Tag Archives: travel

The Hungry Traveling Stuck Mermaid

November Greetings to you all and thank you so much for stopping by and reading our posts. We truly appreciate your time and hope you always leave the lagoon with a smile on your face, a hug in your heart and a new, hopefully helpful thought in your head.

This month the Mermaids thought it would be the perfect time of year to share our favorite comfort foods and find out about yours.

I love this theme, however I have to admit that today, I’m having a hard time getting the words to a story I’m working on to come out. Which kind of makes me feel a little down on my capabilities as a professional writer. I do feel a little stuck and it’s definitely a little frustrating. The good news is that contrary to the graphic I’ve put just above here, I know there are many ways, not just one way, to get around that “stuck” feeling. And thank the stars above, that some of those solutions fit into the Mermaid theme! I would love it if you shared some of your tricks with us today too.

Sometimes when you’re hitting a proverbial brick wall, or a blank one for that matter, the simplest of things can get you back on track and into your natural groove.

So, comfort food. I’ll tell you what, I just got up from my laptop and the writing of this blog post, went into the kitchen, got out my now teenage son’s childhood Sponge Bob mug, and filled it with milk. I then plunked two crunchy granola bars into it. It was pretty darn good. Comforting. Hey, what can I say? I’m easy. See? That took all of two minutes of my time. Most importantly, I’m back here with you, ready to write some more.

Whether you’re filling your cup with coffee, tea, juice, water or yes, a soggy milk-drenched granola bar, I say go for it. Treat yourself every now and then. Prepare and eat your favorite, good memories-filled foods. The ones that take you back to friends and family you may not get to visit right now, this very second. The places that you can still see as clear as day when you close your eyes and relax, recalling the landscapes and smells and sounds of the places you keep dearest to your heart.

And then guess what else? Go.

Go see those people and places. Sometimes it might seem like we would never be able to take the time off from work or afford a trip or synchronize it into our busy schedules. In January of this year, if you’d have told me I was going to travel to places like Italy and Vermont and Boston in 2017 and have people I adore come see me all the way in San Diego, I would have said, well that would be really nice but….not likely.

Yet it all happened. I have no idea how, it just did.

I’m not saying it will be easy to get unstuck, but there is something magical about the month of November. I can’t tell you how I know this, I just do. You’ll have to trust me.

So make some plans, eat some really good stuff, look at pictures of loved ones you miss and thumb through those vacation destination magazines, and remember that every single day is a brand new day.

You’ve got this.

~Mermaid Carlene

 

The Traveling Mermaid: Alethea Kontis

Hello, the Lagoon! Princess Alethea Mermaid here.

For our next round of essays, we discussed covering two possible topics: travel and comfort food. I think the Mermaids ultimately settled on travel…but the combination of the two subjects struck a chord. (I mean, I am a writer, after all…)

When we travel back to those places that we loved, or the places we call home, there’s usually a food item or two on the list that is NOT TO BE MISSED when one takes a trip there.

In my lifetime, I’ve had a home in various states along the length of the East Coast. Vermont (where I was born), South Carolina (where I attended school), Middle Tennessee (where I became a published author), Northern Virginia (where the Waterworld Mermaids were formed), and the Space Coast of Florida (where I live now). And when I go back to visit each of those places, there are certain foods I try not to miss, if at all possible.

Vermont is the big one. Yes, my blood runneth Maple Syrup (the darker the better) and Ben & Jerry’s. A trip to Vermont is not complete without at least one maple creemee (what you folks down south call “soft serve”). These can be found at most gas stations, sugar shacks (where they farm & make maple syrup), and tourist stops.

As I drive through Stowe on my way to see family, there has to be at least one stop at Cold Hollow Cider Mill for hot apple cider, and apple cider donuts. I cannot drink apple juice—it makes my stomach hurt in all kinds of horrible ways. But warm, unpasteurized apple cider with lots of pulp is like sipping a cup of home.

There are more specific places: The Burger Barn, Poorhouse Pies, the Beanies truck…and, once upon a time, Nectar’s and Zachary’s Pizza…but maple and apple cider are definitely tops on the list.

South Carolina: I grew up in Northeast Columbia, not far from Fort Jackson. There’s a local burger chain there called Rush’s. They have amazing burgers, amazing fries, and amazing chocolate shakes. The best in the US, according to me.

The other not-to-be-missed place is The Egg Roll Station (or Egg Roll Chen) in West Columbia. I once drove through town, bought a bag full of pork egg rolls, and took them down to Charleston to present to my family for Christmas. Pretty sure I was the favorite child that year.

Middle Tennessee (Nashville): I could go on and on about hot chicken, or the biscuits at the Loveless Cafe, but my absolute favorite thing is the Black Bean Salad and Boja corn muffins from Calypso Cafe. Sigh…I miss those every day. Second favorite: Taste of China in Murfreesboro. No MSG and the best takeout I’ve ever had. I miss that place every day. Third favorite: Tokyo Japanese restaurant in Smyrna. Be sure to have the Smyrna roll!

Northern Virginia: Nashville had a wonderful diversity of cuisine, but NoVA took the cake. Indian, Thai, Greek…and they all delivered to your house. All the kabob places—ANY kabob places—rocked. They all had gyros along with kabobs…and they serve them in the giant flat naan bread, which is really how gyros should be served. My favorite restaurant is right ext to One More Page Books in Arlington called Chasin’ Tails. Get a pound of the shrimp boil tossed in a mixture of all the sauces they offer, put on a bib and some gloves and go to town (yes, I have even done this while wearing a princess gown). That place always makes me miss my Cajun relatives like nobody’s business.

Florida: Don’t ask. I’m still working on it. Titusville has a few decent restaurants, but nothing to write home about. Publix is probably in the top three restaurants in town. Wanna know the best thing here? My mom lives down the street. Nothing says Mom’s cooking like MOM’S ACTUAL COOKING!

What are some of your hometown favorites?

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Check out all of Alethea’s books here: http://amzn.to/2i609AU
Follow Alethea Kontis on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/princessalethea

Bon Voyage: Locations in Writing

Notre Dame MontrealBonjour la lagune!

This past Sunday–my last official day in Vermont–my sister and her husband took me on a drive up to Montreal for the day. Despite life’s craziness, I’d thankfully had the presence of mind to grab my passport in anticipation of such an adventure.

Vermonters drive up to Montreal regularly: for an event, for the day, or for a weekend getaway. My brother-in-law used to deliver lost bags from the Burlington airport, which took him into Montreal so often that he makes both a fantastic driver and tour guide. We ate sushi and Greek food, visited the Notre Dame Montreal to light a candle for my nephew, and even stopped at a Chapters and Indigo so that I could sign some books (hooray, Canada for stocking all my YA novels!).

Mom and Dad and Soteria and I moved away from Vermont when I was six, so I hadn’t been to Montreal in my adult life. I found it lovely and fascinating…like being in France, only everyone speaks English. All the street signs and flyers are in French, and when you’re walking down the street past the outdoor cafes, all you hear is French. But when you ask a salesperson for help, they speak perfect, unaccented English.

I told someone once that my family was “French Canadian” in front of my Memere. She corrected me by firmly stating, “We are FRENCH.” I totally get that now.

I am a firm believer in travel–wherever you can, whenever you are able.
ESPECIALLY WHEN WRITING.

Most of Hero is spent with a witch and a dragon in caves in the White Mountains. While I did not have access to a witch or a dragon, I was only a few hours away from Luray Caverns, so I took a day trip there. I filled an entire notebook with phrases and words and feelings and impressions….the experience was invaluable to the writing of that novel.

But we’re not always that lucky.

When I was putting together Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter Companion, the publisher asked me to include a full section on New Orleans, since that is where most of the books take place. This presented a problem: not only had I never been to New Orleans, but I also did not have the funds to travel there to do my research. I was forced to use what I had: the Internet, books from the library, and a friend who was traveling there. I read all I could, visited ghost tour and carriage ride websites, and pored over every pamphlet and picture Eddie brought home for me. And I guess the publisher liked it, because there were virtually no editorial comments made on that entire section.

The year after writing that–right before it was published–I was finally able to go to New Orleans with Sherrilyn Kenyon. There I was, visiting a place I’d never been, but I could have given my own tour. Everything was strange and familiar, all at once.

It was the second-most surreal location experience I’d ever had.

The MOST surreal was the time I got to visit the town I made up in my own head.

The first book I wrote as an adult (most importantly, the first novel I ever finished) was called HAVEN. (This was back in 2004, before *everything* was called HAVEN.) It was based on a town I’d made up in which to set my Possessed Scarecrow YA Horror Novel. I wanted somewhere in the midwest…like Kansas. But what should I name the town? Let’s see…if I was a Homesteader way back when, traveling across the US with no idea how long–or if–I’d ever reach another shore, and I decided to just STOP, what would I call that place? Well, for me, the tired Homesteader, it would be a haven…so that’s what I named it. Haven, Kansas.

Months later, long after the first draft, it occurred to me to type “Haven” into the Weather Channel website, to see if there was a town called Haven anywhere in the US. There was only one. Yup, you guessed it…

Haven, Kansas.

Fast forward a year or so, to a visit with my friends Tammy and Mark in Wichita. Over dinner one night, I mentioned my John Carpenteresque Kansas writing story. Mark–who grew up in Kansas–proceeded to tell me that Haven was only about two hours from where we were.

Obviously, we had to go visit.

Visiting the town was indeed surreal, but in a way that informed my writing. I took tons of pictures and made notes on things that would have been relevant to my novel. The most fascinating bit, however, was Mark…who spent the entire two-hour drive up there telling me what it was like to be a kid growing up in Kansas. I filled page after page in my notebook, and when I got home, I did my first full-out revision of that first finished novel.

[Edited to add: At the request of my agent, I am currently revising that manuscript again, so that we can get it out to some editors…she *loves* the story. So stay tuned!]

 

All of which is to  say: Never underestimate the power of travel. Write about a place you’ve never been, and then go there, or vice versa. Both experiences will change the way you do research for a story or novel when you can’t actually visit the location you’re writing about.

And then one day, when we’re rich and famous, we can travel to all of these places.

So…is your passport up to date?
Where in the world would you like to go?

On the Road

April is traditionally a brutal month for me, full of conferences, writing retreats, Easter, lots of miles on the car and limited sleep. This year, I slept in four different beds over the course of two weeks. I’ve packed, unpacked and repacked so many times that at this point I am seriously considering installing a California Closet in the trunk of my car. And let’s not forget that I have little-to-no control over the food I get to eat.

So how does all this traveling bode for my weight loss goals and The Sparkle Plan?

Yeah… not so great.

Why is it when we travel different rules suddenly apply? For example, I never eat Combos. I like them, but they’re not something I buy. Yet, every time I’m in an airport, the first thing I do after I pass through security is buy a big pack of cheddar cheese Combos.

I drink coffee with skim milk every day. Yet, when I’m in a hotel, all of a sudden I’m adding full fat cream to my cup of much-needed caffeine.

How often do I include a roll with real butter with my meals? Um, never. Accept when I’m eating at a conference luncheon or dinner. That’s when I become Queen of the Carbs.

Working out? Besides running from my hotel room to event, and meeting room to exposition floor, I’m not getting anywhere near the needed exercise. The Diva Kerr-ina

This is Month 4 (can you believe it!) of my completely made-up weight loss plan called The Sparkle Plan. (Check out last month’s entry here.) Typically I talk about my big and small goals and set new goals for the upcoming month. But this time around, I thought I would do it a little differently.

I am rebounding from my month of travel. I have been reunited with my dog, Harry (yay!!!!!) and I get to stay in one place for an entire week! I have a goal this week of going for a run four times. (My back is still healing but I can run about 1 mile now.) I am not eating after dinner and I’m taking Harry for lots of walks.

Here’s where you help.

We’ve all traveled. We’ve all had those rough months where you think it’s impossible to get everything done. And sometimes, we need to ask for help. So help please!

Tell me in the comments your tips, tricks and suggestions for staying on your diet/exercise routine while busy or how to rebound when you are finally off the road.

 

*I am not a doctor or anything close to a doctor. In fact, I wouldn’t even be able to play a doctor on TV – sick people, even people pretending to be sick, annoy me. Always consult your own physician before embarking on any fitness or eating plan.

RWA Nationals Road Trip: Are You Prepared for Awesomeness!

Denny's MermaidsI’m taking off for Atlanta this weekend to attend the RWA National Conference and I’m super excited. I’m going to spend a week with 2,000 other romance writers – sounds like heaven, right? In a hotel with an entire floor/lobby dedicated to mingling (okay, there is a really big bar at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis), and I guarantee I will be informed, inspired, surprised and exhausted within 30 minutes of checking in. And no, I’m not trying to make anyone who is not going jealous – but I’m excited and want to share.

Speaking of sharing, I volunteered (two years in a row:) to serve as the official Waterworld Mermaid reporter blogging LIVE daily from Hot-Lanta! But expect some of the other Mermaids to pop in, too. A bunch of us will be in town, and will either post here or on our own blogs – so stay tuned.

But I said ROAD TRIP in the headline  – so yeah, I’m getting from here to there by jumping in my car and taking off on Saturday! Joining me is my long-time friend, writer, poet, singer Xio Axelrod, who will be attending her first RWA National Conference.

We plan to make stops in North Carolina (visiting my mom) and Savannah, GA (because it is one of the most beautiful cities in the USA and I haven’t been there in 10 years), with our arrival in Atlanta set for Monday.imgres-1

If you’re traveling to RWA Nationals let us know if you’re packed:) – so I can be jealous – and if by chance, you too, are doing the ROAD TRIP thing. If you aren’t attending Nationals in 2013 – what would you like to read in the Waterworld Mermaids’ daily blog post? Although, if I’m reporting, you’re going to have to deal with my FRANTIC schedule (will share more about my first year as a PRO and a finalist in two contests, both to be announced in Atlanta!).

You may have noticed that every now and then throughout this post, I’ve felt like shouting (ie, the CAPS sprinkled throughout), but I am excited so a little shouting is a good thing, RIGHT!

mwiOBO0RRcIXCkbU64QuTcQCOUNTDOWN TO ATLANTA! HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation


Susan MermaidThe joy of being a school librarian:  I’ve made it all the way to summer!  Yippee!  Twelve weeks of nothing!  No commute, no kids, no bells, no bag lunches!  Nothing! What could be better?

What could be worse?  I have twelve weeks of nothing, and I know exactly what can go wrong:

  • Summer  can be wasted.  On Twitter, Facebook, shopping (especially shopping!), lazing by the pool, etc. Friends call it “the time to relax that you need/want/yearn for.”  I call it “time wasted.”
  • Time can be stolen, even though I agreed to the theft.  I will fly to Saint Louis next week and listen to several days of educational conference material.  But I want to learn something, so that’s good.  And I am happy for the bridal showers, baby showers, weddings, and other celebrations.  Still, it is theft.
  • I will need additional time, once I return, to recover my writing mojo.  So far, I’ve started well, but I’m aware that all interruptions have an additional price.
  • I work better wclutterith deadlines.  In fact, I’m missing two at this moment:  getting my Mermaid post up in a timely manner, when I should have drafted it last night, or even last week. And sending my WRW retreat prize submission to Gail Barrett, who kindly agreed to look at my synopsis and chapter today.
  • A house filled with clutter is a time thief.  I spend precious time looking at and worrying about the clutter on my dining room table.  Why don’t I just clear it off, you ask?  Because I might need that!  (Case in point:  I suddenly feel compelled to take a particular basket and stow it in another room, so I don’t have to look at it.).

Clutter = Thief!

Aware of these pitfalls, I also know that I write more efficiently when I am sequestered.  I’ve posted before about how I enjoy working on my writing when riding to work on the train.  Peter and I drove to Philadelphia over the weekend to a niece’s bridal shower.

notebook

I brought writing tools with me and spent the time – three hours back and forth – planning the synopsis that is now late.  But I used the six hours (well, four of them, probably)!  I thought, wrote, planned, talked and told my story to my captive audience as we rode along the New Jersey Turnpike.  It was productive in very much the same way as my train rides to the Bronx.

 

I’m also reminded of sister Mermaid Pintip’s recent post on making her own home-based retreat.  I need to find that RWR article, and Pin’s Mermaid follow-up, and craft my own ongoing retreat.  The public library is only a mile from home, and it does NOT have books and papers and outdated statements littering a dining room table.

Once upon a time, I got up and dressed and sat down at my computer (an Osborne!) at 9 a.m. every weekday.   This was in the early 1980s, when Peter and I planned our lives so we could afford my career as a full-time writer.  I worked three hours, broke for lunch, then allowed myself to do housework, groceries, whatever was needed to keep the house and our married life comfortable.

Those were good years… can I find that discipline again?  Or have the years of child-rearing, illness, graduate school and career stolen that urge?  Can I get it back?  And can I forgive myself if the quest proves impossible?

Reflecting on all of these ideas, I want to do certain things this summer in order to hit my own expectations for a successful vacation:

  • Schedule my writing sessions as I used to, once upon a time
  • Claim my space
  • Celebrate the milestones
  • Forgive the rough patches that slow or stop me.

What rough patches do you anticipate this summer?  Will you celebrate when September comes?

SusanMermaid