This is truly an exceptional immersive retreat. A 5-star luxury setting with every last detail thoughtfully planned. It allowed for lasting and meaningful changes in all facets of life.
Self-awareness is a key component of personal growth and emotional development. Wellness week provides the content and context in which this can flourish.
Small all-inclusive retreat including all ground transportation, all activities (massage, chocolate tasting, sunset sailing, horseback riding, etc.) breakfast and dinner each day.
Eileen’s School of Wellness has crafted this retreat to be more than a pause—it’s a launchpad. You’ll return home not just refreshed, but equipped with insights and strategies to sculpt a life that aligns with your deepest values and aspirations.
Attendees engage in multiple conversations, delving into their lives to name what’s flourishing and what’s faltering. Together we explore areas for growth and release, which can often be done only when one is not in their life, but outside, in Costa Rica, looking at it. Past participants have returned home renewed, inspired, and equipped with life-affirming tools to pivot the areas needing attention.
Each morning, engage in personalized sessions designed to unlock your inner potential and foster self-discovery in small groups. As the day unfolds, Costa Rica’s breathtaking landscapes become your playground. Sleep in or work out, find serenity on a horseback ride along the beach, indulge in a rejuvenating massage, sail on a large catamaran at sunset, cycle through vibrant mountain paths, taste Costa Rican chocolate, or simply unwind by the infinity pool with a handcrafted cocktail or mocktail, watching the sun paint the sky in hues of gold.
Double occupancy in our luxurious accommodations means you can share this journey with a colleague or come alone and meet new people. Our morning group sessions and daily two-hour seminars foster deep, meaningful conversations that can strengthen bonds and offer fresh perspectives.
Your culinary journey is equally exquisite. A private chef will tantalize your taste buds with gourmet Costa Rican dishes, bursting with local flavors and fresh, organic ingredients. And the best part? From the moment you touch down, every detail is meticulously arranged for you. No stress, no planning—just pure, uninterrupted rejuvenation.
In Costa Rica, they have a saying: “Pura Vida.” It means pure life, full life. It’s time to claim yours.
Small all-inclusive week including all ground transportation, all activities (massage, horseback riding, chocolate tasting, sunset sailing, etc. breakfast and dinner included each day.
The cost of the trip is $3400 per person. The price includes:
NOT Included: Lunches, tips and airfare to Liberia Airport (LIR- Daniel Oduber Int’l Airport) in western Costa Rica (Pacific coast).
We do not accept participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, we collect applications. We are interested in hosting NP faculty and nursing leaders who are interested in exploring their own wellbeing and their own growth.
If you are accepted on the trip, the first payment of $1000 per person is due within 4 weeks of being accepted to secure your place.
We will notify you of the status of your application within 2 weeks.
The final payment of $2400 per person is due 60 days (December 15, 2026) before the trip departure.
If the final payment has not been received within 10 days of the due date, it is assumed a default, the reservation is assumed canceled, and there is no refund. Our accountant Kelly will be in direct contact with you about all payment deadlines.
Once we receive your deposit, we will notify you of its receipt and confirm your reservation.
We will not accept your deposit until and unless we are able to guarantee a room. You can pay by ACH, Venmo, or check.
The School of Wellness does not refund for inclement weather and other issues out of our control.
For additional protection, consider trip cancellation insurance from Travel Nationwide – note offerings of both the Essential Plan and Prime Plan (Prime includes ‘cancel for any reason’). We are not affiliated with this company, only making our guests aware of its availability and suggest purchasing travel insurance.
If you withdraw, any refund will be contingent upon whether we can find someone on our wait list to take your place, but in any case, will be subject to a cancellation fee of 10% of the trip price. If we can fill the spot, The School of Wellness will refund 50% of your deposit.
Dr. Eileen O’Grady is a nurse practitioner, ICF-Certified coach, and former faculty member with deep roots in the national NP education community. Drawing on her intimate knowledge of the NP faculty landscape, she has spent the past five years designing and leading transformative professional retreats in Costa Rica — creating space for nurse practitioner faculty to reconnect with their purpose, grow as leaders, and invest in their own wellbeing. She will be designing and leading the daily seminars. See her BIOGRAPHY and her Wellness Pearls to get a sense of her work.
Dr. Donna White is an accomplished healthcare leader with vast experience leading groups and initiatives overseas. A long-term member of NONPF, she serves as co-chair of the Global Initiatives Special Interest Group, where she brings her international expertise to advance NONPF’s mission. In this role, Dr. White is dedicated to promoting NONPF’s mission to support the well-being of nurse practitioner educators on a global scale. She will be handling the logistics and hospitality. See her Biography.
The total cost of the trip is $3400 USD per person, double occupancy. We encourage people to travel with a colleague. If you travel solo, plan to room with a new friend.
All Inclusive
Airfare, tips and lunches
You can see photos of the two luxurious homes Eileen has procured that are next to each other, the Pura Vida House and the Buena Vida House, which she is calling The School of Wellness Costa Rican campus. They are owned by the magnificent hosts Mani and Sindy Garcia, located nestled in a 1200-acre forested area (near Tamarindo, a world class surfing town) teeming with wildlife and boasts 3 of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches. Mani and Sindy own beautiful homes designed for groups, are solely in the business to provide hospitality to groups, and have partnered with Eileen over many seasons. The house is modern with hotel-like amenities, the best high-speed internet available in Costa Rica, full kitchen, filtered water, unlimited Costa Rican coffee, soap, shampoo, bath and beach towels, a blow dryer, etc. with daily housekeeping. Each bedroom accommodates two people, and the beds are comfortable twins. Most rooms have an en-suite bathroom. Meals are prepared by a talented chef and are served family-style at a large outdoor table. The housekeeper will do any laundry on Wednesday of each week for anyone that wants it- folded and returned to their room by the end of the day. We can accommodate vegetarians, pescatarians, gluten-free and food allergies if we are made aware well before the trip.
The moment you step off the plane and outside of the airport, you will be taken care of. You can do as much or as little as you want. There is a physician available to us 24 hours should one be needed. Much thought has been put into the Wellbeing Program and we hope you find it deeply insightful and at times lighthearted. Here are a few typical days of our schedule:
Most airlines do not post their schedules until 6 months before travel dates. We suggest making air travel plans as SOON as you can as the airline industry has been wonky across the globe. Please make round-trip air travel reservations to Liberia International Airport-LIR (AKA Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport) in western Costa Rica. Plan to arrive between 10 and 1 PM and depart after 12 noon. Once you get your flights, please send them on to Eileen, so we can arrange ground transportation. If you arrive or depart outside of these hours, we can arrange safe ground transportation for you, but it will be at your expense (approximately $150 US dollars each way). Check-in time at the villa is 3 pm and check-out is 10 am. It’s a one-hour 15-minute van ride to the Villa. Check your passport expiration date!
It is suggested if you have tricky connections to come in a day early and book a room at the Hampton by Hilton Guanacaste Airport. They have every 15 minute free shuttle from the airport, two minutes away. There you can get a clean room, have a meal, sit by the pool and join the week fully rested. We will pick you up there on our way to the villa.
You will be met by a van outside of the airport with a sign. On the way to the house, we will stop at a full grocery store where you can pick up anything such as snacks, fruits, alcohol, and fluids. The house has Costa Rican coffee and fresh cold filtered water, but you can purchase items you want in your coffee and/or alcohol for the week. The trip will include breakfast and dinner and there are beautiful affordable places to get lunch on the beach.
Costa Rica is wildly different across the country. It is a fascinating place and you may want to see other parts of the country before or after the Wellness Week. If you are interested in ideas on places to visit, feel free to contact Eileen for recommendations. Be sure to book your travel so that you arrive and depart Liberia airport with the trip so you are not charged for private transport to/from the airport.
There is no need to bring Costa Rican Colones. At the time of this writing, $563 Colones = 1$ US Dollar. All establishments take US Dollars. It is helpful to bring around $200-$300US cash in $1 or $5 bills for tipping drivers, etc. For some reason, they prefer crisp new bills, and will not accept torn or worn out bills! Most establishments take credit cards. The only money you will need is for any extra excursions/spa treatments you wish to take, lunches or souvenirs.
Once you are accepted, we will send suggestions for packing as we get closer. It is a very casual place- think clean T-shirt for dinner and flip-flops vibe.
Communication. We make every effort to ensure our group emails make it around increasingly vigilant spam filtering, however, this is not foolproof. Please add eileen@eileenogrady.net to your contacts, and check your spam filters regularly. If you have not heard from us in a while, please contact us to make sure you haven’t missed any important communication.
I know you are all busy and will try not to ask for too much info before we go but will need flight info for ground transport and dietary restrictions for the chef.
