When most folks think vacation, they usually visualize a Florida beach, gambling in Las Vegas, or seeing a show on Broadway. There are some of us mid-lifers who still like to camp, but most of us now seek a little more comfort when we leave home for a week or two.
Cindy and I picked solitude as a destination. How can solitude, some of you might ask, be a vacation?
Well, for us, it’s been a pretty crazy year plus. In May 2008, Cindy’s dad fell and broke his hip which took him out of assisted living and put him in a nursing home. As the primary care giver, Cindy had to make all the arrangements, plus drive to see her dad multiple times a week. My mom has been in much better shape, but there are still lots of doctor’s visits and trips to the grocery. My sister Patty takes care of most of Mom’s needs, bless her heart, but I’m called on to do some. Then there’s child care for grandkids. It’s all good, but all of this sometimes leaves us wondering where our retirement time is.
Then, of course, Cindy’s dad passed last Christmas. All of her sibs came to town and while it was good to see everybody, there was some family tension. As Cindy continues to work through her father’s final financial reckoning, she finds herself on a learning curve that would make a banker’s head swim. In other words, things have been tough.
A vacation where all of that could be left behind for two weeks was just what we both needed. Enter Nada.
The monks here at Nada live in the old Roman Catholic Carmelite tradition that dates back to the Crusades. Early Carmelites lived a simple life in the desert, practicing contemplative prayer with special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The small community here at Nada -- three lay women and one priest -- still do. In addition, of course, they offer desert hermitages to retreatants to come and have their own solitary experiences. There is usually only one community meal a week, after mass on Sunday. There is morning and evening prayer most days, but all of that is optional for us. Retreatants are free to come and go as we please, taking hikes, driving into Crestone or Alamosa, or taking side trips to wherever.
Cindy and I have pretty much kept to ourselves, hanging out in the remote Juliana hermitage, one of only two set up for a couple. There has been much sleeping, lots of reading, some writing, and much quiet time as we both try to give each other the space we need. Meals have been simple but good, largely put together with canned food provided in the cupboad by the Nadans. We also brought along some cookies, juice, a little soda, some frozen ground turkey, and a few bottles of wine. We played John Denver on my iPod desktop system a few afternoons, but other than that, it has been pretty quiet inside our personal hermitage.
Two days into our stay, Cindy stood at our picture windows looking out at the desert foothills of the Sangres and said, ‘This is just what I need.’ Most times I know where I can find her: sleeping in her single bed or perched in the window seat, either knitting or reading a book.
We’ve had a fan on most of the week, and we can hear the little refrigerator hum. But other than that, all we can hear are the pinyon jays and the wind in the stove pipe now and then. It is so quiet that when the wind blows just right, we can hear Willow Creek, a rushing alpine stream about a mile away. There are times I’ve actually heard jets at cruising altitude, which is miles up. All I can see are tiny spots with vapor trails.
We like Broadway shows and camping with the kids. But getting away from our busy lives to exist in the quiet that only a mother like nature can provide has been a real blessing. You don’t have to be Catholic to enjoy Nada, either. They welcome all traditions. Solitude has provided us a recharge that we both have been hungry for. We recommend it.
Today’s elder idea: We aspire to create a vital environment characterized by solitude, simplicity, and beauty, where community thrives, love is nurtured, prayer flourishes, and the whole person can be transformed.
excerpt from The Spiritual Life Institute mission
Nada Hermitage, Crestone CO
PS: If you haven’t looked yet, check out the Nada website. Staying here is very affordable. Two weeks for a couple costs less than $800, food included. And they have a place in Skreen, County Sligo, Ireland at similar rates. Beat that.
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