Hi, friends! I’m back from my trip to Seattle! Such a whirlwind, jam-packed, inspiring, informative, amazing time. Lots of late nights + early mornings because I didn’t want to miss a thing. It felt so good to collapse into my own bed last night — I slept like a rock! Woke up late this morning and have spent the day nourishing my body with green smoothies + green tea, unpacking my suitcase, doing laundry, and trying to staunch the craziness that is my overflowing email inbox.

But … backtrack to last week. Janet and I enjoyed a gorgeous sunny day exploring San Francisco! I love walking down by the water. Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I actually live in this postcard-perfect place.

We met up for dinner with some of Janet’s grad-school friends who happen to live in SF now — small world! They were so friendly, fun and welcoming. On Monday, Janet came with me to San Jose because I was speaking to an undergraduate creative writing class. The students were thoughtful and attentive and asked lots of questions. They made my miss my former students at Purdue. I love teaching! That night Janet and I met up for vegan cuisine with an old friend from USC who now lives in San Jose, and it was wonderful to catch up. And on Tuesday we got together with Allyn, Michelle and Dana! I love when friends visit and get to meet other friends, when it feels like the different facets of your life are briefly able to coalesce.

That, in fact, was my favorite part of going to the AWP conference … it was a reunion of writers! I got to see friends from my undergrad days at USC, my grad school days at Purdue, and a conference I went to in Key West last year. Each night the final item on the conference agenda was a dance party, and it was such a unique brand of happiness of be able to spend a couple hours dancing my little heart out, surrounded by people I love who have inspired me at all different points of my writing journey. The hardest part was saying goodbye on Sunday! Even writing this, my eyes are misting a little bit. But as Dr. Seuss would say, “Don’t cry because it’s over — smile because it happened.” It’s a blessing and a privilege to miss people because it means I have so many amazing people in my life to miss!

The conference was so busy with lectures, seminars and events that I didn’t have too much time to explore the city, but I did make it to Seattle’s famous market — and the original Starbucks across the street! Yummm, soy chai.

My friend Tera had a book-signing for the launch of her beautiful collection of poetry, Reading the Ground. I am bursting with pride for her!

I’ll be posting more conference recap and nuts-and-bolts writing thoughts on my other blog over these next couple weeks. Now it’s time for a goals recap!

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– have an amazing time with Janet! go into the city, see a movie, take her to my favorite spots around town, and talk our faces off
– write 5 pages
– prepare for my new tutoring client
– go to one yoga class {sign of a super-busy week: I couldn’t make it to my Tuesday yoga class before I left for Seattle!}
– read fifty pages of The Empty House by Nathan Oates
– have a blast at the AWP conference! {and I guess be sorta productive and learn something too}

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 10 pages
– send AWP thank-you notes
– go to two yoga classes
– read & comment on story for fellows workshop next week
– finish reading The Empty House by Nathan Oates
– connect with three friends

Questions of the morning:

• What are your goals for this upcoming week?
• What have been your highlights of this weekend?
• What was the last trip you took?