Retreating to See the Bigger Picture

Sometimes, the rhythm of our everyday life blinds us to the bigger picture of who we are and why we’re here. The constant flow of routine—emails, deadlines, obligations—keeps us moving but rarely gives us space to see. True clarity, I’ve learned, often requires retreat.

For me, that retreat was Tuscany. I spent eight years in the heart of Italy, surrounded by olive groves and vines, immersed in the cadence of a culture that moves at a different pace. Tuscany became my sanctuary, not because it offered escape, but because it demanded presence. It asked me to pause, to listen, to notice. The hills, the markets, the conversations at the café—all became reminders that life is not measured by what we produce, but by how deeply we live it.

It was there, in the quiet beauty of everyday Tuscan life, that I wrote some of my most profound work: novels, screenplays, and most recently, my transformational novel The Travelling Manuscript. Each page was infused with the lessons I absorbed simply by being still—by existing in harmony with a land that whispers wisdom through the wind in the cypress trees and the laughter of neighbors at dusk.

The truth is, simple places and experiences are often our greatest teachers. A vineyard at harvest shows us patience. An olive grove reminds us of resilience. A shared meal teaches us connection. These moments, humble and unadorned, reveal what truly matters.

That is why I write and curate REAL books and publications. For me, storytelling is a way of stopping time—a way of lifting our gaze from the grind of routine to notice the extraordinary beauty hidden in the ordinary. Retreat is not about running away; it is about returning to yourself, so you can see, at last, the bigger picture of your own life.