“If you’re on the fence, don’t hesitate! This trip has transformed my thinking on reading, talking, and just existing in community with each other. This week of walking, talking and reading stories together was a much needed reset button after a tough few years.”

“The pilgrimage left me with a deeper understanding of Jane Eyre, brought up questions/emotions I didn’t know I had or had forgotten in the humdrum of everyday life, and am 20+ friends richer. In some ways I feel like the pilgrimage is just starting, and I’m so glad and grateful to have taken this leap. ”

“Reading and walking are my favorite things, so I knew I’d enjoy this experience. I was, however, wary of reading and walking with other people, especially after two years of complete isolation. It turns out that the other people were my favorite parts of the trip because everyone was so gracious and kind. I’ve never felt more at peace within myself as I did with this loving group of individuals. Final scores, if I had to score: Sacred reading, 10. Hiking, 10. The people, 11. ”

“Amazing experience with a caring, compassionate and committed team of people truly passionate about the work they do. If I could, I would become a “groupie,” participating in as many of these experiences as I could. Thank you for an experience I will carry with me always.”

“I’m always wary of going into events with high expectations, but with this trip it was somewhat inevitable - a book I loved, hosted by a person I’ve been listening to (and falling in love with) for years; in a beautiful place among nature and wildlife, in a cottage, in a foreign land. And yet somehow, it still managed to exceed all my expectations, because while I was prepared for some of the physical realities, the spiritual and personal experience was impossible to prepare for. ”

“This trip was a truly transformative experience. The retreat really encourages thoughtful contemplation and I left with a different perspective on the world around me, and there was balance between engaging in sacred practices and having downtime to bond with the other participants. Plus, getting to be in a room full of Harry Potter book nerds is always a treat. ”

“I was so apprehensive about this trip and it ended up being the most significant thing I’ve ever done. I returned home with more knowledge about my favorite book, more appreciation for the author, and with twenty new friends. I feel I’m a more confident person because I took this chance and I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything. I can’t wait to travel with Common Ground again!”

“At the beginning of this pilgrimage, I knew that there would be walking, talking, and reading. I didn’t expect to meet a group of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever encountered. I didn’t expect to feel fully at home in my body for the first time as I ran up a chalky white cliff overlooking the sea. I didn’t expect that reading in community would be a thousand times more fun, funny, and rewarding than reading as a solitary exercise. My undying gratitude to everyone who made this trip happen—thanks for walking with me.”

“I cannot recommend the pilgrimage experience more highly. It is a quiet immersion into a world of exploration, kindness, big heartedness and purposeful reflection.”

“The trip was transformative, and I’m trying so hard to keep a hold on all the feelings and thoughts and experiences and people I encountered along the way. It was more than a book group of literary enthusiasts, and it was more than just walking. Somehow, the staff and the pilgrims created something else entirely, and I can’t wait to do it again!”

“A weekend that pushed through my usual boundaries, in a generous and unforgettable way.”

“This pilgrimage went beyond what I expected. I expected to hike through the gorgeous English countryside and see the sites Jane Austen might have seen and did write about, and I expected to find kindred spirits who love Pride and Prejudice as intensely as I do. I had no idea that I would get a chance to see this book and myself from a different perspective, that I would return home feeling significantly changed. I will treasure this time always.”

“In an unprecedented time to be alive, continuing a seemingly never ending quarantine amid national and global unrest, our imaginations, libraries of all kids, and at home rituals have become instrumental passports to worlds outside of ourselves when we ourselves cannot leave. Somehow on this retreat, I felt like l went on a true pilgrimage while never leaving my home neighborhood. It was like my soul got new bed linens and a sparkler of connections from the pages of books to new humans on the other end of my screen. All I can say is thank you and when is the next?”