I think my favourite word is vacation (vay-kay-shun). Whether I stay at home for a staycation (this season’s trendiest word) or holiday far away, I like the dreamy space that fills my head during these periods. It’s a kind of expansive feeling that allows me to enter the worlds of characters. It’s hard to stay in this space when other responsibilities like e-mail, paid work, etc grab my attentions and energy.
This week I’m heading off to a retreat for a couple of days. There will be silence, and nature and my second novel’s manuscript, which I plan to read from front to back while there. I’m hoping the time away will help me see the story differently, reveal its gaps and beauty and help me integrate some of my readers’ comments. Then I’ll bring it home, do a little more writing and put it away so I can do nothing on my second week of vacation.
Vacations can only be enjoyed in contrast to work. My paid psychotherapy and consulting work and my (largely) unpaid writing fuels the anticipation of (and finances) time off. They are part of vacation’s blessing too. So I look forward to the coming 2 weeks, and the work that will follow it.