I'm scouting accommodations in the Onna area because I want our home for the week to be part of the experience. Somewhere beautiful and comfortable, with room to gather, enjoy meals, have conversations, and relax after a full day of exploring. I want it to feel special when we go out. And just as special when we come home.
These are experiences Susan is personally exploring in November 2026. The final November 2027 retreat itinerary, activities, local partners, and accommodations will be confirmed after scouting.
Some of the Best Parts of a Trip Aren’t on the Itinerary.
Of course we’re going to explore Okinawa. That’s why we’re traveling all the way to Japan!
But I also want the kind of evenings when nobody is in a hurry to leave the table. The unexpected conversations. The new foods you end up loving. The women who make you laugh so hard you can’t finish your story. The experience you weren’t sure you wanted to try that ends up being your favorite part of the entire trip.
And the moment you look around and think, “I am SO glad I came.”
That’s why I keep my retreats intentionally small. Not because I want to create some exclusive club. Because I want us to have time to actually get to know one another, enjoy where we are, and make memories together.
I want you to come home with amazing stories about Okinawa AND a few new women you’d happily travel with again.
What If Something You Discover in Okinawa Becomes Part of Your Life at Home?
- Maybe it's an Okinawan dish you start making for your family.
- Maybe it's a different way of thinking about movement, time outside, or how often you get together with friends.
- Maybe you hear a story from someone older that changes the way you think about your own future.
- Or maybe you realize you want more afternoons spent doing something interesting and a lot fewer spent waiting for the perfect time.
I want us to notice those things while we’re there. Not so we can come home and overhaul our entire lives. But so we can make a little more room for the things we discover we love.
That’s the Rooted Reset™ difference. We don’t just explore extraordinary places. We look for pieces of those experiences worth bringing into our everyday lives.
What If You Already Knew the Women Before You Ever Got on the Plane?
One of my favorite things about how we’re building these retreats is that the fun doesn’t have to begin when we arrive at the airport.
Retreat guests will have time inside The Rooted Community before traveling, which gives us an opportunity to get to know one another and start exploring the culture before we ever leave home.
We already have seasonal cooking with Haruka Kato of Gut Chef Japan twice a month, and I’m exploring additional Okinawa-specific conversations and cultural experiences as part of our retreat preparation.
I want us learning a little about the food, the traditions, the people, and the places we’re going to experience. But I also want us laughing, cooking, chatting, and getting excited together.
So when we finally arrive in Okinawa, it feels a lot less like meeting a group of strangers and a lot more like starting an adventure with women you’ve already gotten to know.
The retreat is one amazing week. The friendships don’t have to end there.
Final Community access details for Okinawa retreat guests will be shared when registration opens.
Before I Invite You to Okinawa, I Want to See It for Myself.
This November, my family and I are heading to Okinawa for a scouting trip. Yes, we’ll have some family adventures along the way. But I’ll also be doing some serious retreat research.
I’m visiting potential accommodations, meeting local partners, experiencing activities, exploring the food, and figuring out which parts of this beautiful island I most want to share with you.
I’m sure I’ll discover things I haven’t even thought to look for yet. And that’s exactly why I’m going.
If you’re on the Okinawa interest list, you’ll be able to follow along as I explore the possibilities and turn them into a retreat worth traveling halfway around the world for.
Some experiences may make the final itinerary. Others may lead me to something even better. Either way, I want you to get a look at how this adventure comes together.
I’ve Never Been Very Good at Seeing a Place and Saying, “That’s Nice,” Then Moving On.
I want to know what people eat. Why they do things the way they do. What traditions have been around for generations. What makes a place feel like home to the people who live there.
And, inevitably, I start wondering how I could bring a group of women back to experience it with me.
After 23 years in the Air Force, years of international travel, becoming a mom again at 40 and 44, and building a business around health and longevity, I’ve become even more interested in what makes a life feel full.
Okinawa feels like the perfect place to explore that question.
And I don’t want us to spend a week just talking about living well. I want us to go live some of it together.
If You’ve Already Started Imagining Yourself in Okinawa, Get on the List.
NOVEMBER 1–8, 2027 · OKINAWA, JAPAN
This retreat is still taking shape, but here’s what I already know.
I want a small group of adventurous, curious women who appreciate incredible experiences, meaningful connections, wonderful food, and the chance to discover a place in a way that goes beyond ordinary sightseeing. And I want to create something I’d be excited to book myself.
Join the interest list and you’ll receive updates as the retreat comes together, including discoveries from my scouting trip, details about the experience, accommodations, pricing, and how to register when booking opens.
Put Me on the Okinawa List!
There’s no deposit and no commitment to attend. You’re simply raising your hand to hear about the retreat first.
Before You Put Your Name on the List...
This Might Be the Trip You Come Home Talking About for Years.
The incredible food. The fascinating people. The things we tried that we’d never done before. The conversations that made us think differently.
And the women we’ll want to plan another adventure with before our suitcases are even unpacked.
That’s what I want to create in Okinawa.
And if you’re already thinking, “Oh, I would LOVE to do that,” I want you on the list.
We’ve Got Other Adventures to Look Forward To, Too.
Okinawa is one of several Rooted Reset™ experiences we’re planning. From Costa Rica to future adventures in Europe and closer-to-home gatherings, I’m always looking for new places and experiences worth sharing.
