Where in the World?
Dear Maggie,
Where in the world are you these days? Are you still having fun on your travels? Are you doing a lot of writing?
Sincerely,
A Wanderer from Wichita
Dear Wanderer,
Yes, we are still having fun traipsing around the country! I can’t believe it’s been almost two years since our adventure began. We’re currently back in New Mexico and heading toward Palm Springs for the winter. We really love New Mexico. The first time here we hit Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell (of course), Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. This time around, Ray has to travel, so I’m camped out in Albuquerque.
The weather here is just about perfect–around fifty degrees at night, and then a warm, non-humid eighty-five in the afternoons. Nice for a late day swim, and also terrific sleeping weather. There are a bunch of great yoga studios nearby, delicious restaurants, and lots to do. We happened to arrive during the balloon festival, which was amazing. Instead of braving the crowds, traffic, and crazy parking, we woke up at the crack of dawn and went to a local brewery. They opened their doors and patio at sunrise, so we took Daisy dog, our travel mugs, and watched the balloons float across the morning sky from a barstool.
As far as writing, I’m actually doing a ton. I’ve mentioned in the past that fall is my most productive time of year, and that hasn’t changed since we’ve been on the road, but school has probably been the biggest factor in my output. We have to write. A lot. When I’m in the middle of a writing project, it’s the time when more, new ideas manifest. I think this is because I’m already in a creative space and creativity generates more creativity. Since I can’t attend to all the good ideas at once, I keep a file of projects titled ‘it’s not your turn yet.’ This way, I know the idea isn’t lost, even if I can’t get to it at the moment.
One of the best things about school, besides keeping my word count up, is that I’m writing out of my comfort zone. The push of a deadline, or an assignment due date as the case may be, propels me forward, and I don’t have time to stress about a project or worry about perfection. Last year, I articulated a goal of wanting to write faster, and school is sure helping with that!
Thanks for reaching out! If you have a question for me, send it to maggie@msmaggieclare.com, and I’ll answer it here on the blog.
