bonjuk news #14
bonjuk birthday & closing
29 oct - 2 nov
12 YEARS OF MAGIC ✨🌀
12 years of unforgettable memories, beautiful connections, shared sunsets, and countless moments that have made Bonjuk Bay what it is today.
From slow mornings by the sea to long conversations around the table, from unexpected friendships to celebrations we'll remember for years, every season has brought something special.
And at the heart of it all, there's always been you. Our community, our Bonjukians, the people who bring this place to life.
This year, we're celebrating our 12th birthday and closing the season together with one last special gathering.
Four days of connection, creativity, celebration, and a few big surprises we're keeping under wraps for now.
Let's come together once more, celebrate everything we've shared, and make a few more memories before we say goodbye to the season.
12 years of magic. And so much more to come.
With love, Bonjuk Bay 🤍
weekly tunes
Co-founder of Words Not Enough, Awka has released music on renowned labels including All Day I Dream, The Soundgarden, Akbal Music and Warung Recordings. His two remixes of Elder Island have surpassed 1 million Spotify streams combined. Having performed at iconic venues such as Warung Beach Club and D-Edge, Awka is now based in Madrid, expanding his international journey with performances in Dubai, Portugal and Ibiza.
We're excited to welcome Awka to Bonjuk Birthday & Closing happening 29 October - 2 Nov at Bonjuk Bay, where music, movement, and community come together for four unforgettable days.
bonjuk bites
zucchini linguine with fresh herbs, lemon and pomegranate
Thin ribbons of raw zucchini marinated with lemon, olive oil and fresh herbs, finished with dill and pomegranate seeds.
Ingredients
• 3 medium zucchini
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• A handful of fresh basil, finely chopped
• A handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
• Fresh dill, chopped
• Pomegranate seeds, to garnish
• Salt, to taste
Method
Step 1. Make the ribbons
Using a julienne peeler, peel the zucchini lengthwise into thin, linguine-like strips. Work around each zucchini, stopping when you reach the seedy centre.
Step 2. Marinate
Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, basil, mint and salt in a bowl. Gently toss the zucchini strips in the marinade and leave for 15–20 minutes to absorb the flavours.
Step 3. Finish and serve
Add the chopped dill and gently toss again. Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve fresh.
the art of missing a place
We talk a lot about having meaningful experiences. We travel somewhere new, attend a retreat, meet people who change our perspective, spend a week living differently, or simply have one conversation that makes us see something we hadn't seen before.
But an experience and a change are not the same thing.
Between the two is something called *integration*.
Integration is the process of taking what we felt, understood or discovered in one environment and finding a place for it in ordinary life. It is the difference between saying, “I felt completely different there,” and asking, “What was different about the way I was living there, and what part of that can I continue?”
This matters particularly with experiences that temporarily remove us from our usual environment. When our routines disappear, different parts of ourselves can become easier to access. Maybe we communicate more openly. We approach strangers without so many assumptions. We dance without thinking about how we look. We spend less time behind screens. We ask for what we need more directly. We eat with other people, spend more time outside, or realize that we don't need quite as much structure and control as we thought.
Bonjuk Bay can create some of those conditions. But the point isn't to become a different person while you're here.
The interesting part begins when you leave.
Integration doesn't mean trying to recreate Bonjuk Bay in your apartment or maintain the emotional intensity of a particular weekend. It means identifying *what made that version of you possible.*
If you found it easier to connect here, perhaps you can initiate more conversations at home. If you felt freer, maybe there is one place in your everyday life where you can stop managing how you are perceived. If communal meals reminded you how much you enjoy sharing a table, perhaps dinner with friends becomes something you organize rather than something you wait to be invited to. If being surrounded by nature changed the quality of your attention, maybe spending regular time outside becomes part of your week.
The actions can be surprisingly small.
In fact, integration usually works better when it is small. A realization doesn't need to become a new identity, a morning routine, five rules and a promise to transform your entire life. Sometimes integration is simply behaving differently the next time an old situation appears.
Because eventually, every extraordinary experience ends.
The question isn't how to keep the experience going forever.
It is *what deserves to come home with you.*
