When I had four kids at home, we waited impatiently for those endless 10 months of school to end so we could live “real life” for a while. We would climb into the van with blankets and teddies to travel with a tent and sometimes some friends in tow. Five of us would travel alone because Daddy had to stay home. He would feed the cat and make sure the lights stayed on.
One day, as fall drew near, I was moaning about having to leave “real life” behind and suck it up for another 10 months. That was when my partner stopped me and said, “Vick, that ten months IS “real life.” The summer is just your fantasy. Was he right?
One, two, skip a few and here I am, looking down a very short runway, past the final days of April and into May, into “real life.” Summer is coming and already my plans are formulating. Visiting a friends cottage here, a camping trip there, a couple of organized retreats and visits to far flung family. I haven’t been to the Yukon in the summer in a long time. I’m looking forward to it. Now that no one is going back to school I can extend “real life” until the end of September. Its not that I don’t love the days that I spend in that other life, but “real life” is more spacious and offers opportunities to write under different trees and yes, it may be a fantasy but, I’m going for it.
The only thing I really miss as I start to drift like dandelion fluff, is writing in community. It’s harder to organize meeting rooms and times together…so let’s get in one last time before I float away.
Write with me on Zoom:
Drifting Away
Thursday May 22 to June 12 (4 sessions)
1 – 3:00ish pm for prompted writing All experience levels welcome. Each session we will come away with 3-4 story beginnings in your preferred genre and style.
Price: $100 for the Series / $30 per session if space permits. (no hst) If times are tough, contact me to take advantage of a bursary.
This session is already half full. Please don’t wait to register.
Drifting Away – Quik Piks plus 1/2
Thursday May 22 – June 22 (4 sessions)
7:30 – 8:30 pm. This session is inspired by my Covid, Pot of Gold writing series, 1 hour of quick prompts with feedback on one piece. Then at 8:30 those who need to leave can, but if you are on the tail of an idea, stay and take a spacious ½ hour to finish something or follow a new prompt for a longer write.
Price: $100 for the whole series $30/session if space permits. (no hst) If times are tough, contact me to take advantage of a partial bursary.
I can relate to this. We had a farm when I was growing up. All our weekends and holidays were spent there and my Dad was always around – this was my real life. Life in the city was about school, feeling cramped in a rented house, being unable to go no further than the neighbours, it wasn’t life at all. Needless to say I lived for the weekends.
I’m still without a writing group. Again the time difference makes Vicki’s out of reach.