Coming home from a conference has never been harder ... but that means LTUE was better than ever! From panels about death, to recording podcasts with the Authors' Think Tank, it was unforgettable. I love writers. I love the craft. I love learning about it, and coming away from the first day already overflowing. I love the second and third day even more. It really is a kind of high - which is why it's hard to come off of it.
Going to LTUE means you're busy almost from sunrise to sunset for three days straight - and it's awesome. You fill your time and mind with knowledge, and there's really no resting time - unless you skip an hour of panels to get lunch, which I do admit to doing a couple times. ;) Food is vital, you know? But anyway, that's not my point.
Even after LTUE, I was busy - spending time with family and enjoying Salt Lake City :) It was marvelous. The flight home was a little rockier than usual, but going through security was fabulous - didn't even have to take off my shoes! Guess that's a new thing.
I was so excited to see Spokane and all of the pine trees out the airplane window. I'm so grateful to live in such a beautiful place!
When I finally got home, everything just kind of halted. It's a strange feeling, being halted. I still had, and have, tons of things to do - but somehow, without the 24/7 go go go, it didn't feel right. I can't really explain why falling into bed felt a little wrong. I guess relaxing after having so much going on just throws you off, because your body still wants to be moving. Whatever it is, it's hard. But the more I get refocused, the better it is. :)
I've made a breakthrough! Unlike the last two years of LTUE, this year, I'm actually pulling out my notes and using them. I blogged on the Authors' Think Tank blog about Disease and Epidemics this morning, which was the first panel I attended this year at the conference. I look forward to rediscovering even more knowledge as I go through my notebook.
I hope you've all had an amazing couple of weeks! I'm not anywhere near ready for March, but it's slowly approaching. Time to jump into a whole new adventure - namely writing the sequel to Escaping Safety. I have roughly 12,000 words, so there are thousands more to come!
Bonnie Gwyn
Yes, going from LTUE to a practical dead stop is jarring. Almost like a car crash, but I didn't have to call my insurance company. I miss it already, especially the people, and am looking forward to the next writing conference. I can't wait!
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