Image 1 of 4
Image 2 of 4
Image 3 of 4
Image 4 of 4
About this trip-
Over the course of five days and four nights, we will be embarking on scenic walks, engaging in lively discussions about the novel and its themes, and enjoying delicious meals in local country pubs. Throughout our time, we will also make space for journaling and quiet reflection.
As Austen began work on the novel, she wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." If you are in Austen’s good company as an Emma enthusiast, this is the trip for you.
We will be discussing the novel through the theme of growth, asking ourselves questions like: what areas of your life would you like to grow into? How can you determine when striving for personal growth veers into vanity? Do you want to focus your energy into existing paths you have tread for yourself or expand into new horizons?
-
We expect to walk five to eight miles per day. Our walks will explore the expansive and stunning nature the region has to offer, which includes rolling hills, fields, and seaside paths alongside the chalk white cliffs of the Seven Sisters. The weather in the this region is notoriously variable. It might be mild and sunny, or wet and windy, sometimes all in the same day. We won’t rush our walks, but we expect to be tired at the end of each day, so appropriate footwear and rain gear is encouraged.
-
Pricing
The full tuition of the trip is as follows:
$4,950 USD for a Shared Room
$5,750 USD for a Private Room
Meeting Up
We will meet in East Sussex on the afternoon of May 18th and end programming after breakfast on May 22nd. Specific meeting time and location will be privately offered to pilgrims upon registration and payment.
Travel Expenses & Arrangements
Each pilgrim is responsible for handling their own travel expenses and arrangements prior to our meeting on May 18th and after we say goodbye on May 22nd.
Accommodations
Our home base throughout will be The Alfriston, a gorgeous manor and spa in East Sussex. Nestled in the storybook village of Alfriston, and tucked away in the South Downs National Park, the hotel is surrounded by the natural beauty of East Sussex. The hotel’s prime location offers opportunities for scenic walks through one of England’s most beautiful river valleys, or a journey to the famous Seven Sisters cliffs through the verdant fields of South Downs Way.
Scholarships
We occasionally offer partial scholarships for pilgrimages. If you are interested, please fill out our form here.
Trip Faculty
Casper ter Kuile
Faculty Leader (He/Him)
Casper brings new possibilities for community and spirituality to life. He's the co-creator and founding co-host of both Harry Potter and the Sacred Text and The Real Question, and a board member of Not Sorry.
Casper is the author of The Power of Ritual (HarperOne, 2020) and the co-founder of Sacred Design Lab, a soul-centered research and development lab. A graduate of Harvard's Kennedy and Divinity Schools, he served as a Ministry Innovation Fellow for Harvard Divinity School from 2016-2021.
Casper's at his happiest when he's harmony folk singing, keeping his tech sabbath, or stopping for a tea break on a long country walk. Originally from England and Holland, he lives with his husband in Brooklyn, NY.
Vanessa Zoltan
Chaplain (She/Her)
Vanessa is the CEO of Not Sorry Productions. She hosts three of our four podcasts: Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, Let’s Ask Taylor Swift, and Hot & Bothered. She founded Common Ground Pilgrimages in order to travel with brilliant faculty to beautiful places and talk about books with amazing pilgrims. It was a great trick she pulled off. She is also the author of the book, Praying with Jane Eyre.
Vanessa was trained as a non-denominational chaplain at Harvard Divinity School. She is a proud California girl who currently lives in MA with her gorgeous, blended family.
Fun Fact: Vanessa taught both ninth and eleventh grade English before becoming an author and podcaster!
Vanessa will serve as chaplain for this trip.
Julia Argy
Logistics Coordinator (She/Her)
Julia is a writer from Massachusetts. Her debut novel, The One, was published by Putnam in April, 2023. She graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Statistics, and from the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program with an MFA in Fiction. She works as the Director of Pilgrimages at Not Sorry.
Julia will serve as logistics coordinator for this trip.
“Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken.”
— Jane Austen, Emma