Last summer, my partner (Raymond Krohn) and I were lucky enough to spend time as visiting scholars at the Helen Riaboff Whiteley Center (HRWC) at the Friday Harbor Laboratories (FHL) on San Juan Island. The center is administered by the University of Washington’s College of the Environment. Since its inception in 2000, it has hosted writers, artists, scientists, and other creatives from around the world.

For two weeks, we stayed in a picturesque cottage situated within the evergreen forests and rugged coastlines that are a hallmark of the San Juan Islands. Mornings were spent in quiet contemplation observing the small creatures in tidepools (tiny wonders!) or the occasional harbor seal and otter who sometimes swam close to shore.

Afternoons were spent in our shared study, whose views of Friday Harbor and the Salish Sea were ideally-conducive to the sustained attention needed for longer projects. (My partner is working on a historical biography of William Wells Brown; I am writing a poetry collection about microplastics in the ocean and an essay on how houseplant collecting is causing a worldwide poaching epidemic.)

The Whiteley Center is one of the nicest writing retreats I’ve had the opportunity to be part of. The quiet lapping of the waves and the lush greenery made it the perfect place to write, reflect, and become reacquainted with myself after a long and stressful school year. I highly recommend a stay to anyone who would benefit from the peaceful solitude that the center can provide for their writing practice.

For more information about the Helen Riaboff Whiteley Center, please check out the University of Washington website.