Ever notice how big insights can come from the smallest experiences? Whether you’re stuck in the present, dragging yourself forward, or feeling lost in the liminal, this retreat will help you find big breakthroughs in the small moments—and produce some heartfelt writing along the way. Inspired by the beauty of rural Pennsylvania, we'll combine the regenerative aspects of this natural setting with structured opportunities to write, read, and connect.
Seeking Solid Ground
May 13-17, 2025
led by Laura Walker and Shannon Vesely
at SOARING GARDENS, Laceyville, PA
“Seeking Solid Ground” is a four-day retreat facilitated by Laura Walker and Shannon Vesley at Soaring Gardens, an artist residency run by the Ora Lerman Charitable Trust. Soaring Gardens sits on a twenty-three-acre property, and includes a spacious farmhouse and studio building. The farmhouse has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining area, and two living rooms on the main floor and three bedrooms, a study, and a second bathroom upstairs. Outdoors is a beautiful deck, culinary garden, and plenty of land, cultivated and wild, to explore. Located outside Laceyville, PA, Soaring Gardens provides a cozy atmosphere for creating and connecting.
Over the course of our days together, we’ll immerse ourselves in nature, read great poetry and prose for inspiration, and write our hearts out. Our writing and conversations will draw heavily on the wonderful work of Florence Williams, particularly her research on nature, awe, heartbreak, and healing. We’ve designed this retreat to offer the chance to break away from daily life and be immersed in creative flow for a few precious, magical days. Our hope is that each participant will leave Soaring Gardens feeling rejuvenated and inspired, ready to return to daily life with renewed direction and purpose.
Join us on a retreat that is as restful as it is regenerative, with time for reflection, guided writing, and sharing our work.
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WHEN: Tuesday, May 13 to Saturday, May 17, 2025. Formal programming will start about 5:00 pm on Tuesday and end around midday Saturday.
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WHAT'S INCLUDED:
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Four nights of accommodations at Soaring Gardens.
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All meals plus a selection of healthy (and semi-healthy! 😉) snacks.
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Facilitated prompts and feedback from professional writer-educators.
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Plenty of time for writing independently and in supportive community.
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A variety of optional activities—a tour of the garden and surrounding land, a group hike at a nearby state park, a guided stargazing experience, and at least one excursion into town.
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COST:
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Early-bird pricing is $1600 person or $3000 for a couple before March 15.
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After March 15, pricing is $1900 per person or $3600 for a couple.
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FACILITATORS: Laura and Shannon are both writers and educators whose work focuses on nature, loss, and connection. (Shannon also writes a lot about family and Laura does ghost stories!) The two of us met while on residency at Soaring Gardens in the late summer of 2022 and are driven to share the magic of this space with other writers.
