My First Author Interview

Toledo, Spain

The past few weeks are usually the time when we reflect on the year that has passed and think about what we have before us in the next twelve months. My 2019 was jam-packed with activities, some great and others not so good.

First, the exciting stuff:

• I finally achieved a life-long dream of writing and publishing a book, Confessions of a Middle-Aged Runaway.
• I got laid off from my job of 8 years, allowing me time to promote my newly published book–13 signing or speaking events since May.
• I got engaged to my sweetheart, Dan.
• My daughter and her husband visited from Idaho.
• I traveled to Spain with Dan; my sister, Julie, and her husband, Bob.
• Julie and Bob visited for a week at Christmas.

Boy, it makes your head spin, doesn’t it? Now the not-so-good stuff:

• Both of my parents ended up in the hospital within two days of each other—very scary and a busy few weeks for me. Thankfully, they are better now.
• I gained weight from spending so much time at the computer between work and writing my book, hospital visits, and throwing myself into book marketing.
• I got laid off from my job of 8 years, and unemployment ran out at the end of the year with no new job in sight.

I put my layoff in both categories, since it was both good and bad. Overall, it was a pretty good year. I’m sure the zen masters out there would say that things are neither good nor bad, they just are. It is only our interpretation that makes them good or bad. But they feel good and bad, so I’m going with it.

2020 is already off to a good start with some fun and interesting happenings. I joined a new writing group, will be starting a training program for social media marketing, and Dan and I start a dance class soon. I’m also volunteering to help with the newsletter at the California Writers Club, where I’m a member.

Another exciting thing: I was interviewed by Sarah Snyder of Luna River Voices for her blog and podcast. Sarah blogs about retreats and retreating and thought my motorhome journey was a good fit. I have referred to my journey as a sabbatical, which is basically the same thing.

You can find the edited interview on Sarah’s website here, and the podcast here. Sarah also wrote a memoir about her two-year retreat called Plant Trees, Carry Sheep, which you can find here. Check it out!