In case you’re wondering where I’ve been, let me say that the last month or so has been a bear. Not only is this my busiest time of year working with students on their college essays, but this is also the very first time that I have helped coordinate a trip to Italy for 48 people. I have been working on this trip with Don Dodson (an old friend from my hometown of Bonham, Texas) since Don, a retired professor, has been coordinating trips through his company Custom Europe for years now. This particular tour is sponsored by Story Circle Network (SCN), which is a non-profit writing organization that encourages women to write their stories. I am the coordinator of Online Education for SCN and as such am also presenting a six-day writing workshop for 23 women on the trip who wish to participate. Don has been wonderful, as has the Board of SCN. I am delighted to have this opportunity to be part of this new writing adventure. That is the very long explanation of why I have not been very present on my blog. It’s not that I haven’t been writing my minimum 20 minutes a day, I’ve just been doing it in other places.
However, all the pressing details of both college essay writing and trip planning are close to completion and after one final push, we’ll be boarding a plane on Tuesday to head to Europe. “We” means husband Ray, daughters Rachael and Liz, son-in-law Ron, and parents-in-law Rick and Cindy (Ron’s parents). We will go first to Paris for a couple of days and then onto Rome for a couple of more before we meet up with the other 41 people and travel by bus to Sorrento, which will be our home base for day trips during the week we are there. Am I excited? Yes!
I promise to keep you updated as best I can and will definitely post photos along the way. I am looking forward to spending time with family and friends (I know many of the people going on the trip since they are my Story Circle Network writing sisters). I am very fond of them all and know the trip will be lots of fun because they are lots of fun.
Stay tuned. I might even write before I leave, but I can’t promise that. My time will be tight between now and Tuesday, but whatever the case, you’ll hear from me soon.
Here’s to happy times with family and friends wherever you are.
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