It was a long nine-hour drive from Georgia. Endless stretches of highway with nothing to keep me company but a few CDs, my own imagination (I'm sure I'm not the only person that talks to themselves when they're alone in the car) and the fun of trying to find a decent radio station when the local one faded out. I kind of regretted not renewing my satellite radio subscription.
Anyway, I made it down there safe and sound...my room wasn't ready when I got there, but thankfully it was just in time for me to throw on some more decent clothes for registration. I didn't know a soul. And I am usually not very good in situations where I don't know anyone. I'm quiet enough as it is, but put me around a bunch of strangers and I'm as withdrawn as a mouse avoiding the broom.
But the wonderful people at AWAI (American Writer's & Artists Inc.) and all of the attendees were awesome. I've never met a more kind, genuine, welcoming, invested, generous group of people. We were there for a copywriting bootcamp, and that's exactly what it was. We hit the ground running and had pretty much 12-hour days until everything wrapped on Saturday. Three-and-a-half days of constant learning.
I loved every minute of it, though.
Finally, I'm feeling like I'm on the path towards making some much-needed changes in my life. Stress has had a chokehold on me and I felt it loosening with every day that passed. And by the time I headed back home on Sunday morning, I felt so full of energy; my mind was churning and burning with ideas and plans and strategies the whole way back. It was thrilling.
I felt so alive...so invigorated...so inspired. Nothing was going to stop me from really making a move towards the kind of life I wanted. I couldn't wait to get home and really get the ball rolling. Nothing was going to get in my way!
And the first obstacle I got to tackle when I got home?
"So, Mom, what's for dinner?"
Seriously.
Talk about a splash of cold water in the face. I mean...he's chilling on the couch when I walk in and mind you, there were other people here that he could have gotten dinner from. But of course, I was the only one who could pull up an app and order a pizza, 'cause that's all I did. I hadn't even taken my shoes off yet, much less unpacked or gotten the creases out of my body from being in the car so long.
And may I add that the apartment was in a little bit of a mess. And he's just sitting on his phone in the middle of it like it's nirvana.
That was a little bit of a sail-sucker (and, it kinda pissed me off a little bit). But what can you do? He's 13. All he cares about is basketball and pizza. The order depends on the day.
So now, I've shaken that cold water off and dove back in. Updating my LinkedIn profile, doing research, outlining everything I was thinking about on the drive home. I should be asleep because I do start the 9-5 in a matter of hours but I'm pumped. Progress is addictive.
And anyway, Mr. Cold Water is the main reason I'm doing all of this. :)
