Introduction

Dear Reader,

My name is Ashley. Front Porch Retreats is my laboratory for exploring how we can speak more honestly, create greater meaning in our lives, and experience the connectedness and growth that is the foundation for a life well lived. Whether we’re connecting virtually or in person, exploring a divisive topic or co-creating a solution, my mission is the same: to create a low-stakes environment for high-stakes connection.

Here are some of my beliefs:

Rest is an act of both resilience and resistance. We cannot be the citizens, parents, or leaders the world needs if we are operating from a place of depletion. Rest is the work. It is not wrong to stay at home instead of going out for dinner, for entertainment, for yet another networking function. It is not wrong to go to bed at 8pm if that’s what your body is craving. 

Dialogue and solving problems are crafts. Like kneading bread, painting a sunrise, growing a rose bush…good conversation, productive conversation is a journey. It takes time, the right environment, and a willingness to get your hands dirty, make mistakes, and try again, and then yet again. Over and over.

Curiosity is a powerful tool for shaping an unfinished story. Have you ever noticed how quickly a wall turns back into a door when you stop pushing and start wondering? It is not an act of surrender to lead with a question. 

To invite possibility, we must first allow uncertainty. What if the frantic reach for an answer is exactly what prevents us from hearing the question that could change everything?

Because this is a living project, the "how" might change.  I invite you to join me in my experiments. Come however you are—burdened, curious, exhausted, or inspired. There is a chair waiting for you on my porch.

Warmly,

Ashley