I Stay Appalachia
A Practice of Return, in Appalachia
One day in the mountains, practicing the art of paying attention.
I Stay Appalachia is a five-hour sensory practice gathering in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania—an intimate day of attention, making, scent, landscape, shared table, and room to simply be.
We’ll gather with I STAY as a companion, not a curriculum. Through watercolor, scent, quiet practice, conversation, and time together, we’ll explore what it means to return to ourselves through relationship with the world around us.
May 22, 2027 · Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
A Day to Stay
This is not a retreat from your life. It is a day to come into closer relationship with it.
We’ll move slowly through a series of sensory practices shaped by I STAY—working with scent, watercolor, landscape, quiet reflection, and conversation. There will be room to wander, to make, to notice, to eat together, and to follow what draws your attention.
Nothing to achieve. Nothing to become.
Just a beautifully held day in which you can arrive as you are.
THE DAY
We’ll gather for five spacious hours shaped by the rhythm of I STAY.
There will be guided sensory practices, time with scent and watercolor, quiet reflection, conversation, and room to wander and notice what is here.
We’ll pause around a shared table for something nourishing, then return to the practice.
This is not a schedule to keep up with. Each invitation is simply that—an invitation. There is room to participate, to rest, and to follow your own attention.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Your day includes:
• Five hours of guided sensory and creative practice
• A copy of I STAY — A Practice of Return
• An Appalachia Artistry Alchemy set with handcrafted botanical-scented watercolor pigments
• All materials for the day
• A nourishing shared meal and refreshments
• Time for quiet, conversation, making, and simply being
Your book and Artistry Alchemy set are yours to take home, so the practice can continue after our day together.
No art experience is needed.
THE PLACE
We’ll gather in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, in the landscape where my own story began.
Our gathering will be held at Emerge Healing Arts & Spa, a beautiful and welcoming space in the heart of Wellsboro.
Appalachia is more than the setting for this day. Place is part of the practice. We’ll pay attention to what is beneath our feet, what is growing around us, and what becomes visible when we stay long enough to notice.
A SMALL GATHERING
I STAY Appalachia is intentionally intimate.
A smaller circle gives us room for conversation, quiet, individual attention, and the spaciousness that is central to this practice.
You do not need to arrive knowing anyone. You do not need to prepare anything.
Simply come as you are.
YOUR GUIDE
Susan Varga
Artist, botanical perfumer, author & founder of Aromatic Traditions
I created I STAY from a practice I have lived: learning to remain with what is here long enough for relationship to become possible.
My work moves through scent, watercolor, landscape, writing, gathering, and the ordinary sensory world. I don’t teach a formula for becoming someone different. I create conditions in which we can pay attention to the life we are already living.
I STAY Appalachia brings that practice home to the mountains where my own life began.
THE DETAILS
Saturday, May 22, 2027
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
Five-hour gathering
Limited attendance
Your registration includes the complete gathering, I STAY — A Practice of Return, your Appalachia Artistry Alchemy set, all practice materials, and our shared meal and refreshments.
Early Registration: $325 through September 28, 2026
Regular Registration: $350 beginning September 29, 2026
RESERVE YOUR PLACE
I STAY Appalachia is intentionally small, with space for 6–8 participants.
Early registration is $325 through September 28, 2026.
Beginning September 29, registration is $350.
Your registration includes the complete five-hour gathering, a copy of I STAY — A Practice of Return, your Appalachia Artistry Alchemy set, all practice materials, and our shared meal and refreshments.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need any art experience?
No. The watercolor and sensory practices are invitations into attention, not lessons in artistic technique. Curiosity is enough.
What should I bring?
Very little. Your book, Artistry Alchemy set, practice materials, meal, and refreshments are provided. We’ll send a short practical note before the gathering with anything helpful to wear or bring.
Is lodging included?
No. I STAY Appalachia is a five-hour, non-residential gathering. Wellsboro has a number of lodging options for anyone traveling to join us.
What if I need quiet or don’t want to participate in everything?
You are welcome to follow your own pace. Every practice is an invitation, not an obligation. There will be room for quiet, rest, and choosing what feels appropriate for you.
What is the cancellation policy?
Because I STAY Appalachia is an intentionally small gathering and materials are prepared for each participant, the following cancellation policy applies:
Through March 22, 2027: Registration is fully refundable.
March 23–April 21, 2027: 50% of the registration fee is refundable.
Beginning April 22, 2027: Registration is nonrefundable.
If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your registration to another person at any time before the gathering. Please contact Aromatic Traditions before the gathering so participant information can be updated.
If Aromatic Traditions must cancel I STAY Appalachia, your registration fee will be refunded in full. Aromatic Traditions cannot reimburse airfare, lodging, transportation, or other travel expenses booked independently by participants.
Travel and lodging are separate from I STAY Appalachia registration and are arranged directly by each participant. Please review the cancellation policies of your travel and lodging providers before booking.