Expression: Rocky Mountain Retreat for Women Writers



Treat yourself to a week of mountain air, sun and personal expression. Take advantage of opportunities for sustained writing punctuated by structured experiences designed to release the artist's creative energies. Relax over candlelit gourmet meals followed by fireside readings of the day's work.

The Setting Activities Gourmet Meals
Calendar of Events What to Bring Application
About your Guide


The Setting...

Your secluded mountain home nestled between pine trees and boulders overlooks Little Thompson Creek. Deer occasionally pass by the wall of windows that separate you from a sandstone terrace and pine-needle-strewn slope. Steps lead down to the picnic table engulfed in the splendor of wildflowers beside the creek. The absolute silence is broken only by the burble of the water and the zizz of the hummingbirds. Squirrels and chipmunks squabble with the birds that forage at the feeders. The moderately high altitude produces intensely blue skies and crisp clean air which have a restorative and energizing effect on the creative process.

You enjoy complete seclusion in a king-size bedroom with its own private bath and deck overlooking the creek. Even though the community is secluded, it is conveniently located between Boulder and Estes Park, Colorado at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Activities...

Each dawn breaks with the opportunity to re-discover the benefits of personal journal writing. Breakfast on the deck is followed by a morning session of communal work. Your guide will help you create personal inventories, practice breathing techniques and develop strategies for unblocking your creative energies. You will have the choice of staying in for a casual lunch or packing it for the outdoors. The afternoon session of communal work will offer activities such as dance expression, visual arts and herbal wildcrafting. You will be encouraged to spend your late afternoons in walking meditation or napping in nature. We join for the evening meal accompanied by wine and casual conversation. The dinner is followed by a fireside reading of the day's work. The encouragement and support of others is the final step in the writing process. You will have a library of taped books to lull you into a drifting, deep mountain sleep.

The activities are designed to release creativity and to break down any barriers blocking the expressive abilities. Sustained writing periods assure you of uninterrupted hours in which to finish up something you have been working on for a long time or to get started on something new. Working with your guide provides you with the means to maintain your creative efforts even under the most complicated conditions of your everyday world.

Gourmet meals...

Food, glorious food! You cannot write with a grumbling stomach. Your guide, an accomplished gourmet cook, will provide healthy breakfasts to get you started, light lunches to keep you going, and scrumptious candlelit dinners accompanied by a selection of premium wines to look forward to at the end of the day.

Guests requesting special menus will be accommodated.

Sample menu: a taste of South Louisiana

Breakfast-
Pumpkin spice muffins
Bagels
Yogurt and granola
Melon and fresh raspberries
Ethiopian coffee/herbal tea
Freshly squeezed orange juice
Lunch-
French Market nine-bean soup
Green salad
Iron skillet cornbread
Strawberries and bananas
Lacy oatmeal tassies
Dinner-
Evangeline sauce on cream cheese
Toasted sourdough rounds
French onion soup
Shrimp étouffée
Basmati rice
Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Sauvignon
Fresh spring water
Praline cheesecake
Decaffeinated Kenya AA coffee
Chocolates and cognac

Calendar of Events...

Each retreat is personally designed to meet the needs, schedules and budgets of each individual.
Late summer retreats - The animals have settled into their summer routine. The creek runs pleasantly and starts to retreat under the summer heat. Warmer days and warm evenings.


Autumn retreats - The astonishing splendor of the golden aspen. The animals begin looking for a winter home. A surprise snow is always possible. Cooler days and chilly evenings.


Winter retreats - Breathtaking snowscapes. The animals forage for what they can find. Snow shoeing and cross-country skiing.


Spring retreats - Rebirth in the Rockies. Animals and plants awaken and roam about. The spring thaw. A true renaissance.


Early summer retreats - The glory of the wildflowers. The spring run-off. The animals are wild for food. Warm days and chilly evenings.

Call for availability: (303) 823-0530
Or click on this address to send e-mail: deborah@indra.com

What to bring...

For the soul

  • plenty of spiral notebooks or loose-leaf notebooks with at least 250 sheets
  • favorite writing pens and pencils
  • portable typewriter or laptop computer (optional - Most work will be written in long-hand.)
  • personal cassette player and batteries - for private late-night listening
  • photographs of you as a child
  • photographs of significant influences in your life (which might include people, places, objects)
  • cherished passages from three authors you value
  • three 6-inch squares of interesting fabric

For the body

  • casual, comfortable clothing - shorts and long pants
  • light jacket or sweater
  • sturdy shoes for walking on uneven terrain
  • sun glasses
  • lip gloss
  • sun block
  • moisturizing cream - to counteract the extremely dry climate
  • hat
  • rain jacket or umbrella
  • water bottle
  • flashlight and batteries
  • day pack

Application...

Reservations: Made by application and accompanied by a non-refundable check or money order for $150. The balance is due three weeks prior to the retreat.

Fees:

Basic rate
$950 per person per week
Special discounted rates
$750 per person per week
(for multiple-week reservations - inquire about availability)
$650 per person per week - double occupancy
(two women wishing to share king-size bedroom and making application together)
All fees include:

Getting there: The retreat is in Colorado between Boulder and Estes Park at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. We are served by the Denver International Airport. Ground transportation to and from the airport can be arranged. Access by private vehicle is easy. A detailed map will be provided.

  • Optional activities: One afternoon of the retreat is left open with a choice of activities.

    • About your guide...

    Deborah DeBord-Schulze is a free-lance writer and author of numerous articles, short stories and a cookbook. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas and has taught and lectured at universities and high schools in Yugoslavia, China, Bulgaria, Guatemala, Mexico and the United States. Her wanderlust has led her to Portugal, Costa Rica, Spain, Great Britain, Ireland, Holland, France and Germany. When not pursuing linguistics and anthropology, she enjoys snow shoeing, camping, needlework, trying new recipes, old movies and putting her feet up in front of the fire.

    Thanks for being visitor number to the Rocky Mountain Retreat for Women Writers page since February 24, 1997.

    Original artwork by Barbara Albanese
    Web page design by Celeste Ramsay and Precisely: Documents by Design