What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Well, it’s been three weeks since my last check-in here. Although I’ve been super busy, I’m going to think of it as my summer vacation. So, here’s my take on the September ritual of the “What I Did on My Summer Vacation” essay, which of course includes notes on how I’ve been working toward my goals.

A lot of my time was taken up with preparations for our big trip to Texas for the Rethinking Everything unschooling conference. We finished our fundraising (success!! yay!!), prepared our presentations, and made all our travel arrangements.

Mid month, we took my teenage daughter to a neighboring state so she could spend a few days with some friends before they move out west. She had a fantastic time! In the meantime, my performance troupe had a three-day gig at a festival up in the mountains. So there was preparation for the gigs involved, plus getting all our camping gear in working order. The festival was a lot of fun! We made some good contacts there, for Feline Dreamers as well as the troupe. My son’s soccer season and tryouts started up in earnest, and we had to drive him to practice multiple times per day.

Before we knew it, it was time to head off to the conference! We had a fabulous time. Met a lot of great new people, connected with some friends we’d met at the New Hampshire conference this spring, and hung out with a lot of fun teens. Our sessions were well-received. Our vending at the bazaar on the last day went well – we sold several guided meditation CDs, a couple of copies of my first book, and gave out a gazillion bookmarks to promote Cultivating Self-Love. We also signed up 15 new subscribers to our e-newsletter, and made many great connections. Best of all, I got to meet a friend in person for the first time! We have been online friends for several years, soul sisters really, yet we live on opposite coasts. We hung out “in real life,” and it was just like we’d known each other forever! So special. I just know I’ll see her and her amazing family again. Also, it looks like the organizers of the conference would like us to come back next year. Yay!

Since we got back, I’ve been resting, celebrating some family birthdays, and making plans for the fall. This means gearing up for our unschool year, figuring out what our studies and activities will look like and then beginning to put plans into motion. Unschooling, if you’ve not heard of it, is a form of homeschooling that emphasizes child-led and project-based learning. We also belong to a homeschool co-op, so I’ve been planning what I’ll teach there this fall and helping organize all the class offerings.

What I haven’t gotten to: much actual writing, particularly for any type of longer work. It’s mostly been journal writing, taking notes, and blog posts here and there. I haven’t had as much physical activity as I’d like, though I feel like I’ve been on the go, which does mean I’ve been moving a lot. This weekend we went swimming both days, which felt great both in terms of exercise (swimming up the river against  the current) and getting out in nature.

As I help my teens get their fall plans organized, I’ve also been thinking about how I’ll adjust my own priorities and goals. September and October are all about research and action in the area of ethical promotion. I really want to get this new e-book out to a whole lot of people. Not just to help me make a living, which is important, but also because I think it’s crucial for people to learn about loving themselves. I feel it will really help in the process of humanity’s collective awakening. We had a lot of folks interested in it at the conference and I want to keep the buzz going.

I also want to start making an outline for – gasp! – a novel. I’m planning to do NaNoWriMo for the first time ever. It’s a big step for me, and I’m excited as well as nervous.

That’s all for now. I’m pleased with where I am and where I’m going, and excited for all sorts of creative work!

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4 Responses to What I Did on My Summer Vacation

  1. Pingback: Family Fun Day!: ROW80 Update, September 8, 2013 | shanjeniah

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