In which I am out of pocket

I am leaving tomorrow for the RWA national conference in DC, which means I will be out of blogging range. I'm very excited about the trip--I get to see lots of fabulous people, I get to present a RITA Award, I am nominated for a du Maurier Award, and honestly, I have a few new dresses I've been dying to wear. (Now you know me in my shamefulness.) The interesting thing about RWA is how entirely exhausting it is. Because last year's conference was in San Francisco, I flew out a day early and came home a day late, which made for a VERY long trip. This year it's much closer to home--just far enough to justify a quick commuter flight. And it's in DC, a city I have come to appreciate very much.

Here's another secret shame: I am an ambivalent traveler. I love the preparation and planning--I own more Eyewitness travel guides than anyone else I know, some to places I have no intention of visiting. I love sorting the clothes and plotting how to fit everything into a medium-sized carry-on and agonizing over which books to take. But I am a fairly solitary creature. I spend hours a day on my own and I like it that way. Writing demands a lot of quiet time, and when I socialize, I find I run down rather quickly. I discovered last year that the best solution is for me to socialize when I can and when I ought to, and the rest of the time keep to myself. I eliminated the non-essential things from my schedule and many times withdrew to my room with a cup of tea and the do-not-disturb sign.

This time, I'm going a step further. I am frequently inspired by the delightful Kimberly Wilson of Hip Tranquil Chick fame. A few weeks ago I noticed on her Twitter updates that she was having the MOTHER of all bad travel experiences. Her transcontinental trip had her delayed in Houston by 20 hours on the way and diverted for an extra evening to New Jersey on the way home. And yet not one of her tweets was bitter or resentful or crabby, as mine might have been. She was the essence of serenity, and I have decided that THAT is the kind of traveler I want to be. (I manage it sometimes, but on other occasions I am woefully short of the mark.)

So this trip is going to be my mini-retreat. No puppy, no e-mails, no little day-to-day diversions. I am packing a travel candle and a stack of books, tea and magazines and a journal. When I have a few spare minutes, I am going to process the clutter in my head that's bogging down my thinking. I'm going to slip away for a visit to one of my favorite museums, and I am going to spend some time just BEING instead of DOING. (I guarantee you that anyone who has actually experienced the joyous chaos of RWA is laughing hollowly at me right now, but I swear it can be done.)

In the meantime, I am not leaving you entirely without bloggage. I will keep reposting entries from the old Blog A Go-Go every day--can you believe I'm still getting too many hits there to close it down?! Crazy. Anyway, I wish you all a lovely week, and I will be back with fresh bloggery and pictures on July 21. I will also be posting Twitter updates--which in turn will update my Facebook status--while I'm away. Until then!

(And a very happy Bastille Day to my French readers!)