There's a certain kind of magic to villa living. A softening that happens when an afternoon stretches out before you with nowhere you need to be, and there's somewhere cozy to land in every direction — the comfort of your own room, a sunny chaise by the pool, a sofa on one of the terraces looking out at the garden.
And then there's the company. Living in community with women settles something old in us — our ancestors cooked and raised children side by side, and some part of the nervous system still reads that as safety. Several women on this trip had come through real losses, and some of the most profound experiences of the week happened right at that dinner table, over the last of the wine. Tears, hugs, all of it.
You can’t build that into an itinerary — but they’re the moments that have stayed with me the most.
