Retire-to Volunteering

078 Laura Valentine—Penuel Ridge Away From It All—Penuel Ridge Retreat Center Helicopters, sirens, traffic, deadlines, quotas, to-do lists, demanding devices—noise, noise, noise, pressure, pressure, pressure—the hallmarks of everyday life! Where is the escape, the safe space away from it all, a place to simply to be, to renew, to reconnect? Laura Valentine knows. Laura is the executive director of Penuel Ridge, a small retreat center not far from bustling Nashville, yet nestled in 135 acres of quiet, where individuals and small groups (of no more than 18) can find themselves. Open 365 days a year, Penuel Ridge is a contemplative, interfaith center offering safe, sacred space to be still in a peaceful setting to listen to one's inner voice and for the voice of God (however persons define the divine). People come to walk the land, to listen to the sounds of nature, to study sacred texts, to journal, to rest, to simply be away and at peace. The retreats are self-directed. Consequently, each experience is unique