It started with an email in April 2017. Carolyn, the creative force behind Prone to Wander Retreats invited me to teach at one of her retreats in Italy. Our potential move was just starting to take shape and it seemed unwise to commit to an international trip. I was interested but kept pushing the possibility down the road. As providence would have it, Carolyn and I were brought together by Jeanne Oliver for a Mastermind Group in the fall of 2021. We have been meeting together monthly since then and I’ve gotten to know her as a friend and fellow creative business owner. When she invited me to teach at her flagship retreat, La Dolce Vita in Tuscany, in the fall of 2025, the timing was finally right.
Carolyn invited me and now I am inviting you!
The La Dolce Vita Creative Lifestyle Retreat is October 4 – 11, 2025, in Tuscany, Italy. This retreat celebrates creativity and community while also enjoying the gorgeous Italian setting.
Here is a blurb from Carolyn about the retreat…
“Our flagship experience, the
La Dolce Vita Creative Lifestyle Retreat, invites you to a stunning Tuscan villa for a week of artistic inspiration, gourmet food, and meaningful connections. With a private chef, local market visits, hands-on creative workshops, and culinary experiences, it’s the perfect getaway for women seeking creativity, inspiration, and camaraderie in the heart of Italy.”
I have had the privilege of following several Prone to Wander retreats on social media over the past few years and it looks like Carolyn puts together a top-notch experience. Her attention to every detail shows in her planning and the images and video of the final results. I am so excited to experience and be a part of one of these retreats myself.
Of course, food will be a featured part of the retreat. We’ll enjoy culinary lessons, a private reception in Siena, and a memorable dinner at the castle next to the villa where we’re staying. Yes, it really is a castle!
We will visit the Arezzo antique market – the largest in Tuscany. I’ve been to the Lucca antique market a couple of times, but this one will be new to me! I’m excited to see parts of Italy I haven’t visited before.
We’ll also have two days of creative lessons. I will be teaching the first one on travel journaling, so we can have the ultimate souvenir to take home! I’m really excited about this workshop because the idea of keeping a travel journal used to be both appealing and intimidating to me. The intimidation won out. I always wanted to be the kind of person who would pull out a sketchbook and capture a moment, but I was certain the result would be disappointing. While I love painting, drawing is not my strength. I have to work hard at it and don’t usually love what I produce.
I finally decided it wasn’t about the sketch. It was about the experience. Some of my favorite memories from trips now are writing my thoughts in a journal on a balcony in Paris, sketching while standing on the Great Wall of China, and producing a quick watercolor on a bench in a vineyard in Italy. I now love capturing moments, taking the time to slow down and admire the light, the colors, the architecture, the foliage, and the people in a foreign place.
I can’t wait to share all of that with those who come on this retreat. I’ll also share ideas for recordkeeping that don’t involve sketching. We’ll gather bits and pieces to add to our journal and record colors and impressions of places and experiences.
The second workshop will be with Maria Giannini, a sixth-generation paper marbler. The two lessons will actually dovetail together because you’ll be marbling and binding the books we’ll use to record our adventures.
Another amazing coincidence is that I met Maria when I was in Florence in 2019. Her family’s 170-year-old shop was just a short walk away from our hotel and I stopped in to check out their papers and art supplies. Her uncle, Guido, and I hit it off right away, despite the language barrier. (You can read about that experience HERE.) As soon as he saw I was gathering up vintage and antique writing and art supplies, he welcomed me to shop some things from his private stash of new antique stock in the basement. It was a special experience and just the kind of connection I love to make when traveling. So, when Carolyn said Maria from Giulio Giannini e Figlio was going to be the other teacher, I was thrilled. I know their papers and bookbinding are top quality and she is so friendly and gracious.
General registration opens Wednesday, March 12th at 09:00 (AM) Pacific Standard Time. You can find all the details and information about pricing and how to register
HERE.
I know from watching Carolyn plan and launch previous retreats that they tend to sell out quickly. For that reason, I would suggest taking the next week to look at your calendar and budget (and at your significant other with pleading eyes), so you’re ready to sign up when
General registration opens if the timing is right for you!
3 Responses
Oh, my word, Oct 4th is my birthday. Be still my heart.
That would be a dream come true for me.
Dear Marian,
Every facet of this retreat bespeaks creative companionship. May it surpass your expectations.
Hugs from Mercer Island,
Diney
It will be simply wonderful! I’ve been to two of the Prone to Wander retreats during our time here in Sicily and must say I’ve met some lovely ladies!