Life’s a beach

Oceans seem to be my vacation theme this year. In May I visited L.A. and author A.J. Llewellyn to get my first glimpse of the Pacific. Having grown up on the East Coast, I’m not unfamiliar with the ocean, but I’d always wanted to see the waves on the other side of the continent. Something about the power of the Pacific has always called to me. Venice Beach and the views of Malibu were amazing. Much more so than I’d expected.

This week I’m spending time vacationing on a writer’s retreat with three author friends: Amanda Alvarez, Gina Lamm, and Denise Tompkins. We’ve been writing, discussing writing, eating far too much food (or at least I’ve been!) and catching up on our catnaps. Daily walks to the beach are the balm to break up the working day.

The ocean here in North Carolina was much more tame for the first few days than that of the Pacific. Yesterday, however, a storm blew in and the waves have become muddy and angry. The time indoors, cuddled up under a blanket, has been just as rejuvenating as the time we’ve spent in the hot tub and on the sandy shores of the Outer Banks. Oh! And Gina Lamm makes a KILLER chicken pot pie!

I’ll be sad to leave. Not so much the place, however, as the people. Nothing beats sharing time with kindred spirits. These women have been a balm and a boost. Intelligent, creative, fun, and fabulous, I shall love them and remember this time we’ve spent together fondly for years to come.