About Melanie Gordon
The Heart Behind Living in Flow
A story not unlike many others — I was a California girl who fell in love with Colorado life. After graduating from the University of Boulder, I settled into my new “adult” life in my early twenties: a job, a condo, a cat, and a crew of friends. I was happy, but I’d always dreamed of working for myself.
By my mid-twenties, I decided to make it happen. At 26, I established Living in Flow — an LLC to teach yoga and hula hooping — and just see where it would take me. What I didn’t know then was how life would push me into that path in ways I never imagined. On October 19, 2021, I awoke to the devastating news that my home, possessions, and beloved cat, Moby, were lost in a fire.
My Story: Pain to Purpose
I found myself grappling with profound questions like, what do I do? What does this mean? Is this my dark night of the soul? In a quest to heal and learn what it truly means to live in flow - I decided to take the Universe’s lead and venture into the unknown.
With a backpack and a freshly printed passport, I embarked on solo travel through Central America - and it changed me forever.
Profound moments of joy came alongside deep pockets of grief. Solo travel taught me to show up for myself and move at my own rhythm. It also made me deeply aware of my blessings — and the privilege of being able to travel.
Backpacking gave me confidence, but it also sparked a desire to contribute to something larger than myself. That led me to the jungles of Nicaragua, where I lived and worked at an eco-lodge on Laguna de Apoyo, teaching yoga and doing web design.
What Solo Travel Taught Me
Finding Flow and Setting Goals
Living on Laguna de Apoyo, teaching yoga to travelers, and connecting with the Nicaraguan community healed my heart and changed my life. The more I stepped outside my comfort zone, the more synchronicities unfolded, inspiration soared, and chance encounters felt meant to be.
After three transformative months on the lagoon, I said my goodbyes, leaving with two clear goals: to become fluent in Spanish and finally learn how to surf. Not because I had to, but because they felt like portals into a bigger version of myself.
Love, Surf, and New Paths
As soon as I arrived to the beach town of Popoyo, I fell in love and got a job teaching yoga at a surf lodge. Wanting to extend my adventure, I took on content creation projects, such as designing the lodge’s website, utilizing the creative skills I’d always been passionate about.
During this time, I realized my nervous system had finally relaxed. I was no longer waiting for the other shoe to drop. I made peace with my past and knew in my heart that the fire had given me the chance to live a life I didn’t know was possible.
Becoming a Travel Writer
Writing was always my first love, and when the chance to become a travel writer arrived in 2022, I said yes. It’s led me to sit with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, watch the sunrise over Uluru in Australia, and share ceviche with a family in the Peruvian Andes.
I’m humbled by these moments and in awe of the way travel reveals what truly matters. It’s a privilege to tell my own stories — and to pass on those of remarkable people I meet along the way.
Why I Host Living in Flow Retreats
As my worldview expanded, so did my desire to give back. Living in Flow retreats were born from the belief that travel can transform us — not just through where we go, but through who we become in the process.
My mission is to create a space for women to step out of their comfort zones, try new things, and reconnect with themselves. Because when we connect deeply with nature, ourselves, and each other, we return home with fresh purpose, clarity, and inspiration.
Living in flow is a dance. A balance of surrender and control; taking action, while knowing the potential of the Universe is on your side.
Retreat with me
