itinerary

invitation from emma

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to be hosting this beautiful creativity retreat in one of the world's most idyllic settings, beautiful Tuscany. As a published author of over ten years, I am constantly reminded of the importance of time away from my desk, to get the creative juices flowing, and awaken the senses. Time away in beautiful nature is where all my best ideas come to me. I'm currently working on my eighth book, and I believe there is an art to living a creative life.

In the acknowledgements section of the novel Beautiful World, Where Are You? author Sally Rooney shares that she 'spent a blissful period' working on the novel at a retreat in Tuscany. At such writing residencies, the three main ingredients are: inspiration, camaraderie, and leisurely meals.  These are going to be the ingredients of our time in Tuscany, our very own blissful period of time together. I've long fantasized about the connection between Italy, literature and creativity -- and this is going to be a mixture of learning and rest. 

I'm excited to deliver my exclusive creative unblocking workshop to you, and in general enjoy the beautiful Tuscan sights and sounds together. There will be lots of free time too, to journal, reflect, enjoy our delightful surroundings. The itinerary is leisurely, you will feel nourished and restored when you enter back into the world, and are likely to come away with a few new ideas too. Whether it's through conversations, sunbathing, hiking, swimming, exploring, biking or reading, we will have plenty of time to allow our creative minds to wander.

Whether you are an extrovert keen to make new friends and enjoy an abundance of activities, or an introvert who will want to enjoy plenty of solo time - this retreat is for you. I cannot wait to see you there.

inclusions

• Workshops from Emma:

  • Creative workshop

  • Group creativity session

• 5 nights accommodation in an beautifully restored 13th century farmhouse

• Brunch and dinner every day prepared by in-house chefs and made with organic ingredients from the farm that can tailor to any dietary requirement

• Visit to local villages

• Cooking class

• Guided hike

• Yoga classes

• Goodie bag

• All transportation

• Transformative travel guidebook and journalling prompts from Aweventurer

meet your host

Emma Gannon is a creative multi-hyphenate who will always call herself a writer first. Before being a full-time author, she was once a columnist for the Sunday Times and social media editor at Condé Nast and has written for the likes of Vanity Fair, Vogue, The Guardian and ELLE. Her topics of choice are creativity, wellbeing and the future of work. She is a fan of living a life on your own terms -- reflected in her six books, helping her readers forge their own path. She is probably best known for her careers podcast Ctrl Alt Delete that attracted over 12 million downloads, her book about multi-hyphen living (The Multi-Hyphen Life) and her novel OLIVE which was nominated for the Dublin Literary Prize. She is a total bookworm and shares her book recommendation weekly via her popular newsletter Hyphen that has 50k engaged subscribers to date and is the fifth most popular literature newsletter on the platform globally.

She is an experienced speaker/panelist and has spoken at Arvon, TEDx, SoundsTrue, The Oxford Union, Founders Forum, Instagram HQ, Amazon UK and Google — plus many literary festivals over the years: including the prestigious Hay Festival, Henley Literary Festival and Cheltenham Literature Festival (including being a guest curator). She has also appeared regularly on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 4 (Woman's Hour), BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 5, Live BBC Radio 1 and Virgin Radio (Chris Evans Breakfast Show.) She is also an ambassador for The Princes Trust & The World Literacy Foundation.

You can follow Emma on her instagram @emmagannonuk or her newsletter The Hyphen

location

we will be staying at a beautiful intimate 13th century farmhouse in the hills of tuscany. our boutique accommodation offers 9 unique, rustic rooms, a mix of singles and twins - 5 bathrooms, a dining and lounging area, an activity room, massage room, a serene outdoor space perfect for our group meals and gatherings and even a wood burning pizza oven!  at the farmhouse you can expect farm to table meals made from the retreats self-grown produce. nearby the retreat are many quaint tuscan villages to explore and immerse yourself within.

FAQs

How can I join?

Please secure your place by paying a deposit. Confirmation will take place via email. There is a maximum of 17 places available on this retreat, so act fast.

How do I get there?

We will be picking up guests at 11am on day 1 from an appointed spot in Florence. The closest airports are Firenze (55km away), Pisa (95km away) and Rome (250km away). Send us your flight details 30 days before departure.

What is the rooming configuration?

The trip is priced on a twin share basis or triple share so you will have a bestie or besties for the entire journey. If you would like a private room please email operations@aweventurer.com .

How can I pay?

Pay the deposit (USD) now, and we will contact you for final payment due 120 days prior to trip departure. The price is in USD and GBP, and you can pay the remainder in your preferred currency. We also have flexible payment plans so you can pay in instalments that work for you - just email us at operations@aweventurer.com to set it up. Final payment will be via bank transfer. We recommend using Wise, which is also a great way to pay while you’re on the trip - a digital safe app with preferential foreign currency exchange rates. If you’d like to pay the remainder by credit card, there will be a surcharge.

What should I pack?

• Day pack for carrying essentials.

• Comfortable walking shoes with good grip.

• Sun protection - a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen.

• Insect repellent and hand sanitiser.

• Light layers for the daytime

• Warmer layers for night time.

• Swimmers.

• Electrical adaptor.

• Water bottle.

Will there be downtime?

Whilst our days are designed with plenty of activities to give you the best Tuscany experience, there will be time for downtime in the evenings or days when you are free to explore on your own.

Will I need a visa?

Obtaining a visa is the individual responsibility of the traveller. Please note that entry requirements can change at any time. Italy is in the European Schengen area. Most travellers can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Be sure to check with your government’s foreign travel advisories and consular websites to ensure you have the correct information.

What does the Aweventurer team do?

We provide the most thorough support for you to have an epic travel experience with us. From an on-the-ground local host to our team at HQ, there is always someone available to help solve any issues you may encounter. Throughout your expedition, a local host will accompany you and your fellow travellers to make sure you have everything you need for an inspiring and safe journey. You are also able to reach out with any concerns or questions – before, during and even after your trip. We pride ourselves on prompt responses and are happy to hear from you, whether by email, phone or via a Zoom call, on how we could improve your stay or anything we need to prepare before your arrival.