Listed: Rebekah Kellow on Setting Intentions and Building a New Life in Sri Lanka

There are moments in life when we pause and wonder if there might be something more. For many people, that moment passes. But for Rebekah Kellow, it became the start of a completely new chapter. 

After more than thirty years in education, Rebekah took a sabbatical at 54 to travel, volunteer and train as a surf instructor. What started as a personal challenge became something far bigger - a new life abroad with two businesses and a renewed sense of purpose.

Her story is a reminder that change is possible at any stage of life.

Rebekah is Listed.

 

"During the Occupation, my great-grandparents were deported to Biberach. My great-grandmother was the oldest woman in the camp at the age of seventy."

 

Where My Connection to Guernsey Began

My connection with Guernsey actually goes back much further than my own move to the island. My grandmother was a Langmead, born and raised in Guernsey, and island life - especially the sea - has always felt like it runs in my blood.

During the Occupation, my great-grandparents were deported to Biberach because of my great-grandfather’s British heritage. My great-grandmother was the oldest woman in the camp at the age of seventy. They both survived and returned to Guernsey after Liberation.

Looking back, I think that sense of determination and resilience runs through my family history.

As a child, school wasn’t always easy for me. I struggled with literacy at primary school and because of that I often felt like progress had to be hard work. But what it did give me was determination and perseverance - qualities that have helped me many times in life.

 

 

“Setting a clear intention and then finding a way has been a pattern throughout my life.”

 

Teaching, Motherhood and Making Guernsey My Home

When I was fourteen, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Two inspiring teachers believed in me and encouraged me to pursue science, specifically biology. Their belief in me changed the direction of my life. I went on to teach science, biology and psychology in a large comprehensive school in the UK. 

I also worked in pastoral leadership, which I loved because it felt like the most meaningful way to support young people. As teachers we often say, “Maslow before Bloom”, which effectively means until basic needs are met, learning simply cannot happen.

My son was born in 1997 when I was 28. For much of his childhood I was essentially a single parent, working in a demanding job and also examining A-levels to help pay the bills.

When he was four, we took a very simple camping holiday in Guernsey. We had a tiny tent, but had the most wonderful time. One day I asked him, “Would you like to live here?” and he replied immediately, “Yes!”

That was enough for me. I set the intention to find a job on the island.

The following September we moved to Guernsey on a five-year housing licence. I sold my house in the UK and bought the only property I could afford that met the licence requirements. It felt like a leap, but Guernsey quickly became home.

Later I applied for the newly created SENCO role at The Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre. It felt like my dream job and also gave us much-needed stability with a longer housing licence. In total I worked there for 22 years. Looking back now, I realise that setting a clear intention and then finding a way has been a pattern throughout my life.

 

 

'I remember sitting at my desk after a long day, staring out of the window and wondering if this was how the next twenty years would look.'

 

When I Realised Something Had to Change

Although I loved teaching and working with students, it was also an incredibly demanding profession. Over time the pace and pressure began to take their toll. Like many teachers, I found myself constantly giving to others while quietly running on empty. I remember one afternoon sitting at my desk after a long day, staring out of the window and wondering if this was how the next twenty years would look.

In 2016 I volunteered with Inspiring Teachers in Rwanda, delivering training for teachers in schools with very limited resources. It was the challenge and fire that I needed. I went on to complete three more placements in Guyana, Sierra Leone and Tanzania.

Those experiences reminded me why I loved education in the first place. They reaffirmed my belief that good teaching and learning are based on people, not things. But they also made something else clear to me: I needed a sabbatical. 

I wanted travel, culture, challenge - something that would push me far outside my comfort zone. So I set the intention again. I even wrote it as a personal target in my performance review in 2018. I had absolutely no idea how I would make it happen, but I knew I would find a way.

Piece by piece I saved money while supporting my son through university. I downsized my home at fifty so that I could become mortgage free. When my son reached his final year at university, I finally applied for the sabbatical.

Sending that email was terrifying.

 

 

“Learning to surf in my fifties and building a business abroad might once have sounded impossible.”

 

Learning to Surf in My Fifties

One of the central parts of my sabbatical plan was a ten-week surf instructor course in Sri Lanka. It had been a dream of mine for years - although more of a “pie in the sky” dream.

I was about to turn 54. I had been overweight, even obese, for much of my adult life. Despite trying to surf on holidays since my forties, I could barely stand on the biggest foam board for more than a second. But once I set my mind to something, I go all in.

In 2021 I stopped drinking alcohol, something I realised I had been using to take the edge off the stress of such a demanding job. I increased my swim training with Strive here in Guernsey and began setting myself new challenges: 5k and 10k runs, triathlons and even the first Guernsey charity skinny dip.

When I arrived in Sri Lanka and met the other students on the course, I quickly realised they were all in their twenties! But from the start they were supportive and inclusive. Although my progress was slower than many of the others, I kept going. It was actually a powerful reminder of how it feels to be the one who struggles.

The swimming sections turned out to be my strength. All that training paid off and I was one of the strongest swimmers in the lifesaving tests.

 

 

“Life has a way of opening doors when you’re brave enough to walk towards them.”

 

How Sri Lanka Changed Everything

After completing the course I stayed in Sri Lanka for another five months. I ended up sharing a house with three of the twenty-somethings from the course, who are now lifelong friends. We had the absolute time of our lives.

During that time I made a huge decision: I resigned from my teaching job and took early retirement. I did return to Guernsey for the 2023 season to work at Guernsey Surf School. The day I first wore an instructor vest was a dream come true. I even ended up teaching alongside some of my former students.

From there I returned to Sri Lanka and started building my first business.

 

Building a New Life and Business

My first venture was Paralia Queen, an Ayurvedic spa created with my yoga and meditation teacher Bruno. His support throughout my instructor training and beyond has been incredible.

We have now been running the spa for over two years and continue to expand. One of the most rewarding parts has been watching our staff grow and develop, especially some of the young women working with us.

Over time I built more friendships and connections in Sri Lanka. One of those was with Kutty, a local surfer. Together we began talking about the possibility of opening our own surf camp.

At first it really felt like a dream. But step by step it became the reality that is now Wanderlust Surf Camp in Arugam Bay.

 

 

“Sometimes in life we find ourselves asking, ‘Is this it?’ If that happens, listen to that voice.”

 

What Life Looks Like Now

Today I spend most of my time in Sri Lanka, fully embedded in the local community. At 57 I feel younger, fitter and healthier than I ever did in any previous decade of my life. The lifestyle is simpler, the sense of community is strong, and every day still brings a sense of adventure.

But I do return to Guernsey whenever I can. The island will always feel like home and I have incredibly strong friendships there.

Sometimes in life we reach a moment where we find ourselves staring out of the window thinking, Is this it? If that happens, my advice is simple: listen to that voice.

You don’t have to know exactly how things will happen. Set the intention first.

For me, learning to surf in my fifties, leaving teaching and building businesses abroad might once have sounded impossible. But life has a way of opening doors when you are brave enough to walk towards them.

 

Get in Touch

Wanderlust Surf Camp in Arugam Bay welcomes surfers of all levels, from beginner to advanced, to join them for a solo trip or family holiday in Sri Lanka. 

Contact Rebekah and the team here to find out more.