Gen Z Women Are Booking Convents Instead of Beach Houses This Summer
By Ashley Fike
June 30, 2025, 10:04am

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Move over, shared beach houses and Aperol spritzes. This summer, a growing number of Gen Z women are checking into Catholic convents and monasteries instead—on purpose.

In an unexpected pivot from rooftop parties and dating app exhaustion, young women are opting for peace and quiet. Literal quiet. The latest trend, dubbed “vow of silence summer,” has people voluntarily giving up speaking for days at a time, communicating only by writing or gestures while living alongside nuns. And demand is high.

“I booked a vow of silence at a Catholic monastery late last year, and the booking process is really straightforward—you just email the nuns,” said TikToker @mc667868 in a video that’s now been viewed over 700,000 times. “When I went to book again for this summer, they were fully booked for the next three months.”

That’s not hyperbole. Monasteries and convents are now seeing waitlists as young women line up for a kind of stillness that’s hard to come by elsewhere. No phones buzzing, no endless notifications, and definitely no small talk. Instead, many are spending their days tending gardens, attending prayer services, and catching up with themselves.

Gen Z Women Are Spending Their Summers at Convents

It’s not hard to see why. According to a recent survey, nearly 250,000 Americans experience burnout before they hit 30. A vow of silence might seem extreme—but it’s a clear counter-move to the overstimulation so many people are desperate to escape.

The TikTok comment section has turned into a sort of confession booth for collective exhaustion. “The girlies are FED TF UPPPP and this is the proof,” one person wrote. Another joked, “Maybe we can start a resy app for vows of silence.” Someone else simply said, “The call to be a nun is too strong rn.”

Others shared how transformative the experience can be. “I lived with nuns last summer…legit the best three months of my life,” one user wrote. “They are so cool and fun. I worked in their garden and lived in a cottage for free.”

And while this trend might seem surprising, it doesn’t come from nowhere. Between the burnout, the dating fatigue, and the constant pressure to be on, Gen Z’s new version of luxury looks more like spiritual retreat than poolside party.

One commenter put it best: “I feel the nuns have been expecting us. They knew our last nerve would disappear at some point.”