What Happens If I Can't Make My Retreat Date?

This is the question I get asked more than any other, usually right before someone talks themselves out of applying entirely. So let's kill the anxiety up front: life happening is not a reason to skip this. It's a reason to ask exactly one question before you book.

The Short Answer

If you can't make your retreat date, first we try to move you: if there's space in the next available retreat, your spot transfers automatically, no fee, no drama. If there isn't space, here's exactly where you stand: your $750 deposit is non-refundable from the moment you book, and the rest follows a straightforward schedule based on your notice — full refund if you're more than 60 days out, 50% refund between 30 and 60 days out, and no refund inside 30 days — that's when flights, meals, and your seat are already paid for on my end.

What's Not Covered

Travel to and from the retreat is on you — flights, trains, the taxi from the airport. I can move mountains on your seat at the table. I cannot refund an airline for a flight you didn't take. Buy travel insurance if that math matters to you, and read the fine print before you book anything non-refundable.

Why Applications Close Six Weeks Out

Six weeks before each retreat, applications close. That's the point where I confirm the venue, the meals, and your seat at the table — real deposits go down on my end for real chairs and real dinners. It's also when I check the room: a retreat needs a minimum of 3 writers to run, and if we're short, I'll reschedule or move everyone to the next date rather than run a room too thin to do its job. Payments are final at that point too — not because I'm trying to trap you into a room you don't want to be in, but because by then I've already spent the money making sure your seat exists.

Why the Policy Is Built This Way

Most retreat cancellation policies read like they were written by someone expecting to get scammed. Ours is written assuming you're a grown adult with an actual life — one who might have exactly one real emergency, handle it like an adult, and still want to finish the book eventually. If there's room at the next retreat, you're in, no extra cost. If there isn't, your $750 deposit stays with me to cover the work already done, your application review and pre-retreat call, and the rest of your refund scales with how much notice you give me. Fair, simple, no appeals process.

The Bottom Line

Don't let a maybe-conflict six months from now stop you from applying today. Book the retreat. If life gets in the way, we'll move you to the next one if there's room, or refund you fairly based on your notice. What we won't do is let you talk yourself out of ever starting.