Totally get this. Those big name studios can feel like a zoo sometimes (like, who needs flies buzzing near their face during downward dog?). Your hotel balcony setup sounds perfect - just you and the ocean, no one to compare yourself to. It's crazy how the "best" experience is often the simplest one you make for yourself. Glad you found your groove.

Using a preheated pizza stone under my pie pan was a game changer. It blasts the bottom with direct heat so it sets fast.

Totally get that. The worst part is how they trick you into thinking "out of sight, out of mind" is a real solution, when it's just a sneaky way to delay dealing with the actual clutter.