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A Chicago area girl born and bred, I've lived in Mississippi, Montana, Michigan, and...ten years in the wilds of northeastern Indiana, where I fought the noble fight as a book editor. Now, I'm back in Illinois once more...for good. (At least I intend to make it that way!)
Showing posts with label leaving too much behind. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leaving too much behind. Show all posts

Monday, January 14, 2013

The Mutually Exclusive Goal Dilemma

...so I'm thinking that what I really need to do is get out to more writers' conferences and do more speaking, teaching, workshops, etc., for writers. I enjoy it, they seem to enjoy it, and I can do some traveling and get juiced up for my writing at the same time.

Sounds like a great plan, doesn't it? And there was a fall several years ago when I did just that. I spoke at three separate conferences within two months. It was rather a trip, in more ways than one.  I loved going around acting like a Big Shot--and at one conference, I won not one but TWO gift baskets. 'twas the only time I ever shipped things home from a conference!

But there's only one problem.
I'm discovering that I don't nearly love to travel as much as I once did.

There was a time when staying in a hotel was a treat.
It's not so much of one anymore, for a couple of reasons.
Some of those reasons have to do with recent travel, where I've been traveling with the family for family stuff instead of anything to do with craft, writers, writing, free lunches, or gift baskets. :-)

Another reason is...I miss my cats. Big-time. Especially my little girl cat, Cassie.
Don't laugh. Lots of people miss their animals when they travel.  When I had to leave her for six months when we were going through the relocation here, she basically shifted her allegiance to my husband for a long time and almost had no use for me--after being my "baby" before then. Fortunately, things have evened out now that we've been together again. But she's also gone through some health problems that I've done a lot to nurse her through, and she has once again become my "baby." Literally. When I get in bed, she is on top of me. She's on my head, on my shoulder, on my pillow, or curled up next to me pretty much all night...purring the whole time.

That's not an easy thing to go to bed without now. I even miss it when I'm only gone one night. I find myself wanting to run back home and cuddle with my kitten!

It's not practical to take her on the road, just in case you're wondering. We do transport cats in carriers when we need to--for moves and vets and such--but I would not want to go through the stress of flying with her, even if I did end up in an animal-friendly situation at the hotel in question. (Which most of the time, I wouldn't.)

Added to that a very real love for Being Home instead of Being On The Road...and I have a dilemma.
Day-trips are a possibility--but unless they're literally right next door, they're more exhausting than they're worth.

So what's a writer/speaker to do?

I can apply for some workshops, some conferences, and have the "high" of doing that writing-show thing again. But I'll be missing home way more than I ever used to when I'm doing it.

And I'm wondering how to reconcile those two incompatible goals.

Ideas?
Janny