Eight days exploring Lisbon and the Portuguese countryside as a guest artist with Wandering Women Retreats

Daily trip Highlights: Days 1-4 and Days 5-9

One of my good friends texted me on the trip: Do you ever just stop, look around and think, “how is this my life?!”

All. The. Time.

I was sitting in my hotel room with the balcony doors swung open, the bustling sounds of Lisbon on the cobblestone beneath. My journal was cracked open for a final reflection of the trip, but a few (happy) tears hit the page before my pen did.

It was my last night in Portugal after spending eight days exploring with Wandering Women Retreats as their guest artist. Our itinerary was packed with artful experiences from…

a local tile painting workshop in the heart of Lisbon

watching artisan weavers creating wool masterpieces
sipping wine from centuries-old clay pots in the countryside
listening to fado musicians performing a private concert in our living room

We learned how and why the gorgeous buildings in Lisbon are covered in colorful azulejos (tiles), and then basked in the white-washed homes in the hilltop village of Monsaraz. In Sintra, we toured palaces in a completely different forested and mountainous eco-system, enveloped in a fog that made the gothic architecture look even more surreal.

Maybe it was the fact the whole trip was already planned and I merely had to arrive (a true gift for this busy mom of two!), or being surrounded by the kindest, warmest group of women whose ages ranged but all shared the same passion for craftsmanship and community.

In all ways, this trip was life-changing.

Once we arrived in the countryside of Evora, my “work” on the trip officially began. I taught three workshops over three days:

Modern calligraphy
Travel sketching
Watercolor florals

Prior to that, I was along for the ride and getting to know our group. I helped Lindsay buy her first fountain pen from a village stationery shop and spoke to Christie about how scary doing art can feel. I learned that Jan has a real love for watercolor and Gabi has her own multi-disciplinary art studio at home. Kate is a talented saxophonist and Elisabeth is a glass jewelry maker. The list goes incredibly on, and each tapas-filled lunch and dinner led to the laughter and vulnerability of telling our stories to one another.

At our villa in Evora, I set up the long table on the terrace each day with custom luggage tags calligraphed for each of the retreaters and a traceable workbook.

We were all so comfortable being together at this point in the trip that it felt like a casual friends get-together (among the olive groves!). One of my favorite days was picking wildflowers around the villa and placing them in vases as inspiration for our final class. Bright red poppies paired with purple viper’s bugloss and sprawling blooms abound. The resident horse, aptly named Olive, watching us gather.

“You were born for this” said Cassie, the founder of Wandering Women Retreats. She had just watched me teach our travel sketching class.

“You should teach other art teachers how to teach!” another retreater commented.

Their words have stuck with me. And I hope mine, with them.

“Thank you for allowing me to just be me,” I said at our farewell dinner, overcome with the kindness of once strangers and now friends. “I’ve learned from each and every one of you in more ways than I can count. Your vulnerability, your courage to create…it’s something I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life.”

They knew what I meant. It takes courage to fly across the country, brand new art supplies in tow, cracking open a new journal among brand new peers from all over the world (some were roommates who were meeting for the first time) and push yourself to try new things.

For one, it was her very first trip to Europe. For others, it built their first true female friendships–their tribe. For many, it lit the creative spark that had long been dulled. For all of us, it showed us we’re more alike (and interesting!) than we think, whether you’re 35 or 70

We experienced this retreat together, and we’re all better people for it.

Travel, art and girlhood–could there be a better combination?!

I’m so proud to be part of Cassie’s creation (Wandering Women Retreats) and the memories we made together.

A career highlight, absolutely, but also a life one. It’s rare that a mom of two young daughters gets a day away, let alone over a week. I’m so grateful to have the trusted care of my wonderfully supportive husband and grandparents (and zero tears from the girls on our daily FaceTimes!)

The “mom-guilt” slipped away the moment I stepped off the plane and knew I was still in my purpose and calling.

Can’t wait for our next departure! Another Portugal retreat + Italy, Greece, and France are calling… hooray!