Mesa Refuge played a critical role in my transition from nonprofit executive to author—helping me find my voice when I needed it most. Mesa’s grassroots orientation makes it a rare jewel among residencies.
I wrote at the edge of the restored wetlands of Tomales Bay. Like grief, the terrain was in constant flux.
Being in such a spacious and picturesque environment gave me the quiet and psychic space to reflect, recharge, and allow ideas to find me—ideas that later rooted themselves in the work.
We were told we would get more writing done than we anticipated. I didn’t believe it…and then there I was, two days before the end of my residency, with a full first draft of my book.