The Art of Living Well

A Galena Retreat

What if you could step away from the schedules, responsibilities and endless to-do lists for a little while—and spend a weekend simply enjoying the art of living well?

Welcome to The Art of Living Well, an intimate retreat in the rolling countryside of Galena, Illinois, created for women who could use a little time to rest, create, savor, wander and reconnect.

Our home for the retreat will be the beautiful AOMI Collection, a modern hideaway nestled among acres of peaceful countryside just outside historic Galena. Surrounded by nature and sweeping views, it's the perfect setting to slow down, breathe deeply and enjoy the luxury of having nowhere else you need to be.

This isn't a weekend about schedules packed from morning until night. Quite the opposite.

There will be time for quiet mornings, conversation, laughter, fresh air and simply enjoying our surroundings. Time to take advantage of the wellness amenities, gather around the fire, walk among the trees—or do absolutely nothing at all.

Because sometimes doing nothing is exactly what we need.

The Art of Creating

We'll awaken a different side of ourselves with a special Painting & Poetry experience.

Pick up a paintbrush. Put pen to paper. Play with color and words. There are no expectations and absolutely no artistic experience required.

This is creativity simply for the joy of creating—an opportunity to quiet the noise, use your imagination, laugh a little and perhaps discover something about yourself along the way.

You'll leave with your own creation and a wonderful little piece of the weekend to take home.

The Art of Savoring

And because a life well lived should most certainly include wonderful food, we'll trade our paintbrushes for aprons for a very special French culinary experience.

Alongside our chef, we'll step into the kitchen and learn how to prepare an authentic French meal together.

We'll chop, stir, taste and discover some of the techniques and secrets behind French cooking. And when our work is finished, we'll gather around the table, raise a glass and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Part cooking class. Part dinner party.

And perhaps just a little taste of France without ever leaving Illinois.

The Art of Wandering

No trip to Galena would be complete without an afternoon devoted to its charming historic downtown.

You'll have plenty of time to wander Main Street, browse the boutiques and specialty shops, discover local treasures, stop for coffee or a bite to eat—or perhaps find something fabulous you absolutely did not come to Galena intending to buy.

No rushing. No agenda.

Just the pleasure of wandering.

The Art of the Pause

And woven throughout the weekend will be something we often forget to give ourselves:

permission to pause.

To rest without feeling guilty.

To create without worrying whether we're good at it.

To enjoy beautiful food without rushing through it.

To have meaningful conversations.

To laugh.

To wander.

To reconnect with ourselves and with one another.

Because wellness doesn't always have to look like green juice, meditation and another list of things we're supposed to be doing.

Sometimes wellness is sleeping a little later.

Sometimes it's putting paint on a canvas.

Sometimes it's writing words you didn't know were inside you.

Sometimes it's learning to make a beautiful French dinner.

Sometimes it's wandering through boutiques with friends.

And sometimes it's sitting around a table long after dinner is finished because the conversation is simply too good to leave.

The Art of Living Well isn't about reinventing yourself.

It's about stepping away long enough to remember how wonderful it feels to simply enjoy your life.

Rest. Create. Savor. Wander. Connect.

Come away for a while. The art of living well is waiting.

PRICING AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST