Laura Davis

  • Home
  • About
    • Books
  • Online Classes
  • Prompts
    • Writer’s Journey Roadmap
  • Writing Retreats
  • Blog
    • Laura’s Blog
    • The Virtual Vacation
    • Featured Students
  • Contact
  • My Account

Sign up to hear from Laura today and receive the Writer's Journey Roadmap.
Free writing prompts and inspiration sent to your inbox every week.

Virtual Vacation: Final Days, Day 16

August 23, 2013 By Laura Davis 20 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

We have entered the final days of our retreat. There is talk of taxis to the airport, last minute gifts, the loved ones we left behind, and the things we will be facing back home. People are letting in the reality that we will soon be saying goodbye to Scotland, to Newbold House, and to each other.

It is my job at this point in the retreat to remind people to remain here, to stay present with each other, and to keep open. As I write these words, it is 1:30 AM and we still have two full days left. Tomorrow we are going on an all-day outing to Caingorm National Park, and Friday we will have our final writing class and our closing circle.

This is what the Scrabble fairy left in front of my door while I slept. I had to assume that “bank” in this case didn’t mean a savings and loan; it meant extending beyond the boundaries of what used to be safe and contained, more like a river overflowing.

After our breakfast of porridge (something the locals never seem to tire of), we climbed on our bus for the last time. Talin, who has a great sense of fun and mischief, introduced us to a game she invented called Song Tag. Her joy and enthusiasm was infectious and we had a great time singing.

How the game works is this: Talin divided us into two teams, one on each side of the bus. Then she put a number of previously prepared slips of paper into a hat and had us pick them, one at a time. They said things like, “songs with animals in them,” or “songs with numbers from one to a hundred,” or “songs about things you can wear,” or “songs about food.”

Then the first team (or someone on that team) sang a song that fit the category. The other team countered with a second song. If the category was “songs with an animal,” the first team might sing, “Rocky Raccoon” and the second team might follow with, “How Much Is That Doggy In the Window.” The first team might counter with, “Old McDonald,” the second team with, “Animal Crackers.” Turns continue until no one can think of another song that fits the category. Then you pick another slip and start again.

It was a great game because everyone could sing whatever genre and era of music they were most familiar with. My favorite category was “national anthems.” Not only did we hear The Star Spangled Banner and My Country Tis of Thee, we heard the national anthems from Germany, England, Pakistan, Australia, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Our first stop for the day was the RSPB Loch Garten Osprey Centre, a bird sanctuary dedicated to repopulating ospreys in Scotland. When we pulled up at the Centre our singing game ended, and Deb, our tour guide from Newbold, politely tried to corral our rowdy energy into something more appropriate for birdwatching. “Soften into your senses,” she said, “Slow your pace and open up your peripheral vision. Be part of this ecosystem.”

And so we walked through the woods to the Osprey Centre in silence. I loved walking deliberately and slowly down the heather-lined path.  And then I stopped and closed my eyes and the sounds around me were instantly amplified. There were so many bird calls!

Inside, the first thing I noticed were the white boards lining one wall. One was titled, “Birds Seen This Season So Far” and the list included buzzard, chaffinch, coal tit, siskin, treecreeper, blue tit, great tit, waxwing, and of course, osprey. The other board was entitled, “The Day So Far,” and it listed birds observed so far today. Next to this wall was a viewing area with picture windows, equipped with binoculars and telescopes trained on the nests.

I learned that ospreys had been shot to extinction here in 1916, their last stronghold in Scotland deserted. In 1954, the first nesting pair arrived from the Netherlands. The first reserve was purchased in 1975. By 1998, there were 130 pairs nesting with over 200 young fledged.

A young docent, David Laithwaite, gave a very engaging presentation, and I loved learning about this bird and its unusual habits. For instance, a female osprey can carry the sperm of a male inside her for ten days, deciding whether or not to let it impregnate her. And a male osprey will know whether or not the egg a female lays is his—and if it isn’t—he will kick it out of the nest until “his egg” is laid.

But for me the most interesting thing at the Osprey Centre were the accouterments in the outhouse/bathroom. This was the sign staring me in the face while I was on the toilet:

And this was the innovative replacement for “toilet roll”:

Back on the bus we had a near mishap on the narrow country road. Another bus was heading toward us from the other direction once we got close together, it was clear that the two buses could not possibly pass each other. And so the other bus actually reversed until the driver reached a side road he could back into. I would not have wanted to be that bus driver.

My favorite stop of the day was our picnic lunch in the Abernathy Nature Preserve, an ancient Caledonian forest. I think you can see why:

Eileene’s comment: “It’s like a cathedral.” Yes, exactly.

Photo by Robyn Randolph

Photo by Robyn Randolph

After more singing on the bus, we arrived at Cairngorm Mountain, the largest and newest national park in the British Isles. Full of extreme winter weather, it’s the biggest ski resort in all of Scotland and the coldest, windiest, snowiest place in the British Isles. We rode up to the top of the resort on the funicular, a trolley like car that ran on a track.

In winter, the funicular track can be buried in up to 7 meters (22 feet) of snow, requiring several days to dig out. I really would have loved to see it in the winter, but the view from the top in summer wasn’t shabby:

Our final stop of the day was at a tea shop famous for its cakes: The Potting Shed.

There was good reason for the fame, but what I loved most was sitting on a stool eating my almond cake and drinking my tea and watching dozens of birds right in front of me:

On the way back to Newbold House for dinner, Asma showed me something she’d written in her notebook. “It just came out whole in Urdu,” she told me. And as I looked at the words on the page, she translated for me what it meant:

After dinner, I needed to download my pictures so I could write this post and Eileene needed to check her email, but everywhere we went in the house there was no signal. Finally we figured out if we sat on the steps in just the right way, we were good to go:

This seems to be a universal aspect of all the traveling retreats I have taught—the endless search for a good wifi signal. As Eileene remarked, “Technology and magic don’t seem to get along.”

Tonight, we had a fire (made out of wood from old discarded whisky barrels–a common source of firewood in Scotland) in the fire circle out by the side of the house. I asked each member of our circle to reflect on what they’d been told the first day there were here, that “Scotland will give you exactly what you need.” In, turn, people talked about what the ten days had meant to them. Afterwards, we said goodbye to Talin who has to leave a day early.

Tomorrow is our last full day together. The retreat is drawing to a close.

Filed Under: Scotland, The Virtual Vacation Tagged With: Scotland, travel, travel adventure, write travel transform, writing retreat, writing workshop

« Previous Post: Virtual Vacation: Life At Newbold: Living In Community, Day 15
Next Post: Virtual Vacation: Homeward Bound, Day 18 »

Comments

  1. Charlene Robinson says

    August 23, 2013 at 4:12 pm

    I can’t believe the trip is almost over. I’ll miss the blog more than you can imagine! I look forward to it every day. Thank you for providing so much!

    Charlene

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      August 23, 2013 at 11:45 pm

      Charlene, that’s so kind of you. I’m so glad to know that I made you smile.

      Reply
  2. Annie says

    August 23, 2013 at 4:27 pm

    Charlene voiced my thoughts exactly. I have dropped WHATEVER I’ve been doing whenever I see a new blog entry. I also spent an entire evening “in” Bali. To go back to the beginning of your Scotland trip and savor it slowly … well. Something to look forward to!
    Thank you for taking endless time out of your own experience to share, Laura!
    Annie Scott

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      August 23, 2013 at 11:44 pm

      Thanks Annie. It’s nice to know I succeeded and that you were excited to come with us every day.

      Reply
  3. Mary says

    August 23, 2013 at 4:33 pm

    I’m starting to feel a twinge of sadness as your retreat winds down. Yet at the same time I’m imagining how full each person there must be after such a beautiful, whoops, I mean magical retreat!

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      August 23, 2013 at 11:44 pm

      I’m a bit sad, too, Mary, it was a special group in a special place–but I’m also happy to be heading home.

      Reply
  4. Cathy says

    August 23, 2013 at 5:07 pm

    This Scotland writing adventure was going to be my periodic gift to myself…a beautiful country that I love, a writing/community facilitator I have such great respect for…what more could a woman want?? Our son’s wedding festivities ended up beginning on Aug 17 with the first gathering of the soon to be joined families~ so Scotland will wait, or Bali or who knows where. To be joined with you all on this retreat that is so real I want to put on a sweater, not so motivated for the whiskey…and I want to do laundry and wash vegetables at Newbold House. I want to pull up a chair for tea and almond cake. You’ve drawn me into your very presence along the way ~ and I’ve loved it! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      August 23, 2013 at 11:43 pm

      Glad you enjoyed the ride–and congratulations!

      Reply
  5. MaryL says

    August 23, 2013 at 7:00 pm

    Bon voyage! Safe trip home! Store up the memories so you can relive them again and again. Mary L

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      August 23, 2013 at 11:42 pm

      Thanks Mary, glad you’ve been on the ride.

      Reply
  6. sunny says

    August 23, 2013 at 7:18 pm

    Technology and magic are sort of the same but they do NOT get along and fight against each other. Like math and science. Unbelievable wonder when they assimilate. The truth of mystery or the mystery of truth – how fun is that?! Hope you have a safe trip home.
    s.

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      August 23, 2013 at 11:42 pm

      Everyone has left…I’m in bed lazy. I gave myself an extra day here to unwind and debrief and settle things up. So I have one more day of Scotland and head home very, very early tomorrow morning.

      Reply
  7. jane seeley says

    August 23, 2013 at 11:19 pm

    I find it odd what you posted about Osprey mating and egg laying; having observed two Osprey nests in Mt. Shasta for a few years (one only a hundred yards from my house) I surmised that Osprey mated for life as they always returned to the same nest year after year. I recently photographed the two new fledglings that left their nest and listen to them daily as they “chirp” incessantly around the neighborhood, their sound is glorious. My neighbor has lost two goldfish in his pond to the fish catching felons (or should I say talons).
    Wikipedia: ” Ospreys usually mate for life. Rarely, polyandry has been recorded.[41]… In spring the pair begins a five-month period of partnership to raise their young. The female lays two to four eggs within a month, and relies on the size of the nest to conserve heat. The eggs are whitish with bold splotches of reddish-brown and are about 6.2 by 4.5 cm (2.4 by 1.8 in) and weigh about 65 g (2.3 oz).[38] The eggs are incubated for about 5 weeks to hatching.”

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      August 23, 2013 at 11:40 pm

      Interesting, Jane. Apparently the osprey in Scotland are more prone to affairs. Or interloping males come and horn in for some action.

      Reply
  8. Bobbie Anne says

    August 23, 2013 at 11:26 pm

    Laura,

    Thanks for sharing this magical visit to Scotland with me. The pictures are so beautiful. Yes, I wish I was there. Thanks again for taking me all via virtual technology. And you provided the magic…

    Love,

    Bobbie Anne

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      August 23, 2013 at 11:41 pm

      Thanks for this and all your comments, Bobbie Anne. Thanks for reading along!

      Reply
  9. Judy says

    August 26, 2013 at 9:59 am

    Laura, thank you so much for creating this vibrant virtual community through your vivid words and photos. I’m so glad you experienced Scotland and felt its special magic. I was with you on this trip perhaps because Scotland is my families long ago homeland and I’d love to return. Safe travels home to family and your beloved Northern Cali.

    Reply
  10. Joanie says

    September 1, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    I don’t know who Eileene is, but she photographs gorgeously and I am always looking for images of her in your posts!

    Reply
  11. Bobbie Hovda says

    September 4, 2013 at 5:01 am

    You’re so cool! I don’t suppose I have read through anything like this before. So good to discover somebody with some genuine thoughts on this topic. Really.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is something that’s needed on the internet, someone with some originality!|

    Reply
    • Laura Davis says

      September 4, 2013 at 5:21 am

      Hi Bobbie, welcome to the Virtual Vacation–hope you enjoyed the ride!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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

Tags

adventure Aging Parents Alzheimer’s Bali cancer Commonweal creative writing creativity dementia Ellen Bass emp empty nest entrepreneur featured writers greece Laura's stories Laura's wisdom marketing memoir mexico Mother-Daughter parenting teenagers poetry reconciliation retreats sandwich generation Scotland spirituality teaching travel travel adventure Vietnam write travel transform writing practice writing retreat writing tips writing workshop

What People Are Saying About Laura Davis:

[shtmlslider name='shslider_options']

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

Recent Comments

  • June Radicchi on Finding Joy
  • Mary Latela on Finding Joy
  • Amy Feld on What’s in Front of Me
  • Pennie on What I Can’t Do
  • Susan on The Rooster

Recent Posts

Writing Through the Pandemic: January 26, Number 3

Who I am becoming. You can share your response to this prompt below. ... [Continue Reading]

Other Posts:

  • Writing Through the Pandemic: January 26, Number 2
  • Writing Through the Pandemic: January 26, Number 1
  • Finding Joy

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 . . .

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2021 Laura Davis