I’ve been meaning to share this post for almost a year, hoping to help someone googling “what to bring to a Banff writers retreat,” as I did an hour before my flight.
But as I write this now, most of the world is under some form of lock-down, the writing retreats are on hold, and the parts of my brain responsible for long-term memories appear to be self-isolating.
Still, I’m going to do my best to share a few photos and thoughts, as well as a handful of tips from some of the friends I met at the Banff Summer Writers Retreat. I learned a lot from even the faintest interactions with the other writers in my cohort, but one thing stood out above the rest as important to know before arriving: There is no one right way to do a retreat.
Some people wrote a few hours a day, some wrote for 12, some went to workshops, some went hiking, some worked in town, or checked out performances on campus, and some—like me—spent most of their time in their room.
A wonderful time was had by all.
And while I wouldn’t ask for even one different thing from the Banff Center—except maybe that they hire me and house my family ad infinitum—I would do a few things differently in terms of how I organized my space-time continuum.
Even with just one coffee a day, I spent a good amount of my meal card on fussy, non-dairy espresso drinks, so next time I’d bring my own coffee-making set-up. I’d pack a little espresso machine for my room or a Bialetti to use in a nearby shared kitchen.
I’d also carve out time on my first day to pick up some fresh fruit, vegetables, and breakfast snacks. Here’s a google map with all the Banff-area grocery stores pinned to it. Regrettably, I went to only one of these stores near the end of my stay because I was too scared at the beginning to miss a productive moment. What a mistake! Turns out I would have been better equipped to work in my room longer had I purchased a few provisions.
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