Preparing for a Writer Retreat

Iceland Awaits!

Next week, I am leaving for a retreat in Iceland. I have been planning this trip for so long it is hard to believe it is finally here. It has been quite a countdown!

I have been on retreat with Kathy Fish and Nancy Stohlman before. I attended the Colorado retreat last fall.

Two people I met last year in Colorado are coming to the Iceland retreat too so we will be reunited!

Photo by Mark Olsen on Unsplash

When people find out I am going on retreat there are a lot of questions! I thought I would share what I am doing to get ready.

This is my first international trip. Last year one of my goals was to obtain my passport before I left Wisconsin. This was not an easy process for me and it was more expensive than I thought. The first passport never made it to me and then there was complications in getting the reissued one to me.

At this Iceland retreat, the accommodations and food are included. The transportation from the airport to the venue is also covered. (This is not always the case. In Colorado we had to get ourselves to the retreat center.)

Chris and I decided to add a few days to the trip because.…well, it’s Iceland. This is a once in a lifetime trip for us. Cliche? Yes, but true.

Photo by Benjamin Suter on Unsplash

Chris attending as my companion, and not a participant in the writing part of the retreat has fostered a lot of questions especially around, “What is he going to do?”

The schedule comes out ahead of time for a retreat so you know when the workshops, meal and free times are. With this Iceland retreat there will be 2 workshops a day about 2.5 hours and then a 3 hour free spot. Some people write during that free time, or nap, or walk. It depends on the day and the location. In Iceland, the plan is to go to the hot springs and to do the lava bread tour. Also, I want to do some walking near the venue.

The other retreat I went to in February with Pam Houston also had a companion option. This means that you pay for the companion’s meals and lodging, not the workshop, so it is a little cheaper. Some retreats do not offer add ons because they want the writers to be immersed in the experience in a different way.

In February, Chris was the only companion. In Colorado, there were two people that brought spouses who did not write. In my experience, this is not an unusual practice. I can understand why a writer would want to completely unplug from their life and go solo. But I am glad for another option.

The question I keep getting is what is Chris going to do? This makes me laugh a bit. When we were by Lake Superior he went stomping in the woods, he watched bonsai Youtube videos, and made sketches. He read. He made a bonsai. He shoveled ice and fixed a huge ice puddle in the parking lots at the retreat center. He did work from the room. During meals we were together and we went for a lot of walks outside of workshop time. I also still had work to do in the evenings so we worked parallel to each other - just like we do at home.

What will he do in Iceland? Much the same thing. We have our own room and bathroom in this hotel. We will be together for meals and he will have his own adventures when I am on my writing adventures in class.

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Other things to prepare are the paperwork and the packing. It is the beginning of winter in Iceland so I will pack much the same clothes as I did for Northern Wisconsin last February. The paperwork is printed so I don’t have anxiety about it loading on my phone. Passports, of course.

I always take a special notebook to write in for the retreat.

I have to decide which 4 books to read on the plane. We have 6 hours there and the same back. I will write on the plane but the books I take have to be strategic. There are many authors in Iceland and I am sure when we are in the capital city we will find a bookstore so maybe I will take 3 books.

I will be taking Lessons in Chemistry for sure. (I am meeting a friend from book club for lunch today and she will let me borrow it.) It has been on my list for a while and a friend just told me it was one of her top books from the last 5 years. I also plan to bring an anthology of some sort to use as a mentor text to play with structure in my own notebook.

I do have access to my cell phone but not sure how that will look. I have books on my Kindle app but not sure how much I will use that and don’t want to rely on just that option.

I ordered a converter for my devices from Amazon which was necessary.

I am packing more this trip so I will check a larger suitcase which I normally do not do. I can take a carry-on and a personal bag which I will do. I pack an extra outfit in the carry-on just in case my luggage is delayed. (This has happened too many times to be on past trips.)

Books to be signed. I have two books written by a friend attending the retreat so I will have her sign them there.

Tarot cards - because I am me. Loads of pens that hopefully don’t explode. Ziploc bags are a lifesaver.

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After the retreat we are staying a few days in the capital city. We have a hotel and recommendations from a friend who travels to Iceland several times a year. It is a walkable city. I will also do a lot of writing with the advantage of not having to come back to the Indiana schedule.

I plan to take loads of pictures too.

Is this trip expensive? Hell, yes. But I have no regrets for planning it. It will be a learning experience and an adventure.

The happiness factor is huge in many areas. The anticipation, going with Chris, writing there, the possibility of seeing the Northern lights and connecting with other writers.

It is going to be a memorable experience and I get to use my passport!