Interview with Freddy: lifestyle role model & retreat founder

Hi Freddy, how are things with you? What are you up to?

Yes great! I'm sitting at a computer in Germany wearing comfortable sweatpants. It is October 2024. It is raining and Maja is currently in Hannover due to work. I've already phoned you four times Nils because you absolutely want me to answer your questions here. Since you're not giving up, I'll start now...

I am Frederik, 37 years old and live in Paderborn. I am the partner of Villa Andalucia. Dana and Nils are among my best friends and we've also been business partners for almost four years. I like dogs, sunsets and blush when I have to talk in front of people. I enjoy the peace and quiet at home and don't like alcohol, or if only in large quantities. I am a vegetarian and zodiac sign Leo and have no idea what information is relevant here...

‍When you're not at the seaside, you're still trying to live a healthy lifestyle. What does that include for you? (What routines do you have, diet, sport, manifestation, etc.:)?

‍Sleep is very important to me! Stress reduction as well. 🙂 I'm also constantly trying new diets. I am currently doing well with intermittent fasting, avoiding gluten and, as far as possible, sugar and lactose. Everything is not super strict, but I can clearly see that I feel better then.

Through a type of calisthenics, I do physical fitness four times a week in a small group of friends. Working together helps me stay motivated. It also pushes you more to your limits.

In order to work on my goals, to become aware of them at all and also to be grateful for what I have, I have a vision board with some manifestations that are also constantly changing. This is in a highly visible location, so I pass by it several times a day and take a short time to do it. For my mental state, I also incorporate some habits into my everyday life that help me become aware of some things or to manifest them. You could certainly describe them as whimsical. For example, a step that gives rise to a certain thought every time you cross it. Or a specific rug, or a specific time, or, or haha.

You always have the feeling that your home is a meeting place & the door is always open for friends. Your path to running a retreat actually seemed already maded:D But seriously: How did it come about that it was always an open house for friends?

In fact, it started quite early on. I don't have any siblings and I suppose that's why I've always like to have people around. At the same time, I would regard myself as more of an introvert and therefore it is not necessarily public places with a wide variety of loud characters that have attracted me, but rather like-minded people in whose presence I feel comfortable. And so this open-door house was built relatively early on. But with a kind of invisible bouncer who only opens the door for selected people.;)

I had never seen the very accurate comparison to the retreat myself, but I'll refer to that again in a moment.

How did you end up running a surf & yoga retreat?

Well, originally I had another plan. I had been looking for a suitable plot of land in the Cadiz area for years. My search and planning began 10 years ago. I wanted to start a kind of self-sufficient tourism and lifestyle project. As a result of the extensive planning and the extremely complicated legal situation, I have begun to get used to the idea of a similar but more manageable project. At the same time, Dana and Nils started to found Surf Spirit. Since I wasn't into surfing, I didn't see a connection at first. However, when I not only got to know the structures of the retreat in Sri Lanka at Surf Spirit, but also sparked my love for surfing, the fact that Spain's Atlantic coast is ideal for surfing came just in time. And as luck would have it, at that time I received an offer to buy the house that is now the retreat. Who knows whether you would have embarked on all the hardships if you had known beforehand what else awaits you. :D Apart from the outer walls of the house, everything had to be completely changed and renewed. While the legal situation in Spain is completely different. And if you get angry about the reliability of German craftsmen, then learn how to work with Andalusian craftsmen. 😂

‍Why Los Canos De Meca of all places?
‍I visited Canos for the first time 25 years ago with my mother. Friends of hers moved there. If my feet hadn't gotten cold, we would have moved there already back then. I often wonder what or who would have become of me.:)

When I was around 20, my mother moved there and has lived there ever since. We went there again and again to go on vacation and we really liked it. Especially in the offseason, it is simply different from the Mediterranean coast. There are no high-rise hotel complexes or anything like that. It is still very original. And the sunsets over the sea are incomparable. You're so close to Africa that you can see it! Sometimes so obvious that I think I've already recognized a herd of giraffes. Canos and the surrounding area have become a second home for us, because the people there are great too! The clocks tick completely differently. We can simply identify with the mentality down there better than the local one.

The opening took place in 2021. The Covid issue has just flattened out. The guests came to the front for the opening. We also cleaned up the construction dust in the back. That was a pinpoint landing. In the end, everything worked out great and we had a great inauguration with relaxed guests. Which story about the opening stuck with you in particular?

Haha, the opening time is full of memories. It was one of the most exhausting and at the same time the best time of my life. There were around 20 of our best friends present. Everyone got involved. The house was built, furniture, surfing and yoga equipment, etc. were bought and the marketing video was shot at the same time.

Employees were hired and suppliers and other business connections were established. All in about 5 weeks. When we arrived, we had to put a mattress in the house, which at the time was closer to the shell than to the finished house. In fact, it should have been completed weeks ago. Actually! The windows were installed a short time earlier. We had no light. We arrived with the flu. Construction started at 7 o'clock every morning while we mostly got drunk unreasonably in the evening. Nights of less than 4 hours sleep were standard. Waking up with a headache because two Spanish construction workers were standing in the room and were talking loudly while they were moving the power outlets replaced our alarm clock.

During the day, everyone had their tasks. It looked like the scene of Kevin alone at home just before the family left. A wild mess that, on closer inspection, was more organized and efficient than you would initially think. In the evening, a few well-earned after-work beers helped most of us get enough motivation to mingle with the people. It was July and therefore high season. There were bars everywhere and the place was full of people.

Another highlight was Nils' infantile idea that we should all cut mullet after all. Little by little, the volunteers lined up late at night. Luisa, who wasn't a hairdresser, cut our hair with kitchen scissors..

Yes and then came the day of days. The opening. The guests arrived gradually. Nils and I had piled outdoor furniture on the car while we drove to Joe, a true cowboy, to borrow his car. We didn't have a second car yet and had met him because we had shot parts of the marketing video with him and his horses. Epic scenes! :)

Arrived as agreed, our first calls outside his door were not answered. But after a while, Joe set off quite sleepy. We had interrupted him during his siesta. Polite as he is, he invited us in first. For a cup of coffee, as we thought at first. However, a coffee became a beer. Nils gratefully accepted, while I declined. After a few minutes, Joe reached into the ashtray. He lit a cigar-like joint. After he had drawn with pleasure, he passed it on to me. Since I had already declined when it came to beer, I didn't want to appear rude and accepted this poorly built giant device. A mistake that I would regret a few more times over the rest of the day. It wasn't long before the effect was already noticeable. At this point, I will omit a few passages from my odyssey for legal reasons.

Arrived at camp a short time later, the first intro meeting was imminent. All guests were there, all employees were there. Working towards this moment for weeks, not months. As mentioned above, not a man of midpoint and audition - and I was completely overwhelmed. In my condition, completely unable to speak in front of a group of people. Totally tight. Anyone who is familiar with this condition knows how I felt. My only solution to get out of this situation was to escape. So I had to hide. So I pretended to have to bring purchases to the warehouse. I hide there until the intro meeting was over. So about 30-40 min. 😂 Yep, those were probably the most defining moments of the opening for me. I spent the biggest moment in a dark storage room, completely drummed up. After that, everything was fine again. We had a fantastic first week and are still good friends with many of the former guests today.

Every Surf Spirit location has a certain character. What do you think is special about Surf Spirit Andalucia?
That is a good question. I would say that family life in particular is special. The Casa is fully booked with 15 guests. Compared to other camps, a rather low number of guests. In addition, the food is prepared in an open kitchen and the team consists mostly of locals who have been around for a long time. Everyone has their story to tell and shares their passion with the guests. We may not have much space, but every corner is lovingly furnished and I believe and hope that you will notice that too. Every year, we continue to develop and work to make it even more beautiful, efficient and sustainable. Many of our employees offer day-off activities that make them special. From horseback riding to tarot and tattooing to board shaping courses, everything unique and done with a lot of love.

‍Which month do you like best in Andalusia?

In autumn it is the light and in spring the lush, blooming flora that I particularly like. And of course, it is generally the “offseason”, which stretches roughly from September to May. I would say we are here most often in January - February because we are fleeing the German winter.

Which song should we urgently add to the Surf Spirit playlist?‍

David Rawlings - Cumberland Gap and Starman by David Bowie:) (added, by the way. Here goes to the Surf Spirit playlist)

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