Longing to Retreat

Last week at this time I was in the midst of a lovely four-day writing retreat at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, working on the first chapter of my book. My only companions were my friends Myrna and Chris, also writers, and although we ate meals together and occasionally chatted about our writing projects, we spent hours in solitude, writing, reading and having complete thoughts. I didn’t need to be responsible for anyone except myself. Ah, the freedom!

The sunny sitting room where I spent my afternoons writing last weekend.

What a difference a week makes. As I write this, I am holed up in my bedroom with my canine companion, attempting to turn words into sentences as Elias and half a dozen of his friends race around the house making a movie. I am happy to hear the shouts and interjections because I know they’re having fun while also being creative, but it is a reminder of why I got away last week, and why I was tempted to stay longer! It’s difficult enough to write when you have no distractions, but then when kids are around, when there’s laundry to do, when the phone rings, when the dog needs to go out – the distractions can pile up, making it nearly impossible to stay on task.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to return to the Anderson Center, but I sure hope it’s soon. In the meantime, I’ll try to tune out all the noise and clutter and put myself back in that serene, retreat frame of mind as I move forward, chapter by chapter.

The Landmark Water Tower at the Anderson Center.