Welcome to 2018! I don’t know about you, but I found that 2017 was a year of changes. This was true for both my personal and professional lives. Many of these changes were completely unexpected. There was so much uncertainty and chaos, but fate has a way of sorting things out. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts and be openminded to see the opportunities around you.
So with that in mind, I have determined that my focus for 2018 will be searching for balance.
As with many writers, I have a tendency to get carried away with my work. I’ll spend long hours at my computer writing and editing, and while I’m pretty good about taking breaks I’ve found that I occasionally need to step away from the computer and have my own adventures. After all, my experiences are what fuel my writing.
In the past few years, I’ve spent so much time traveling and living out of a suitcase, and adventure would naturally seem to find me. But when I came back to my hometown I was under the impression that the excitement was over, or at least on hiatus until my next trip began. I was like Bilbo returning home to the Shire where everything was perfectly ordinary and dull. It recently occurred to me that my approach to this situation was wrong. This part of California really is an amazing place, with many opportunities of its own. All I needed to do was view the area with fresh eyes as if it was one of the many places I’ve traveled to.
Last week I was presented with an opportunity to help a local Native American community with a project. I was quite nervous when I was first invited, after all, I didn’t really know what to expect. But then again, facing the unknown is the essence of any adventure. So the night before, I packed up my car and prepared anything I thought I would need, and prepared to head out in the morning.
The project involved many hours of work, but it was a truly amazing experience. I met so many wonderful people. We laughed and joked as we worked. By the time I left I was physically exhausted, but in high spirits and so glad that I was able to have this experience.
I mentioned before that my experiences tend to influence my writing and the themes that I choose to write about. While many of my negative experiences are sometimes the first to surface, in all honesty, there are usually many more positive experiences than negative ones. It’s these beautiful moments when I am welcomed to experience something new and inspiring that feeds my wanderlust because even though there is a lot of negativity in the world, there is so much good as well.
Until next time,
Kathryn Blanche
