What is The Journey?
The Journey is a unique retreat, inspired by a concept called The Hero's Journey — the idea that we are all called to adventure, to something bigger and more challenging than we have ever experienced before. For one, the adventure may reflect a new job offer. For another, the adventure of parenthood. For yet another, pursuing a business idea. Most of us embark on many important journeys in our lifetime.
They Journey Retreat is a chance to unplug for a few days to explore your current journey in an inspiring setting. Along the way you will learn how to face your current obstacles, and discover what it will take to complete your current journey successfully...no matter where or how far in the future your finish line may be.
The best part is that you will not be exploring your journey alone. You will be accompanied by a small, select group of other awesome humans who are exploring their journeys as well. And while each person has a specific, personal journey to explore, we all need someone to listen, provide a fresh perspective, and encourage us. That's what we'll do for each other.
IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?
Who Should Join The Journey
If you're currently on a challenging life journey — or are on the verge of embarking on one — and:
- You believe your journey is important, even if you don't understand it all or know what the destination looks like yet.
- You wish you had time to breathe, think, and plan your path.
- Spending 3 days experiencing surprising locations and spectacular nature would be good for your mental and physical health.
- Others in your life don't necessarily "get" where you are in your journey or understand how you feel about it.
- You'd love to meet a small handful of like-minded people who are excited to explore the future together.
Top 3 Benefits of The Journey Retreat
The list of benefits for The Journey is longer than we could include on this whole website.
But if we had to pick the top three, here they are:
The Agenda
This high-level agenda is what we're planning, but may change as new ideas and opportunities develop.
Day 1 - The Arrival
- Arrive at Palm Springs Airport
- Pick up, transport, and settle in at ACE HOTEL
- Dinner with fellow participants
- Introduction to The Journey
Day 2 - The Desert
- Breakfast at Kings Highway
- Transport to Joshua Tree National Park
- Hiking, conversation, and reflection.
- Lunch
- Transport back to ACE HOTEL
- Personal Time
- Dinner at Kings Highway
Day 3 - The Mountain
- Breakfast at Kings Highway
- Transport to Idylwild
- Hiking, conversation, and reflection.
- Lunch
- Explore Idylwild
- Transport back to ACE HOTEL
- Personal Time
- Dinner at Kings Highway
Day 4 - The Return
- Breakfast at Kings Highway
- Closing conversation
- Personal time
- Transport back to Palm Springs Airport
A Unique & Powerful Location
Palm Springs. Joshua Tree. Idyllwild.
There are very few places in America where you can experience a hip, fun city, the desolate beauty of a one-of-a-kind desert, and stunning, lush mountaintop views all in the same 72 hours. However that's exactly why we chose this specific location for The Journey Retreat.
We will experience a surprising variety of different environments, each an intentional backdrop for a different part of The Journey. We'll explore the desert to help us think about the times we feel isolated and a bit lost. We'll explore the mountaintop to demonstrate how quickly things change when we change our perspective. We'll absorb the energy of Palm Springs to to acknowledge where we've come from while proactively inventing our future.
Our home base for The Journey is a renovated mid-century desert modern hotel (formerly Howard Johnson's with a Denny’s attached). Now known as The ACE HOTEL & SWIM CLUB, it feels like a hip contemporary hotel with a foot squarely planted in the past (in a good way). It also features the Kings Highway restaurant, a modern diner where we will eat several of our meals.
Your Retreat Guide - Mark Henson
I'm the owner and founder of sparkspace — a unique business meeting space in Columbus, Ohio. I've been leading workshops and retreats for over twenty years. I also wrote a book called Ordinary Superpowers: Unleash The Full Potential of Your Most Natural Talents.
I've been wanting to host a retreat like this for many years. A couple years ago I visited Palm Springs and explored Joshua Tree and I was inspired to finally make this retreat a reality. I can't wait to meet you and join you on your Journey.
Ready to Begin The Journey?
Ff you'd like more information about The Journey, including pricing, fill out the information below and we'll be in touch shortly. We're happy to answer any questions you have and look forward to having you on The Journey!