Welcome to My Blog: The Story of Serenity Island Retreats

Hello and welcome! My name is Kali, and my darling hubby Brian and I have spent a lifetime in hospitality. Our journey together began on the sparkling waters of the Bahamas, where I was leading yoga cruises aboard sailing catamaran, Serenity. Brian, on the other hand, was making his way down to the Caribbean to oversee and manage a brand-new marina-hotel complex.

We met, we sailed, and we clicked instantly. We buddy-boated through the islands to my favorite turquoise anchorage where I spent my winters as a solo lady captain, well-known in the harbor for singing and leading rock 'n' roll water aerobics at the beach each morning.

When Brian and I found each other, it felt like coming home. We were having so much fun sailing together that saying goodbye was simply not an option. Brian had spent over a decade in London managing the creation and operations of a famous boutique hotel. Convincing him to trade the high-pressure world of luxury hotels for the peace and serenity of life at sea wasn’t difficult—he quickly discovered that sailing was far more relaxing!

Before long, I asked him to join me in offering private luxury charters aboard Serenity, and to my delight, he said YES. That "yes" was the start of something magical. Together, we combined our skills and experience, attracting everyone from families, couples and bachelorettes to A-listers seeking true relaxation and respite, where all they had to do was board, breathe, relax and enjoy.

After many blissful seasons aboard Serenity, we began to wonder: could we create a land-based sanctuary? Could we design and build a modern place somewhere warm and tropical, easy to fly/drive to, where people could retreat, relax, and experience the same kind of serenity we had found at sea?

And so, Serenity Island Retreats was born.

Nestled in Pine Island, Florida, our healing retreat is the culmination of passion, perseverance, and a little bit of serendipity. In this blog, I’ll take you on the adventure of how we found St James City, transformed a vacant lot into a modern sanctuary, and created the boutique retreat holistic healing and luxury BnB stays we had always dreamed of. It’s a story of happy accidents, dumb luck, and unwavering faith in that classic movie mantra: "If you build it, they will come."

Through this blog, I’ll share our journey—the ups, the downs, and everything in between. You’ll hear how the love of my life, Brian, taught me to dream big, hold my vision, and never give up. It’s a tale of love, magic, hope, and inspiration.

So welcome aboard—I can’t wait to share this adventure with you.

heated waterfront pool