FAQ - What to expect at your High Desert Center Writing Retreat

That depends on the individual person! We offer a lot of optional activities including workshops, power hours, one-on-one feedback sessions, and fun evening events. If you are someone who thrives with structure, we can provide that. If you’d rather do your own thing, that’s okay too! There will also be opportunities to go on some fun adventures in the area (like hikes or climbing a mountain). Below is a general idea of what our “on” days will look like. 2 days a week are “off” days where nothing official is scheduled so you can use that time to decompress. 

Mornings: 

Breakfast + community meeting

Workshop slot

Writing power hour

Afternoons:

Lunch

Workshop slot 2/one-on-one feedback sessions

Free time (take time for yourself, go on an adventure with your friends, write on campus or head to town & write at cafes or the library)

Evenings:

Dinner

Check-in groups

Occasional evening event

Free time

This is a very personal question--and one that might take some self reflection to answer for yourself. Some people are spenders and some people are savers. Some people only spend money on things like toothpaste and shampoo. Some people love to buy chips at the gas station, coffee at the coffee shop, a sweater at the thrift store, a trip to the movie theater, and go to the Thai food truck on their off days.

So...anywhere from $50 to $500? It's entirely personal, but we won't require that they spend any money out of pocket during the program.

Each person will have their own bed and share a cabin with other participants. We use solar showers and composting toilets and cook in an outdoor kitchen.  It's rustic.  Those who like rustic are comfortable; those who resist it aren't.

 We try to eat as locally as possible while also having meals that feel exciting. Think lots of fresh veggies and grains with fun additions from the grocery store. Everyone participates in cooking & cleaning a few meals a week but staff mostly do the meal planning.

We are accustomed to meeting the needs of vegetarians and vegans, although you should expect to eat local beans and walnuts rather than avocados and soy cheese. We can also minimize gluten, although it has proven challenging to serve those who are strongly celiac (we have done it). If you have special food needs that aren’t easily met with a local, whole foods diet, you might need to supplement with your own snacks. Please talk with us well in advance about your special needs.

We had amazing group adventures, quarantined together as a 'pod'. Read our Covid-19 Report.