One of the major themes I’ve been touching upon in my writing here is solitude and admittedly, that comes from a complete projection of my own life.

I grew up in a very busy household with a revolving door of surprise guests, endless phone calls and what appeared to be a weekly family function given the numerous relatives. It only occurred to me recently why the library and Church were two of my favourite places.

And given the hidden hunger for peace and quiet, it was no wonder I always signed up for a retreat. While I don’t want to completely disregard the spiritual fulfillment they would provide, I cannot deny my attraction to them came for a longing of quiet solitude.

However, as we are creatures of habit, my first few years living alone wasn’t the seamless transition you would expect. I spent most of my time with other people or inviting them over to my place rather than settle into the peace I was really seeking in life. I wanted solitude but I didn’t want to be alone.

Humans are social creatures—who knew!?

As the world became more interconnected and the romanticized idea of “cabin in the woods” drifted away (I mean, find me a wooded area developers haven’t put a bid on), a hunger for the solitude I once sought increased. Not just for me, but for others as well.

The idea of going on a retreat now seems superfluous as any given retreat getaway is marketed and advertised to attract as many people as possible. The irony of economics trumping the very thing it’s trying to sell is not lost on me.

Even the monasteries, temples, ashrams and hell, campsites, are flooded or closing down in light of the continuous expansion and development of our world, which leaves us the question:

Where can we go for solitude?

Or, as the titles of this post asks, where do we retreat to now?

The person who can answer this question will be doing a great service to the world.