Mission Accomplished

Written Thursday at The Highlights Foundation

Tomorrow I will go home. Tonight I think about what my goals were for this retreat... Go. Show up. Write. Meet some people. I did. I achieved all of these goals and much, much more.

Go.

I am here. This place is magical. Everyone is kind and helpful and supportive.

The food is delicious and nutritious. The weather has been comfortable.

Show up.

I introduced myself to people. I met new people. I listened. I learned. I asked questions. I shared.

Write.

Oh did I write. I wrote a lot. I flushed out ideas for two possible possible books. I wrote four blog posts. I wrote pages and pages in my notebook. I wrote a lot.

Meet some people.

I thought I'd meet people. I didn't expect to meet a dog and a bear too.

Back to the people...I didn't expect to make real connections. I didn't expect to leave here with friends. New friends and old friends...

Writer friends.

Also...

I laughed more than I have in a long time.

I ate the most delicious peanut butter cookie I've tasted in my life...and it was gluten-free!

I participated in yoga class and took some walks in the woods.

I talked and listened and shared stories and learned about so many others.

I leave here changed.

I'm grateful for

every moment and

every word written here.

I leave here a writer.

I will return as a writer.

Chasing My Dream

I'm doing it. I'm chasing my dream. I've always wanted to run writing retreats and workshops for people, but I've always been too scared to do anything about it...until now. I don't know what's changed...maybe I've changed. I'm not allowing the fear to stop me anymore. I've started Selah Writing Retreats. The past couple of weeks I've been getting the business end in order. I thought I would hate that...I don't. It's scary, but I am surprising myself with how efficient I am. Yesterday I went to a bank to set up a bank account. The woman I met with was kind and helpful and so enthusiastic about my dream. My website is set up. I've done lots of work on it. I hope you stop by and let me know what you think. It's selahwritingretreats.com . Balancing creative with business has been challenging but fun. Creating the website, getting a federal tax id, making business cards, planning dates... My favorite voxer group is called Butt Ki...

Someday...

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers . Do you have dreams? Kids are good at dreaming. I find many adults struggle with it. Speaking for myself, I get so caught up in the everyday drudgery of life, that dreams get nudged aside until they disappear. It's important to have dreams. I've been writing about my dreams in my notebook and so I thought I'd share my dreams here... 1. Writing a book. While I'd love to get a book published, my dream is to write a book...to complete the act of writing it. I've started on this dream and it's hard and challenging and exciting and amazing. 2. Living at the beach. I love the water, the waves, the ocean smell, the seafood, the sand...all of it! The Outer Banks is my favorite place in the...

Whatever Happened To...

Sharing this post on Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Do you ever wonder whatever happened to your students after the year you spend together? I imagine how my students are finding life...are they happy? Successful? Do they still read? Write? What is going on with them? I taught fifth grade for eight years. Fifth grade was such a fun year to teach because the students were still young enough that school was something they loved and old enough that they could show some real signs of independence. Fifth grade is the oldest grade in our elementary schools, so the students enjoyed their final year before moving onto middle school and the challenges that came with that new adventure. 2007 was a tough year for me personally. My dad collapsed in September of that year and then died in March of that same school year. He lived thousands of miles away, so my mind was definitely unfocused that year...but that year, Catie was in my class. Catie was a quiet stude...

The Sunrise Story

Search This Blog