We first met in 2014 in Seattle, inside a two-year entrepreneurial leadership program centered on the power of teamwork and communication. On paper, we were eight years apart and on our own unique life paths. But very quickly, it became clear how much we shared: both Ohio girls at heart, both committed to fitness and self care and fans of Athleta clothing, both in seasons of reinvention, both in love with travel and deeply committed to creating extraordinary lives we truly loved.

We clicked instantly. What began as teammates in a leadership program soon became  long talks, laughter, and a friendship that blossomed into a true sisterhood.

Over the years, we’ve walked side by side through some of life’s most tender chapters. Sarah supported Susan in 2015 through a heartbreaking divorce, and later celebrated with her in 2020 when Susan met Mike and began a beautiful new chapter of love and partnership. Susan, in turn, has been there for Sarah and Manu’s love story—from their early days of dating, to falling deeply in love, to choosing a life together. Susan stood on the Oregon coast as they exchanged vows, and later as a bridesmaid at their wedding in Italy, witnessing not just a marriage, but the weaving together of families, cultures, and dreams.

Travel, especially to Italy, kept calling us back. In 2017, after Susan led her own student tours in Italy, she met up with Sarah and Manu as they were planning their first Bel Momento trip to Manu’s home region. Together with Manu, we wandered through medieval Gubbio and visited his hometown of Pianello, soaking in the rhythm of daily life—the lingering meals, the warm hospitality, the feeling that time stretches a little wider there. Those moments planted quiet seeds: What if we could share this way of living—the slowness, the savoring, the presence—with others?

In April 2025, those seeds finally took shape as a shared possibility. We sat together and dreamed out loud about creating an experience that blended our passions: yoga, creativity, meaningful connection, local culture, and the Italian art of truly slowing down. Out of that conversation, La Dolce Pausa was born—a retreat designed to be a “sweet pause” from the rush of everyday life, and an invitation to come home to yourself in a beautiful corner of Italy.

La Dolce Pausa is more than a retreat for us. It’s the natural next chapter in a friendship built on trust, courage, and saying yes to the life we really want. It’s our love letter to Italy, to sisterhood, to second chances, and to the magic that happens when you give yourself permission to slow down and savor every moment.

We can’t wait to welcome you into this story. 💛