Consider Yourself Invited

Fares to the UK don't get much cheaper than this

Hello! How are you? I wonder, have you been dreaming of an escape to England? Now could be a great time to plan a trip. I’d love to see you over here, so I have a couple of invitations for you. But first I wanted to tell you about my week in my new cottage by the sea.

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Settling In

Since writing last week about the tough transition to my new life on the Sussex coast of southern England, I’ve been settling in and am really enjoying my new surroundings. I look forward to sharing more about this beautiful place in future letters.

I’ve even made a new friend (through my landlady), named Jane, who lives in a nearby village. She has been so great at showing me around and getting me out and about. (Finding a local friend who drives is a godsend when you’re new and dependent on public transportation.)

Jane has shown me all the great shops in nearby East Wittering, and last weekend we had a very English day, visiting a summer fete (pronounced fate, because the Brits love to butcher French words😊), complete with a dog show and birds of prey display, as well as walking around an adorable village near the South Downs and finishing the afternoon in the pub.

A gorgeous garden in the village of Charlton

This weekend Jane is hosting a BBQ to which I’ve been invited, where I’ll meet more locals, because in a small place like this, everyone seems to know everyone else.

Jane and Millie in the Italian cafe where we had lunch

Jane also has the most adorable little doggie named Millie. I’ve become Auntie Anne and now have a furry little friend to visit me. She spent two nights with me this week while Jane was away, and there will be more opportunities to dog sit when Jane goes up to London for work. It’s not the same as having a loving human around, as I did during my month in Paris with my daughter, but it was such a joy to have a companion around the house and for my walks on the beach!

Early evening on the beach with Millie

I’ve also spent my week getting my my dissertation for my M.A. almost to the finish line. (More on that in a future post—there is so much to tell about how my novel is going!) And I’ve been cooking up some new initiatives for this community, which I’ll be rolling out in the coming weeks. I can’t wait to share them with you!

Maybe Now is a Good Time to Plan a Trip to the UK

Did you know that flights from the U.S. to London are unbelievably cheap right now? From New York they are about $550 and from L.A. $750. That’s insane! (Maybe from other countries as well?) I’ve never seen them this low.

I became aware of this fact when my sister was looking into come over to visit me, and she found super cheap fares through the spring. She decided to go ahead and come over in a few weeks, and we’re going to head up to Scotland to see where our Boyd ancestors came from. And we’ll also explore the beach and surrounding area of my corner of England, with some daytrips to London.

Check out the fares from your city and let us know in the comments. I’m curious! (If you do a google flights search, you can look at the calendar and see the cheapest prices for the coming months.)

And if you fancy (as the Brits say) to hop over and do some writing together in my neck of the woods, or if you already live on this side of the pond (as I know many of you do), I have two invitations for you:

Come and Write by the Beach (Nov. 19-23)

Looking over the estuary toward the South Downs

Join us in a beautiful house a short walk from the beach—to write, get support, and get to know a small group of other amazing women. For four nights (November 19-23), we will gather to write and refuel, keeping it simple:

• A house to share with ample areas to hang out and write in.

• Unstructured early mornings to have breakfast, write, journal, meditate, etc.

• Late-morning group sessions with Anne or our special guest Diana Smith (more about her next week!).

• Unstructured afternoons in which you can write, read, or whatever entices you.

• Walks on the beach at sunset.

• Community evenings in which we can share the wins and challenges of our day, while enjoying good food and wine and other beverages.

This retreat is for anyone who wants to write—with lots of experience or a little, with an ongoing project or not. And it is particularly for anyone who feels stalled in their writing, would like fresh inspiration, and wants dedicated time in which to focus on their writing.

You can find out more in this google doc I’ve prepared: West Wittering Writing Retreat.

If you can’t make it that week but could another time, consider coming for an individual retreat, or get a friend or two and come together:

Customized Writing Retreat with Anne (Anytime)

Come to West Wittering, England, for a bespoke or customized writing retreat with 1:1 coaching. Bring your work-in-progress or start something new. All you need to do is book a room and get yourself here. I can help with just about everything else!

You will have ample time to write, in a peaceful setting, near this beautiful beach.

The beach at West Wittering, with its quintessential huts. From here you can look out to the Isle of Wight and the English Channel.

We will meet online beforehand to discuss all your needs and desires for your retreat. I can offer guidance, accountability, feedback, advice, and companionship during (and after) your stay. Learn about this opportunity here: Escape to the Sussex Coast to Write

I can’t tell you how happy it would make me to have the chance to meet some of you in person! I have three people already signed up for the retreat in November, and I have room for a few more.

Lastly, I have one more invitation, as a spot is still available (after someone had to drop out) for the retreat I’ll be co-leading with Cummari in October.

Opening to the Page in Sicily

The courtyard of the hotel where I’ll be co-leading a retreat, near Ragusa, Sicily

This October, I’ll be spending a glorious week in Sicily, with which I fell in love back in January 2023, when my travels were still fairly new. It was then that I stayed at Cummari, the coliving/coworking space for women created by Michelle Titus, who has become a dear friend. Michelle invited me to come back and lead a writing retreat with her and the journalist Ella Alexander, who writes for Glamour, The Telegraph, The Independent and Conde Nast Traveller. She specialises in telling women’s stories and writing about fashion, contemporary culture, travel, and art.

There is still a spot available for this gorgeous retreat! It will give you the nurturing space, in the company of other seekers and writers, to find out what’s inside of you and wants to come up to the page. You will go home with tools for creativity to enrich your writing—and your life.

We’ll spend four nights, Oct. 8-12, at a gorgeous Sicilian-family-operated hotel with pool near Ragusa. Included:

• All meals are lovingly prepared by Nonna Emilia

• 10 workshops led by Anne, Michelle and/or Ella

• Morning walks for beach meditations in Marina di Ragusa

• Women's circles with Miche focused on connecting with the land and culture.

• Group transfers to/from Catania Int'l Airport to the hotel in Marina Di Ragusa, Sicily

• Expansive grounds for relaxing and writing

• Plenty of eating, relaxing, laughing and writing workshops to open new possibilities within yourself!

All the details are here: https://www.cummari.com/writing-retreat

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Next week I’ll be back with something really special, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but am only now finding the inner space for, as well as the outer environment that can hold me while I create new things.

It feels like a truly expansive period for me, just as the summer is winding down. I foresee lots of creative brewing happening in my cottage, even as the days grow darker. Watch this space, as they say!

Don’t forget to pop into the comments, if you’d like. Did you look up fares to the UK from your city? How are they looking? Are you dreaming of travel or some time to spend on your writing? How is summer wrapping up for you?

Until next time,

Anne ❤️

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