Worth The Wait

By Susan

I'll admit it: I've spoiled myself in the past twelve months with travel. I've been to Seattle, Portland, Boston, New York, and Milwaukee. I've embarked on four driving trips from Texas to Kentucky and back. I've visited family and friends all across Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. And right now, I'm typing from a tiny bungalow in Key West, Florida, where my younger sister and I are wrapping up an amazing week, celebrating our birthdays together.
A shared goal of this trip for us both was to relax, read, soak up some sun and be responsible-- frankly-- for no one but ourselves. I'm sad to say that I didn't write as much as I'd hoped, but in place of that, I snorkeled, sailed, kayaked, swam and danced. I've eaten great food. I've read books I've wanted to read. And I've spent the entire week talking to my sister, who lives one thousand miles away from me. It's been a great chance to unwind, think, sleep, and smile.

My poolside friend

In preparation for this trip, I pre-ordered a book for my older daughter, who wanted to make sure that she got it on its release date of October 8th. She's texted me non-stop since the 8th, in fact, to let me know it still hasn't arrived. I'm sad to report that I just received an email stating that it shipped today-- meaning she won't get it until Saturday.

Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three
Yoga Poses, by Claire Dederer

And it made me think about anticipation. We anticipate our own projects' completions and hopefully, their successes. We look forward to trips and vacations. We can't wait to see people we've missed and to spend time with them. And there's nothing better than looking forward to a book and finally receiving it, knowing you can lose yourself in its pages for hours. My own reading list keeps growing as great authors keep writing great books, making sure I always have something to look forward to.
For the next twelve months, I'm looking forward to more great travel, great books, and for getting good words on paper.