At Bryne-Milliron Forest in Corralitos today with our visiting daughter Eliza Bristol Davis. Walking again felt great. I can’t imagine better company or better weather. It was a perfect day.
Last Hike Before the Camino Read More »
I’ve had the funny experience of going around Santa Cruz the past couple of weeks and when I see people I know, they often greet me with, “So how are your feet?” My first thought is, “How did you know?” But then I realize—oh yeah, I wrote about it! Two weeks ago, when my feet
This morning, I’m soaking my feet in epsom salts and lavender essential oil while reading a terrific book I was gifted for my birthday: The Emerald Mike by Kevin Fedarko, all about the history of the Grand Canyon and the river guides who run it. And the politics of dam building and conservation and a
Okay, I’m leaving for the Camino in two weeks and I’m really freaking out about my feet. My two reliable pairs of shoes that I trained in were worn out by my training. And so I’ve been back and forth to REI, trying out all kinds of shoes. After tons of advice and many fittings,
My Feet Hurt and I Haven’t Even Started Yet Read More »
In the past ten months or so, since I started actively training to walk the Camino de Santiago, I’ve walked hundreds of miles. I write that with a lot of pride. I’ve walked in the woods, on trails, up mountains, on city streets, on the cobblestoned streets of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I’ve hiked
Prepping for the Camino: What the Hell Should I Do About Shoes? Read More »
Author and writing teacher Laura Davis draws on her years of leading domestic and international writing retreats to discuss the benefits of joining a writing retreat.
The Ten Top Benefits of Traveling to a Writing Retreat Read More »
TODAY WAS MY BIG DAY. I woke up nervous this morning at 4:30 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. Finally, after being here for almost a week, it was time for me to teach! That’s why I came down here to begin with, and despite having 20+ years of experience teaching writing successfully, I
Live from San Miguel de Allende #8 Read More »
Today, I slipped out of the San Miguel Writer’s Conference with Maria Caponi, a multi-talented, adventurous world traveler I met at my writer’s retreat in Tuscany last spring. Maria is attending the conference, too, and we wanted to spend some time together. So we hatched a plan to take for the afternoon off from workshops
Live from San Miguel de Allende #7: In the Garden Read More »
I first learned of San Miguel de Allende forty of so years ago when I was in my mid-twenties and my mother was in her fifties. She raved to me about this place for twenty years before I ever saw it for myself. My parents divorced when I was a teenager, and my mother took
Live from San Miguel de Allende #4 Read More »
When I was a little girl, my mother worked for a while as a nursery schoolteacher. And for one year, when I was four, I was in her nursery school class. One thing, probably the only memory I have from back then, was that when the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus came to town,
Live from San Miguel de Allende #2 Read More »
Well, I’ve arrived at the San Miguel Writer’s Conference in San Miguel de Allende! I flew in Friday night and have been enjoying the company and hospitality of my old friend and host, Susan Evans, ever since. Yesterday, we wandered the cobblestoned streets, walked through the Candelaria where blocks of succulents, cacti and herbs were
Live from San Miguel de Allende #1 Read More »
After last night’s celebration and Claire’s wonderful chocolate cake, it’s finally the last morning of the Writing as a Pathway Through Grief, Loss, Transformation and Change retreat. And what I see around me is laughter, hugging, connecting and yes, some tears. The tough part of a retreat is always when it’s over. So we always
Writing as a Pathway: Farewell Read More »
Before I left Commonweal, I had to take one last trip out to the Meditation Hut, aka the Chapel, aka the Shrine and probably a dozen other pet names. I like to lay on the straw mats out there, flat on the floor and talk to my mother. It’s one of the places I hear
Writing as a Pathway: Meditation Hut Read More »
