Writers Gone Wild: The Creative Compass Retreat

You know that feeling when your brain has 47 tabs open — and one of them is just playing elevator music?

That’s modern life for creative women.

This weekend is your permission slip to close the tabs, step into the forest, and let your own voice rise above the noise.

Three days off-grid at Breitenbush to soak, write, and reconnect with your creative instincts. Through guided freewrites, playful creative sessions, and as much hot spring soaking as your heart desires, you’ll rediscover what it feels like to have ideas pour through you instead of dragging them out by force.

No pressure to “get it right.” Just the freedom to come as you are and discover the stories that want to be told.

You’ll leave recharged, inspired, and holding a Creative Compass for 2026 — your personal map for what’s next on the page and in your life.

What to Expect

Expect quiet mornings, unhurried afternoons, and evenings filled with creativity and connection. You’ll write, soak, laugh, and rest deeply. You’ll make things you didn’t plan to make. You’ll eat good food, breathe mountain air, and remember what your own rhythm feels like.

Yes, we’ll explore craft and voice. But, our main goal is creative restoration. A winter pilgrimage back to yourself so you can move into spring clear, grounded, and alive.

Between sessions, soak in the mineral pools, wander snow-dusted trails, nap, and let the ancient forest recalibrate your nervous system. Every detail — the food, the circles, the company — is designed to support rest, creativity, and reconnection.

There’s guidance when you want it and freedom when you need it — a balance of structure and flow designed to help your creativity find its way home.

A detailed schedule is available here.

You’ll Leave With

✦ A clear creative compass for 2026 as you head into your next season of writing, work, or life.
✦ Pages of intuitive, alive writing that may surprise you!
✦ A deep calm that only comes from true rest and creative clarity.
✦ Relief from the pressure to be “productive,” “inspired,” or always “on.”
✦ Connection with creative women who make you feel braver.
✦ A rested, rewilded nervous system so you’re ready to create from flow instead of force.
✦ The rare, delicious feeling of being your whole self — unfiltered, unhurried, and finally at home in your own head again.

What Writers Gone Wild is Really Like (From Folks Who’ve Been There)

“I went on a trip with Writers Gone Wild and it was truly the highlight of my summer! The trip was full of belly laughs, authenticity, and fun. Sara is an incredible facilitator with a natural gift for making everyone feel seen, valued, and comfortable. Her gentle, playful spirit inspires you to open up, connect, and be yourself. Whether you’ve been writing for years or have never written at all- this is for you! I keep thinking back to how special it was—so much laughter, creativity, and genuine connection. If you’re considering it, definitely go!”

~ Denise K., Writers Gone Wild Adventurer

“The combustible and nearly constant laughter. It was like a release valve on a pressure cooker: women navigating all sorts of demands-career, home, society, political-taking time for themselves and rediscovering what it means to be surrounded by a support group. Sara is the perfect cheerleader, coach, organizer. I need Sara to organize my life.”

~ Karen H., Writers Gone Wild Adventurer

“There are not enough stars to truly express this experience! Sara (and Sarah) were absolutely fantastic and I couldn’t be happier to have joined such an incredible retreat. Each day was perfectly curated with delicious food, amazing writing prompts and exercises, and plenty of time to rest and recharge. I have already been recommending Writers Gone Wild to anyone that can stand to listen to me talk about it any longer! ❤️”

~ Amy S., Writers Gone Wild Adventurer

Meet Your Facilitator

Sara Grove is a poet, essayist, and founder of Writers Gone Wild — creative adventures for restless writers who want their words (and hearts) to feel alive again. Her work blends writing, nature, and play to help people return to the vivid, unedited parts of themselves.

This Retreat is Perfect For Women Who:

✦Feel creatively stuck, scattered, or burned out, and are craving space to remember what they actually love.

✦Tired of overthinking their next move and ready to trust what’s already inside them.

✦Wanting to reconnect with writing (or their own creative practice) without pressure or perfectionism.

✦Craving time in nature — away from Wi-Fi, small talk, and the never-ending to-do list.

✦Hungry for inspiration that isn’t on a screen.

You don’t need to call yourself a “writer.” You just need curiosity, a longing to create, and the courage to see what happens when you stop forcing and start listening.

If you’ve ever thought, “I just need a few quiet days to get my head and heart straight again,” this is that weekend.

What’s Included

• Two nights of cozy lodging at Breitenbush Hot Springs
  All meals included — three gorgeous spreads of organic, plant-forward cooking each day (plus tea and snacks).
• Unlimited access to the soaking pools & forest trails
• Guided freewriting sessions & creative circles with Sara Grove — equal parts inspiration and irreverence, designed to help your words flow without trying so damn hard.
• All materials & daily writing prompts thoughtfully crafted to spark clarity, curiosity, and honest expression.
• Optional solo reflection & quiet hours for hot springs soaking, morning pages, forest wandering, or simply doing nothing (on purpose).
• Community with other creative women and the kind of conversations that leave you lighter, braver, and seen.

You just show up.

Bring your notebook, your swimsuit (or not), and we’ll take care of the rest.

Important Note

This Writers Gone Wild retreat coincides with Breitenbush’s Winter Women Only Weekend. The property will be reserved for guests who identify as women and use she/her pronouns. Breitenbush represents and celebrates each person’s self-stated gender identity.

Meals & Accommodations

All meals are included and served buffet-style in the Breitenbush lodge. Meals are vegetarian, with vegan and gluten-free options available. Lodging includes cozy cabin accommodations, access to the hot springs, sauna, and over 20 miles of forest trails.

*Check-in begins at 3:00 PM on Friday, and the retreat concludes by 1:00 PM on Sunday.

February Is Statistically the Most Depressing Month of the Year… But It Doesn’t Have to Be

There’s a moment before every new season in life when you can either keep going as you are, or pause and realign.

This is that pause.

Register now to claim your space (and find your inner compass before the year sweeps you away again!)