Writing retreat, tiny hot tub, in the rain, Guerneville, Ca, February 2014

After going on two self-led writing retreats in the last two months, I have decided that all moms need retreats.

The time and space to pursue what it is that you want to pursue – even if it’s just lying in a hammock staring up at the sky – is an invaluable antidote to the reality of motherhood, that busy hubbub crowded with so many different peoples’ desires.

In February, I went to Guerneville with a writer friend. It rained 10 inches over the 4 days we were there. It was perfect.

My second retreat was one night at an Airbnb find in Half Moon Bay — alone. I had initially been intimidated by the idea of a solo writing retreat, but after several retreats over the last year and a half with friends, and after working on the book every day for months, I felt I had worked my way up to it.

And you know what? It was amazing. Purely, truly, singularly amazing. I worked on the book for 10 hours, the same number of hours I logged in more than double the time when I went on a retreat with a friend. Nothing against retreating with a friend – that has its own particular magic and is a comfortable way to ease into the experience of leaving your day-to-day reality behind. But going alone – I was ready. Now I want to do it again.