I did that twice and I highly recommend it!!! Most recently was in January: Three friends and I rented a cabin in the woods for a writers' retreat! We used the Airbnb filter "indoor fireplace" and rented a place full of cozy armchairs, couches, and fuzzy blankets. We went grocery shopping ahead of time and brought enough food, wine, and tea that we literally did not leave the cabin for three days
Our only activities were reading, writing, and talking
It was billed as a writers' retreat, so we did both organized creative writing activities and also free write time
I wrote so much! I also bounced writing ideas off of other people and they bounced theirs off of me.....it felt like an amazing team effort supporting each other's writing goals
Before we got there we went to a used bookstore and bought books on the topic of writing so that we could learn from them. Someone also brought a writing prompts themed card game, which we did as a group activity. And then people brought in ideas from podcasts!
We found a place that was driving distance so split between all of us for food, Airbnb, gas, etc it was totally reasonable cost wise
It's gone into single digits Celsius this week, triggering weather warnings and school closures in the mountains (where it's even colder and snowing) and the bike path was strikingly deserted today. Nonetheless I braved the elements, bundled up like an arctic explorer and feeling very gratified (once again) in having paid the luggage fee for an extra bag of winter clothes.
I have definitely been there; the horrible ordeal of being exhausted after small activities and feeling like you need to explain yourself for just existing.
📖 Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May