A magical writers' retreat
Writer Susy Flory is hosting a trip to the Emerald Isle in 2024
In September of 2019, I got a call from my friend Susy Flory, asking if I wanted to meet her in Ireland later that month.
Susy is a bestselling memoirist, and my favorite writing buddy. We’ve known each other for years and had many adventures together.
She was researching a book and would travel with another friend for the first week of her trip, and suggested I come the second week for some Irish adventures.
I was co-writing one book and guiding another book I’d edited through publication. I had another client I was writing for. I was training for the Chicago marathon. I was busy.
“Of course!” I said. I bought a plane ticket, told my husband I’d be gone for a week, and about two weeks later, landed in Dublin.
Ireland is magical. I’ve Irish blood in my veins and am intrigued by all things Celtic. Plus, I’d get to visit The Donkey Sanctuary, as that was the topic of her amazing book, Sanctuary. I brought my laptop so I could write in between our adventures.
Travel transforms us, as people but especially as writers. A change of environment supercharges creativity and courage. If you’re feeling stuck as a writer, a writing retreat, especially one that pulls you out of your comfort zone and plunks you down in a beautiful and friendly place, might be just what you need.
I was excited to join my friend, but I also love solo travel. So I flew to Dublin and spent two days there exploring on my own, seeing the Book of Kells (a stunning medieval illuminated manuscript) at the Trinity College Library, wandering woolen shops to buy socks and sweaters, going on runs through the city.
I then traveled by train to the tiny village where Susy had rented a cottage. Susy met several times with Patrick, her co-author, while we were there. I got to hang out with his family, drinking tea and listening to their stories. And of course, we got to meet the donkeys who live at the donkey sanctuary.
We spent time writing, but also visited the coast, drove down narrow country lanes with grass growing in the middle, went to a roadside shrine to the Virgin Mary, poked around ancient grottos and graveyards. I navigated as Susy boldly drove, handling harrowing roundabouts which go the opposite direction since they drive on the left side of the road. It was a magical trip.
Because I was training for a marathon, I ran a lot. I did a 12-mile run around the donkey sanctuary one day. Patrick and his family thought I was crazy. But Patrick later told Susy I inspired him to take up running again.
We brainstormed and dreamed of bringing writers back to Ireland to experience a writers’ retreat. This year, Susy made that dream a reality by leading a writers’ retreat in that same small village. And, she’s planning another Ireland retreat for 2024 that will include Dublin, Cork, the Donkey Sanctuary, and several other small towns. (See the full brochure here.) She’s now taking applications for this incredible trip.
If you’ve ever wanted to go on retreat, I highly recommend this one. Space is limited, you have to apply.
Here’s the details from Susy Flory:
You are invited to join me on a unique 10-day tour, designed by and for writers (and writer-adjacent, such as editors or visual storytellers) to the beautiful Emerald Isle, Ireland, in 2024!
I've designed this custom tour for people just like you! It's called "A Writer's Adventure to the Emerald Isle," and the dates are April 29 - May 8, 2024.
I'm super excited about sharing this side of Ireland with you, including a visit to the Donkey Sanctuary (meet some of the characters from my recent book, Sanctuary) plus castles, monasteries, villages, music and dancing, the book of Kells, and so much more. This is designed as a refreshing and connecting experience to ignite your imagination and fill your heart with friendship and joy. Ireland is beautiful beyond words, with a rich literary and music culture, the people are friendly and kind, and the history of Christianity on this island is quite a story!
INFO MEETING: If you're interested in hearing more about the 2024 trip, I'll be holding an info meeting on Monday, August 7, at 6 pm Pacific (8 Central). Here's a Zoom link for that meeting, and there will be plenty of time for questions. (I'll record it, as well.)
2. BROCHURE: Here is a brochure with all of the details. Feel free to look at it online, download it, or print it out.
3. APPLY: If you read through the info and already know you'd like to submit an application for the trip, you can do that here. It should only take a few minutes. You can also wait until after the info meeting.