📌 Quietly Retreating
A Writerly Visit to Le Monastère des Augustines with Newfound "Sisters" of My Own
No formal workshops. No formal critiques. Just self-care, serenity—and reconnection with your creative work. (I know, I know…it sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?)
And yet, here is a picture of me enjoying this very thing during a recent writing retreat! I feel so incredibly grateful for the experience and connections that were lovingly forged within the grounds of Le Monastère des Augustines in Quebec City. (Contrary to what it sounds like, it was a convent, not a monastery. In fact, there are still five nuns who live there.)
This rejuvenating and creativity-inspiring time was hosted by the phenomenal Melissa Manlove and the thoughtful and gracious Myrna Foster. I was thrilled to be able to attend with fellow creatives (in alphabetical order) Denise Ganley, Emily Gilliam, Jennifer Gubicza, Shira Kelly, Nanette McGuinness, Juana Medina, Jessie Oliveros, Maritza Ruiz-Kim, Bev Taylor and Pauline Ts’o. My favorite parts were too numerous to list, but I think the other women were really the magic sauce. If you haven’t ever had the pleasure of an interaction with Melissa or Myrna, you should know that each is delightful, so it should not have been any surprise that everyone else was, as well. In fact, one of the roads that surrounds the convent is Au Jardin Des Souers (In the Garden of the Sisters), and I loved that analogy; we were each working together in the same space, but each doing our own kind of gardening, so to speak. We worked and laughed away the hours as if we’d known one another for years!
So what did we do?
Each morning began with a hotel-provided breakfast—taken in silence. Those who knew me likely suspect…this was not always easy for me. But, I can’t say I didn’t benefit from the mindfulness during that time! It was interesting to see how much it panicked me to sit with just my food and a smile, at least initially. Clearly, I could use some quiet practice in my life!
Then, we went on a guided meditation walk.
Then, what I had assumed would be the best part (and indeed, was still high on the list for me): the writing (really, creative—several people were painting or drawing, etc.) time. A Writing Room, furnished with many tables and chairs (and even a lovely circle of rocking chairs!) and an ongoing tea and coffee bar, was available for those who wanted to be in a creative space together. It felt like our very own Room of Requirement. I will say, surrounded by such a quiet buzz of creative people “flowing” on their own stuff, I fully revised one manuscript, finished another, and even wrote a simple draft of a new story! (Wow, right?) I initially worried that being surrounded by people would distract me, but in this case, I clearly benefitted from the intensely creative spirits so close at hand. What a gift!
We broke our writing time at midday for another hotel-provided lunch; having so many delicious meals magically apparate was quite a luxury! It was a heavily (though not exclusively) vegan menu. However, there were still some traditional French touches, like crusty French bread made on-premise every day, as well as various protein options—sometimes quite unusual! I had a wild boar chop one day and loved it!
One fun note about the hotel: there were a lot of learning opportunities (museum-style exhibits, public art, and the like) at the hotel, as well as a lovely gift shop that had anything you would expect of a fancy spa hotel—teas made onsite, candles and luxury linens. One thing item for sale in the gift shop, though, made my friend Shira and I laugh:
Then, there was what ended up being my very favorite part (which is saying something): Community. This was when we made the best use of the rocking chair circle. We talked kidlit—and we talked about anything else, as well. It was magical.
I should add that while we didn’t have formal critiques, we did swap work and insights informally! So, definitely, that was also a highlight of our time there.
Most days, dinner was on our own, giving us a fabulous chance to venture out and see the charming city we were in. Typically, we broke up into groups due to food interests and restaurant size—and that was a great way to spend more intimate/chatty time with these super interesting (and hilarious!) creators.
We wrapped up each day with a special Sound Bath Meditation. Melissa had arranged for all sorts of soft, soothing musical concerts for us that were the perfect way to wind down for the night. My favorite was a sort of gong-and-singing concert that, despite my poor description of it—and initial lack of understanding—gongs!?!?—was incredibly soothing and relaxing and just so joyous. Perfection.
Of course, Quebec City itself also brought its A (as in Amazing) game. One night, there were even fireworks!
Pssst. Wanna know a secret? After the fantastic gong-and-singing concert I mentioned above, some of us stayed behind to write for a while. And, when everyone else eventually drifted off to bed, I stayed behind…to sing for a bit. That’s right: I sang to myself late at night, alone in a centuries-old stone vault, and let the words of the songs that came to me fill the space—and fill me up. Because it was so late, I didn’t sing very loudly, and yet to feel my own (relatively quiet) voice surround me and “hug” me—it felt like the perfect way to end such a magical time.
Here are some other photos I took during the retreat, though now that I’m looking at them, I’m not sure they translate in terms of this blog post. I have a “thing” for taking photos of plants growing in tough spots and random architectural details, and that surely comes through here. Still, maybe it will give you a sense of the beauty of even the tiny details when you let yourself have the time to enjoy them.
Yours in finding ways to feel at home within yourself, no matter where you are,
Elayne
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I love the color pops in your photos - and everything else about this lovely retreat experience!
Elayne! Sounds like you had a super awesome time! So glad that you got to go on this retreat. It reminds me a lot of what I experienced at Highlights! Such an invigorating experience. I’m so ready to go on another one!