The story behind Dream Life Getaway from an idea to a 150+ girls’ community

If you had told me a few years ago that a simple idea would grow into a community of over 150 inspiring girls from around the world, I probably wouldn’t have believed you and said, “That sounds like a dream.” And honestly… it still kind of is!

And although our current community consists of 150+ girls, it started with just 1. One girl, with one idea. Dream Life Getaway never had a business plan, there was no perfectly mapped-out vision and definitely no funding. It started with something much simpler: a love for travel, a curiosity for the world, and a deep belief that traveling is even more special when you do it with like-minded girls. <3 

A life built around freedom and travel

I, Mascha, the Founder of Dream Life Getaway, have spent years designing a life that would allow me to work remotely and explore the world. Along the way, I’ve lived and traveled in places like India, Mexico, and Spain. These experiences shaped the lifestyle I live today and showed me the kinds of places that truly resonate with me.

I’m drawn to places where life moves slower. Where mornings begin with the ocean and intentional movement, afternoons are spent exploring nature, and evenings end with long conversations and sunsets. These places aren’t just beautiful destinations, they represent a different way of living: a life built around freedom, spirituality, creativity, and connection.

How it all started

At one point, I fell in love with a small surf town in Morocco. I returned back to my beach apartment in Barcelona, Spain, and immediately knew I couldn’t let that one spot in Morocco go. I had to go back. It had everything I loved: the ocean, the slow pace, the beauty of everyday life.

I wasn’t sure about going fully alone. I knew I wanted some type of community. I had experienced a surf camp in Morocco before, but that wasn’t what I was looking for when I would go back. I didn’t just want surf, parties, and, vibes. I wanted something more meaningful.

I wanted friendships that nourished, conversations that inspired, a space where women could connect deeply, share experiences, and learn from one another. I googled and googled... But could not find anything like it on the coast of Morocco.

That Google search, along with my years of living abroad in small surf towns, planted the seed for Dream Life Getaway. 

What if I organize that kind of trip?

No business idea. Just me craving a trip with like-minded women in a beautiful place. And eventually, I did! Dream Life Getaway never started as a business. It started as something I, Mascha, craved and missed myself. 

Applications & hopping on calls

I knew I wanted a trip like this, but traveling with complete strangers is also low-key intimidating. I found some girls online who were interested in the idea, but I thought, do you really just travel with strangers? I felt more comfortable calling with the girls first. And so that’s what we did. We called.

I mean, you kind of want to have an idea of who you’re traveling with, right? From that simple thought, our application forms and pre-trip calls were born. Not because it was a business strategy, but because it was something I personally needed and found comfort in. It made the idea of this trip a lot less scary and nerve-wrecking.

Even now, 2 years later, I keep hearing the same thing from girls on current calls: they love it. Getting to speak beforehand, knowing they’ll be traveling with like-minded women, makes the experience feel safe, connected, and even more meaningful. It’s such a small detail, but it makes a huge difference in the energy and connections that form from the very start.

The first trip

Like most new ideas, the first trip started small. There was excitement, but also uncertainty.

Would strangers feel comfortable opening up to other strangers?

What happened instead was something I fully didn’t expect. Within the first days of each trip, the nervous energy completely disappeared! Girls who arrived as strangers started cheering each other on in surf lessons, sharing life stories over breakfast, and watching sunsets together on the beach. By the end of the week, many of them didn’t feel like strangers anymore, they felt like best friends.

After that first trip, the messages started coming in: “Can’t wait to do another trip like this again!” “Mascha, will you organize another one next year?” That’s when I knew, I had to make this happen. A website was built, an Instagram account was created, and off we went. 

Dream Life Getaway finally had a name, and it was now a real community. 

Small but mighty, with the first 10 girls who joined us on that trip.

A community that keeps growing

Since those early days, Dream Life Getaway has grown into an international community of women from different countries, backgrounds, and life stages. Some join the trips to try something new. Some come because they need a reset. Others simply want to meet people who see life the same way they do.

But one thing I’ve learned over the years is that the Dream Life Getaway experience doesn’t actually end when the trip is over. Many of the girls stay connected long after they return home. Our community WhatsApp group is always buzzing with life, it’s a special space that brings together all the Dream Life Getaway girls who have ever joined a trip with us. From girls sharing travel plans and life updates to supporting each other through big milestones.

Our community WhatsApp chat exists for a simple reason, again it wasn’t a planned-out strategy, it was something real life needed. I remember two girls from two different trips were both writing a book, and when I told one about the other, they wanted to connect. Two girls from different trips both lived in Stockholm, Sweden, and were looking for like-minded friends there, so again, I connected them. That’s when I realized we needed a chat with all of us girls together. And so it was made.

Sometimes it’s something simple, like our recent movement challenge, where girls from all over the world shared their daily activity. One girl might be skiing in the mountains, another heading to pilates, someone else going for a sunset walk by the ocean. Different places, different lives, but still connected through the same community and the aspiration to spread the joy of little things in life. <3

We also see girls meeting up again in different countries, planning reunions, or even joining another Dream Life Getaway trip together. And honestly, that’s one of the most beautiful parts of it all. What started as a week-long adventure often turns into friendships and connections that last far beyond the trip itself. And I’m forever grateful for it.

Built from what we wanted

So no, I never wrote an official business plan or pitch deck, I never mapped a customer journey and I never tested a traditional MVP. I made something that I craved and wanted. And it turns out, I’m not the only one craving a community like this one.

We still work this way today. What are our girls asking for? A new destination they’ve been dreaming about? We’re working on it. Girls saying, “We should have matching DLG surf t-shirts”? Merch gets made. It’s not about a business mindset or metrics, it’s about creating the experiences we ourselves would want, and the ones our community is asking for. That authenticity, that real-life craving turned into shared experiences, is what keeps our community thriving.

The Dream Life Getaway vision

Dream Life Getaway was created with a simple but powerful vision: to inspire women to live life on their own terms. Through travel, sisterhood, and shared experiences, the goal is to create spaces where women feel empowered to explore, grow, and design the lives they truly want.

And while the destinations may change, the heart of Dream Life Getaway always stays the same: 

Adventure. 

Connection. 

And the belief that your dream life might be closer than you think. <3