It is Wednesday, and I am along for the ride on YA Highway's Road Trip. Today's question:
Describe your dream writing retreat. Where would you go? Who and what would you bring?
I love this kind of question, where you can spin out an ideal fantasy. I'm reminded of the TV show "House Hunters," where the potential buyers have to choose between three houses which each have pluses and negatives. I have two dream writing retreats, but I'm not going to take the easy way out and choose both. They're going head to head, with only one victor. Here goes:
 |
| (Image via text link) |
1). I'm in a Miso Barrel treehouse, somewhere in the wilderness. The treehouse is surrounded by deep snow, and the only way to reach it is by ATV. There's no electricity, but there is a dishwasher and refrigerator. They run on batteries or solar energy or something. (It's a dream scenario, okay?) There's a huge bathtub, a fireplace and a wood stove. I've left my cell phone at home, and there's no internet. I've got my dog with me. But since I'm a scaredy-cat when I'm in isolated places at night, I've also got another dog, a big protective German Shepherd who looks like a wolf and will scare the shit out of any possible intruder. I've got TV and movies on my computer to watch at night, as well as a billion Kindle books. I'm making my word goal ever day; going to bed and waking up early. I'm totally alone.
 |
| (Image via text link) |
2.) It's summer someplace humid, where the temperature is always 80 degrees. The site of the retreat is right on the beach. We sleep in overwater huts that are reached by boardwalks, the kind that you see in resorts in Bora Bora and Tahiti. There's an outdoor cooking area, and a great dive bar within biking distance. All of my friends who write are there. We work productively all day, and at night we have bonfires. The water's always warm, and there are no mosquitoes.
Decision Time
Both of these scenarios sound amazing. But the winner is #2, for the simple fact that it's really cold today, and I want to be warm. If I was asked this question in the summer, no doubt I'd choose #1. Being contrary can be very helpful when choosing between competing dream scenarios.
I thought about Key West, getting all Ernest Hemingway on a typewriter, but in paradise, all I want to do is nothing. ;)
ReplyDeleteTrue. Maybe my tropical retreat will involve having a caretaker lock all the writers in our huts during the day!
ReplyDeleteHa! That picture of the huts is Maldives. I know because I chose it and almost put up that same picture LOL
ReplyDeleteThus, I like it ;)
I think you're right! The link goes to a website that caters to people looking for overwater huts resorts. It's enough to make you drool. I'm hopping over to check out your tropical retreat!
ReplyDeleteHundreds of overwater huts like that were wiped out in the Tsunami. It's kind of turned me off them.
ReplyDeleteThat does put a different perspective on the huts. I suppose I'll stipulate that in the dream scenario, tsunamis aren't allowed.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I like the tree house idea! That would be so fun. And you could throw water balloons at invaders!
ReplyDeleteI like the way you think ;) Maybe I could train the dogs to help me with the balloons.
ReplyDeleteI can't say either choice appeals to me, but that's okay--this is YOUR fantasy! And I like the way you went about answering the question. :)
ReplyDeleteI'd go for warm too! It's freezing where I live at the mo and all I can dream about is a sunny place to write and enjoy the sun in.
ReplyDeleteA nearby bar/pub would also be on the list. A night out is needed once in a while.
@ Colin: Thanks, and fair enough!
ReplyDelete@ Robin, the high is in the 20s here today, and that's just not my kind of weather! If we have to have cold, I at least want to get snow out of it. Sun sounds perfect.
I'm all for 'warm', but I think I'd have to go with that super sweet treehouse. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteSomeone else said a treehouse, too, and I am so sad I didn't come up with that! A treehouse would be such a perfect retreat.
ReplyDeleteI am totally grossed out by tropical fish, so the second one would be impossible for me, lol.
The treehouse is so tempting. It's a toss up, really.
ReplyDeleteYeah, as for the creatures in the sea, they might be a drawback of the tropical paradise. Crabs waiting to bit your toes, etc.
As I started reading about your first place, I started to think "I would be super scared at night" and then I read about the extra dog you would bring with you :-) That could work!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a wonderful treehouse!
Those both look great! I've always wanted to go to Bora Bora. I used to call it Bora Squared. Both places look like incredible places to write.
ReplyDeleteWhat brilliant places! I can't choose! A week in each sounds best :D
ReplyDelete@ Kiperoo: I laughed at Bora Squared. Wouldn't it be great if this wasn't just a dream scenario?
ReplyDelete@Miss Cole: I'm with you. Sign me up for a week at each.
I'm kind of scared of the ocean, so #2 wouldn't work out for me, but I LOVE scenario #1. I'll take it!
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to live in a tree house. Just maybe with some electricity...
ReplyDeleteI actually picked a snowy destination. I wonder if it weren't winter if I would have chosen differently (probably not. I love & miss Switzerland everyday)
I think I like the tree house with snow better than the tropical huts. If there were any other writers around I think we would manage to break our locks, despite the caretaker, and spend the day having deep literary conversations instead of being productive.
ReplyDelete@Arianna: It's yours!
ReplyDelete@veela-valoom: Yeah, the no electricity thing is a little extreme. I probably could only sustain it for a week or two. I need to go check out your snowy destination!
@Tyler-Rose: Haha. Agreed.
I can handle limited electricity pretty well (I lived in a dome tent for 3 weeks and platform tent for 5 weeks one summer - Proud camp counselor!) BUT I'd need to plug in my laptop somewhere to survive.
ReplyDelete