I’m on countdown mode.
Only three more sleeps and I will be on a plane to Guadalajara.
I keep thinking I’m fine with this plan, this self-designed month-long writing retreat that I booked so long ago. But then, I wake up in the middle of the night and feel the need to practise deep slow breathing to stave off some random short-of-breath panic.
WTH?
Why, oh why, do I want to leave my lovely life?
I feel like I’m just getting into a groove again. I love playing in my art studio. I’ve got my whole exercise routine down pat. I’m connecting with old friends and making new ones. And with Kevin’s drastically-reduced work week, we’re spending more time hanging out together and I like it.
I like it alot.
Still…
I loved reading Michael Shapiro’s, A Sense of Place. In it, he interviews some of the big-names in travel writing. Each one describes their love of home, their adoration of their life and routine and how hard it is to leave and yet, each one of them describes leaving that chosen haven, over and over and over.
I’m not sure what this all means. But I know too, that as much as I can be described as a bit of an extrovert, there is a part of me that craves the monastic. I like the idea of scaring myself a little, of throwing myself into a completely new situation and hunkering into my self-made cave to see what percolates onto the page.
This is not going to be a travel-y trip. There will be no touring about. I fly to Guadalajara, spend two days there and then take a bus to Lake Chapala, a town where I’ve never been and where I have rented a small casita for the month.
There I will establish a different routine. One with writing and walking and writing and walking.
This is either going to prove to be a really good idea or it is going to be hell.
Then again, it might be like everything else in life, where it is simply the dual nature of all things. It’s that ol’ Yin and Yang, Sturm and Drang, To and Fro, Flin and Flon.
There might have to be a few margaritas in my future too. Luckily, there’s this…
PS If you are interested in doing your own art residency. Check out this cool link at ResArts.
Sometimes you can become complacent in your familiar surroundings and it takes an effort to get out of your comfort zone but curiosity always get the better of you!
Good luck with your writing retreat.
Thanks Catherine. I’m hoping that the complete change of scenery and less social distractions will get me back on the page. I’m taking Dani Shapiro’s wonderful book, Still Writing, as inspiration. I’ve lost count as to how many times I’ve read her book, but it always feels like there’s something new in her pages. Here’s hoping!
I think I’d like to run away to a little casita… oops I mean rent a little casita, to study the art of video making and teach myself how to make cool videos like you do. Of course I would have to find a margarita maker to be my main subject. And I probably wouldn’t get it right the first time, so I would have to drink the margaritas. Oh boy. Even imaginary life is hard.
🙂 elixir
ps You can always come back home. Changing our minds is not a sin. Wasting good margaritas maybe, but not changing our minds.
You’re right Elinor. Imaginary life, just like real life, can definitely be a struggle which is a very good reason to pay strict attention to that video (please also note that Kevin was using a very large bottle of tequila; a key point). And yes, we had to test many margaritas before we had it all down pat.
I like your take on changing our minds…nice to keep all the options open.
Options give us room to breathe. I think our self-confidence increases when we see multiple options. Even if some are ‘ridiculous’, the more options we see, the less we feel like victims, and the more we feel able to select our next step. Enjoy your casita. 🙂
Options ‘R Us!
Congrats on pushing yourself out the door and into a totally unknown environment. I admire you very much for your sense of adventure and willingness to leave the familiar. It’s inspiring… enough so that I may begin planning an adventure of my own somewhere new.
Oh Laurie! Considering you already dive into everything with gusto, I can’t possibly imagine what further adventures you might come up with. Still, I’m glad you found this post inspiring…I guess this means I should start packing.
You don’t sit still much and it looks like another great trip coming up!
Love your writing, photos and now a recipe for a perfect margarita … gonna try it when we’re in Phoenix. Kevin’s quite the bartender.
In the meantime, I’ll be an armchair traveller — not that I’m doodling my time away in an armchair as I really enjoy the gym, swimming and walking. Actually, do my best thinking when walking. I’m sure you’ll gain valuable insights, fabulous ideas and meet wonderful people on your walks in Mexico. Bon voyage!
It’s funny Martha, I feel like I’ve been home for quite awhile, but I realize that’s not technically true.
I promise that you will love Kevin’s margaritas. He really is the master of the mixer 🙂
Enjoy your walks. I completely agree with you that my best thinking comes while walking…it seems to shake things loose.
Have a fine time whenever you go to Phoenix and let me know how you like those cocktails.
Oh Colleen, it will be so awesome. So completely awesome. I can’t wait to hear all about what you discover in this next month. So completely envious — well you know. And beyond that “it’s not fair, why can’t I go,” I am so happy that you have the chance to explore a new place and find a new rhythm to your day for just this short time. Life is long. 30 days ain’t nothin’ girl! You got this.
Thanks Gwen. I’m so sorry this didn’t work for you this time. I think we’ll just have to call this as a cyber-retreat. Funny, you’re right 30 days nothing and at the same time, it’s a huge chunk of time. I think we just ran up against that ol’ duality thing again!