Laura Davis

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On My Way from Lebanon to Serbia

May 22, 2017 By Laura Davis 25 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

It’s 5:55 AM, Beirut time, and I’m finally settled at the gate, waiting for my 7:10 flight to Istanbul. From there, I’ll catch an afternoon flight to Belgrade. Even though all airports are basically the same, I’m looking forward to walking around the Istanbul airport during my four-hour layover. Everywhere in the world, big airports have a different feel—as do the people hurrying through them. Only cell phones seem to be totally ubiquitous. I only slept four hours last night—or was it only three? Actually, by the time I fell asleep it was after one. I got up at four. After five wonderful days in Lebanon visiting my daughter, we met for one last dinner out—we split a lamb tangine and one with chicken and apricots—a delectable feast of Moroccan food after days and days of Lebanese mezze: ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

The Most Uncomfortable Airport In The World

May 23, 2017 By Laura Davis 2 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

Okay, maybe it’s an exaggeration. Maybe it’s because I have six hours to kill here. Maybe and probably, it’s mostly because I only slept three hours last night. But the Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı airport in Turkey is really scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of amenities. It’s small, there’s no free WiFi, and very little in the way of a comfortable place to sit. All you can do is walk in a horseshoe shaped hallway of consumption: store after store, fast food joint after fast food joint with a couple of restaurants and one bakery with baked goods that actually look quite yummy. From the looks of it, Turkish bakers know what they’re doing. Oh yeah and suddenly I'm looking at Roman characters again—Turkish uses them—and they are on all the signs, not that I can read them, of course, ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

Arriving In Belgrade

May 23, 2017 By Laura Davis 2 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

Back in the Istanbul airport (I learned this was a “lesser” airport for connecting flights—not the main Istanbul airport at all), when they finally posted the gate for my flight to Belgrade, I made my way there and sat on one of the hardest waiting room seats I’d ever sat upon. I picked up the novel I’ve been reading, The Bridge on the Drina, whose author, Ivo Andric, won the Nobel Prize for Literature for the book in 1961. It tells the story of Serbia, and its long domination by the Turks, from the point of view of the bridge which crossed the River Drina. At first, as I read, the waiting room was empty, but gradually, it began to fill up—and I began studying the faces of the people readying for the flight—many of whom must have been returning to Serbia. I noticed different facial ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

A Crazy Serbian Stag Party?

May 23, 2017 By Laura Davis 7 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

Last night, I had dinner with four of my new colleagues from the Incest Trauma Center at an outdoor restaurant on a long esplanade full of other packed little restaurants. I ate some kind of delicious spicy Serbian sausage and a small salad. I couldn't believe the size of the meat portions--talk about Super Size Me! Looking at the menu, I realized right away: watch out if you don't eat meat and dairy in Serbia! I'm glad I'm an omnivore when I travel. Before I arrived, I had gone online to read about what foods are typical in Serbia, and there were lots of meats, including things rarely eaten in the US anymore--like veal--and tons of cheeses. The article said, "Don't expect to lose weight while you are in Serbia." Now I know why. My spicy sausages were wonderful and I ate them ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

May 24, 2017 By Laura Davis 10 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

Tonight, I had the great honor to meet with three of the volunteers from the Incest Trauma Center. We sat around a small round table for an hour and a half, just the four of us. I hadn’t planned for our meeting, except to bring a beautiful silver object I'd bought in Petra, Jordan last December from our Beduoin guide (who was in fact wearing a Beduoin coat at the time I bought it from him). He’d set out his wares on a rock shelf overlooking a gorgeous valley that led 5 km into Petra. I apologize for not remembering the name of the object (which can be unscrewed so things can be put inside), but I bought it to use a talking stick in my workshops and I used it in Belgrade tonight. On the door of the Incest Trauma Center This one was a throwback. The caption says, "Women on ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

Now This is What I Call a Breakfast Buffet

May 24, 2017 By Laura Davis 3 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

I arrived at the breakfast buffet at 15 minutes to 10. It closed at 10. What an amazing spread. I filled most of my plate with grilled vegetables and fresh tomatoes and cucumber and a slab of some yummy creamy white cheese that looked like feta and tasted like heaven. Nutella and.....? Not sure....what these are called. And I got a language lesson while I did it. I'd brought down my laptop and notes for the upcoming workshop so I could start preparing--but it was a little hard to concentrate. Stevie Wonder was crooning "My Cherie Amour" as I stared at my notes. Moments later, Diana Ross was blaring out, "I'm Coming Out." Serbian morning Muzak to help with digestion? I felt like I was back at a lesbian bar when ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

Strolling the Danube

May 24, 2017 By Laura Davis 3 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

I first heard about the Danube River when my father played one of his favorite records on our old turntable—the one with the arm bent like an elbow that released the disc onto the base in order to play it. It was the Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss. That music would float up into my dreams as I lay in bed wearing my footsie pajamas, nestled between my two long stuffed "teddy" snakes. The Danube has been drifting in my consciousness for over fifty years. When I was little, we went on a lot of car trips, and we played a lot of car games, like competing to see who could name the most mountain ranges or cities or rivers. There was always a hot completion between my brother and me. Even though he was almost five years older, I still sometimes beat him as I eagerly chirped out the answer ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

I Scream for Ice Cream

May 25, 2017 By Laura Davis 10 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

Ever since I’ve arrived in Belgrade, the women of the Incest Resource Center have taken exquisite care of me. They have fed me, filled my mind and heart with stories, introduced me to their food, drinks, and culture and walked me all around their beautiful city. They’ve answered my endless questions (yes, I did have a past life as a reporter and a talk show host and am pretty incorrigible that way), put up with my American intrusiveness and faux pas, and laughed with me at the foibles and pleasures of cross-cultural communication. But until today, I’ve never been alone—except in my comfortable hotel room late at night and in the mornings. I haven’t spent a cent of my own money (or in those a dinar of own money), visited an ATM or so much as walked across the street by myself. I’ve also ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

Now It’s My Turn to Give Back to Them

May 25, 2017 By Laura Davis 6 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

An hour from now, a taxi will show up outside the lobby of my hotel to take me the bus that will take me, the organizers from the Incest Trauma Center and all 20+ participants of my workshop to the Hotel Villa Breg, "located on green slopes of the mountains" of Vrsac. There will be women service providers from Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Romania, and of course, Serbia. All ten of the original founders of The Incest Trauma Center will be in attendance. I've already met a fair number of the women who will be there, and if they are any indication of the caliber of women attending, I'm already in awe of the participants. These are women who have been in the trenches, deeply committed for many, many years. I always feel humbled (and a bit nervous) before I begin teaching a new group, ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

First Morning at the Hotel Villa Breg in Vršac, Serbia

May 26, 2017 By Laura Davis 35 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

When I walked into the dining room after an early morning sauna at the hotel’s opulent spa, the huge restaurant was mostly empty. There was one table in use by four members of our group, but since it was already full, I sat down at a new table nearby. I set down my things and went to explore the breakfast buffet. As at my previous hotel, breakfast was plentiful, rich with foods both familiar and unfamiliar. Although the multitude of pastries were tempting, I was more delighted to find oatmeal, laden with goodies—pumpkin seeds, raisins and what looked like cut-up dried cherries. I added a handful or walnuts and a couple of prunes, what’s known in the workshop business as "the retreat attendees best friend.” I’ve never been to a retreat center anywhere in the world that didn’t feature prunes ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Blog, Serbia, The Virtual Vacation

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More Featured Students?

For years, I’ve been showcasing the work of one of my students in my monthly newsletter and here on my site. If you’d like to see a complete list of the students I’ve published, with links to their work, you can find it in the Featured Student Archives. Just click the link below.

Featured Students

What is the The Writer’s Journey Roadmap?

I send out inspiring quotes and provocative writing prompts via email Tuesday. You can collect them for their own use—or you can post your writing online and enter into dialogue and conversation with a very supportive group of writers who have made this part of their weekly writing practice.

I invite you to become part of my brilliant, supportive, intimate, honest, inspiring free online community.

I hope to see you up on the Roadmap soon!

First time visitor? Click here to learn about our community.

Like this Virtual Vacation?

You can also read about Laura’s travels to:

Peru 2017

In which Laura and Karyn and 18 writers explore Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Serbia 2017

In which Laura leads a workshop at the Incest Trauma Center.

Greece 2016

In which Laura explores the wonders of Crete and Santorini with a wide-eyed group of Write, Travel, Transform adventurers.

Vietnam 2015/16

In which Laura, who grew up during the Vietnam War, goes to Southeast Asia and finds out what Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are really like today.

Commonweal 2015

A journey toward healing loss and grief in a magnificent Northern California setting.

Scotland 2015

In which Laura returns to Scotland with a new group for another jaunt through the wonders of the Scottish Highlands.

Scotland 2013

In which Laura attends the Edinburgh theatre festival and leads 14 writers to a magical retreat in the highlands of Northern Scotland.

Bali 2013

In which Laura visits Australia, and spends three weeks diving, exploring, and teaching in three regions of Bali.

Florida 2014

A journey into old age in America in which Laura brings her 86-year-old mother to Florida so she can see her last surviving sister one final time.

Mexico 2014

In which Laura attends the San Miguel Writer’s Conference and explores the artistic towns around Patzcuaro.

About Laura Davis

In the course of my career as a communicator, I have also worked as a columnist, talk show host, radio reporter, radio producer, blogger, editor, and speaker. Words have always been at the core of my work and my self-expression. Read More . . .

Photo taken by Jason Ritchey

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What People Are Saying About Laura Davis:

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Retreating with Laura: Julie Sheehan

Julie Sheehan

For many years I put off my dream of writing and traveling. I told myself the kids were too little, my husband could never survive without me, that I couldn't possibly be so selfish. I couldn't imagine realistically stepping out of all of my responsibilities and roles. Then I started attending Laura’s summer retreat at Commonweal in northern California and that became an annual gift to myself for the next three years.

When the opportunity to travel with Laura internationally came up, my Land of Later mentality said I could never pull it off. But when my friend got cancer at age 39, I decided to stop taking life and it's endless opportunities to grow, live, nurture and explore myself for granted.

My children were 6 and 9 when I began allowing myself the luxurious pleasure of taking 10 days to two weeks each year to travel abroad with Laura, to spend time with like minded, soul searching people who share a passion for living and writing, to have all my meals prepared for me, to have the space and freedom to stretch out of my cage and check in with who I am, what I want, and how best to get there.

Laura is a skilled and nurturing teacher who encourages her students to take risks, to grow as human beings, and to be vulnerable. She has provided me with a forum where I can gain all my CEUs and learn techniques on how to become a more engaging writer, all while completing yearly emotional rehab.

I return home from each of Laura’s trip a little wiser, a little more open, and a lot more compassionate. I greet my family, friends and daily life with sparkly, clean energy and a renewed patience, brought about by way of re-writing old stories that I needed to let go of. I come home ready to move forward in my life.

A retreat with Laura Davis is one of the best gifts I ever received and gave myself. It took many years to realize that I was worth the time and financial investment, but now there is no looking back.

Julie Sheehan, Livermore California

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Writing Retreats

Whether you are a beginner, an established writer, a published author, or are looking for a creative vacation with your spouse…I have a retreat for you.

Read more . . .

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