Wandering Writers Retreat
Sayulita, Mexico
February 6 - 11, 2024
If you’re writing memoir or autofiction (or you’ve been thinking about starting), and you want to gain clarity on your story, create community and renew your commitment to your project, this retreat is for you.
Have you ever dreamed of getting away just to write?
Imagine escaping to paradise specifically for focused writing time, where you can let go of your responsibilities and nurture your inner creative.
Whether you’re in the messy middle of your project, you’re just getting started, or you’re working through revisions, this retreat is designed to help you get crystal clear on your story so you can write forward with abandon.
Once we can finally see our story clearly, everything else falls into place. We get excited. We become motivated. We start making more time and effort to get the story out of our head and onto the page. We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We can picture our book on the shelves.
Through 1:1 coaching, daily workshops, dedicated writing time, book club craft discussions, nightly readings, and plenty of space for solitude and reflection, you'll awaken new ideas, fill new pages, create lasting community, and return home with a renewed sense of commitment to your writing.
I invite you to join me and a group of likeminded women on a five-day escape to Sayulita, Mexico to find out what happens when you finally make time for yourself and your writing.
Are you ready to dive into your story?
Our Accommodations
We’ll stay at the lovely La Joya resort, on the bluffs overlooking the ocean.
La Joya is located just outside of downtown Sayulita, making it a peaceful, relaxing getaway that’s just a short walk into town. While the main beach is beautiful and bustling, the resort rests just above a small, secluded beach that we’ll have all to ourselves.
Every room has an ocean view, with plenty of space and solitude to let all of your finest ideas flow.
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Private Bungalows
There are eight private bungalows available, each with a balcony and ocean view. They include a king bed and private bathroom.
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Shared Casitas
There are two casitas, each housing three twin beds, one bathroom, and a balcony with an ocean view.
You had me at Hola!
“She’ll put you at ease even as she encourages you to take bigger, braver writing risks.”
~Natalya Savka, Writer
Your Curated Experience Includes:
Five (5) nights in a private or shared bungalow facing the sea
Daily writing workshops designed to help you see your story more clearly
Three (3) 1:1 coaching sessions with Jessica (one pre-arrival, one during, and one after the retreat)
Two book club discussions on craft (required reading TBD)
Morning yoga and meditation
Four (4) dinners, five (5) breakfasts, and five (5) lunches, catered to your dietary restrictions and made fresh from local ingredients
Nightly readings where you can share your work with the group
One 60-minute rejuvenating spa treatment to reawaken your senses
An afternoon excursion to explore the nearby beach community of San Pancho
Transportation to and from the airport in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to the accommodations (on Tuesday and Sunday at designated times)
Unlimited access to the pool, jacuzzi, spa, sauna, and yoga terrace to give your body whatever it desires
Unlimited access to a secluded beach just down the hill, or walk into the main beach in Sayulita
Pre-trip connection and preparation calls so you can get to know the other writers before you go
Arrival gift bag
What’s Not Included?
Your round-trip airfare to/from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Alcoholic beverages
One dinner in San Pancho
Personal travel insurance (required)
Viva la Mexico!
“Why do I need to travel to write?”
Travel teaches us to open our hearts and expand our minds. It inspires us to learn about other cultures, other norms, other ways of life. And if we do it right, we come back changed. It helps us better understand ourselves, the world, and our place in it.
I would argue that writing does the same. It helps us tap into our inner creative to allow for new ways of thinking, new possibilities, new worlds.
When we combine travel and writing, we give ourselves the best of both. We become inspired. We break old patterns and create new ones. We gain new perspective. We learn.
Imagine waking up to the sound of the ocean and feeling the cool breeze wafting through the open door of your beach bungalow. You breath it in and rub the sleep from your eyes, then make my way to the outdoor yoga platform where you’ll do sun salutations while staring at the sea.
Now ready for the day, you head to the open-air restaurant and order gourmet French toast and/or the most gorgeous fruit bowl you’ve ever seen and enjoy it in the company of friends. As you sip your coffee, you watch in awe as a group of whales swims by.
You pour a second cup of coffee/tea and head up to the workshop table to drop into your story. After, you find a quiet place with a stellar view and write to your heart’s content.
After lunch, you write some more, or you meet with Jessica for a coaching session, or enjoy your spa treatment overlooking the sea, or wander into town to explore.
For happy hour book club we meet again for an enlivened discussion on story before enjoying another delicious, chef-prepared meal and ending the night with a bonfire on the beach where we share what we’ve been writing.
The Magic of Sayulita, Mexico
Sayulita is a quaint beach town located on the Gulf of California, about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. It’s been deemed one of Mexico’s pueblos magicos, or magic villages, and for good reason. The vibrance and charm of this colorful fishing village make it the perfect place to enhance all of your senses and inspire your creative to come out and play!
Mexico in general is known for its rich culture, friendly people, delicious food and picturesque locations. You’ll get all of that and more in a Sayulita.
Ready to Wander?
Place a $500 non-refundable deposit to secure your spot. The total investment is below.
Private Bungalow - SOLD OUT
King bed, private terrace or balcony with ocean views, AC, high speed internet, yoga mat
$3,499
Shared Casita - SOLD OUT
Three twin beds, a balcony with views of the ocean, AC, high-speed internet, kitchenette and yoga mats
$2,899
Jessica will pair you with roommates unless you come together
Meet Your Host
Jessica J. Hill
I’ve been traveling for nearly as long as I’ve been writing, and I often have a hard time separating the two. Even when I’m not writing about travel, my time spent living in Thailand and China, exploring many countries in Europe and galavanting around Mexico and Latin America has undoubtedly impacted the stories I choose to tell, and how I choose to tell them.
For so long, I’ve dreamed of bringing other writers on a journey with me, to encourage them to dive deep into their curiosities, to explore with new eyes, to find inspiration in places they might never have thought to look, and to dive deep into our writing alongside a community of strangers who will quickly become friends.
I’m so excited to invite you to Sayulita, Mexico with me, to help you make time for yourself and your creativity, to inspire you to draft and polish your writing, to foster a lasting writing community, and to help you rediscover your passion and drive for your craft so you can return home motivated and refreshed.
To learn more about my experience and education, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Absolutely not. This is your retreat, and the activities are designed to help you relax and unwind while inspiring your inner creative. If you’d rather just write through the activities, please go right ahead. I also hate interrupting that flow state!
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It’s time we get you out! A writing retreat is the perfect way to experience traveling abroad for the first time. Not only will everything be planned for you so all you have to do is show up ready to write, but you’ll feel welcome right away. You’ll be introduced to the local culture, food and traditions while exploring one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Mexico. I can’t imagine a better first time abroad!
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Of course, but unfortunately you can’t stay at La Joya. They are fully booked before and after our retreat, but there are plenty of lovely places to stay in Sayulita, and I encourage you to enjoy all that it has to offer.