There's No Place Like Home

I recently returned from spending three glorious days at the SCBWI Writers Retreat in Ranch Palos Verdes, the first (yes first) overnight trip I've had ALONE in nearly eighteen years. You read correctly. ALONE. No kids. No husband. Just me for three days and two nights basking in the sunlight of solitude.

Of course, I wasn't really alone alone. There were about fifty of us, mostly women with a handful of men thrown in for diversity's sake, all gathered at the Mary & Joseph Retreat to mingle with like-minded peers. All of us were writers, some published, some not yet published, but all with aspirations of polishing our manuscripts in hopes of one day seeing our names in print.

We spent a total of ten hours over two days in critique groups, enjoyed excellent presentations by three of the publishing industry's top editors, and had plenty of time to mingle and muse at will.

The whole experience felt like one giant slumber party! My roommate and I, who had only met that weekend, stayed up to one-thirty in the morning both nights chattering away like two teenagers. What I enjoyed most was being able to eat a meal without interruption, carry on a conversation with other adults, to come and go as I please without having to tell anyone where I was going or when I'd return, to eat without having to prepare the food myself or wash the dishes, to enjoy a full night's rest in a bed all to myself and not wake up in the middle of the night to take care of anyone! It was the most fun I'd had in years. Fancy that.

And I spent hour after hour WRITING! It was sheer paradise. It is almost frightening how content I was at this retreat. I would make a perfect hermit.

Of course, when I came home, my five beautiful children threw themselves at my feet, sang praises to me, and pleaded with me to never leave them again. Or was that my husband?

Needless to say I am already looking forward to going back next year. Sorry honey.