Epic Win

Okay, first off, I've gotta start with an apology.  I had stuff scheduled, but due to a blogspot-fail, my pretty scheduled posts to keep you guys entertained while I was gone never showed up.  Let's all shake our fists at blogger.  #$*&^!  I re-scheduled them and hopefully they will appear as planned during my second two week period of radio-silence from May 12-25th. 

And now... on to the good.  But good, that's too mild a word.  The word of the day appears to be Epic. (Though if I hear one more person wish me an epi-licious day, I will not be responsible for my actions.)  I'm currently in Paris, having disembarked this morning from the Norwegian Epic.  And epic it most certainly was.  Wow, y'all.  Just wow.

I wasn't sure at first about taking a transatlantic cruise by myself.  When I was solo on the Alaska Ferry last year it was gorgeous, but I started to get cabin fever on day four.  That was only a third of the time I would be spending on this boat.  Surely I would go stir crazy.  Surely all the people asking the same questions about Alaska over and over again and making the same snarky remarks about Sarah Palin and gawking the same way when they hear I'm a writer - surely all that would get old and I'd be ready to swim for it in a matter of days, right?  Well, my nerves were ludicrously unfounded.  I freaking loved it.

Why don't I live on a boat?  Seriously, why?  And for those of you who think this sounds like the time last year when I wanted to run away to live in Christchurch - you're wrong.  This time I mean it.  (Though yeah, I meant that at the time too...)  My next cruise is in a little over two weeks and I can't wait. Next month: Egypt.  Next year: the world!

I'm so unbelievably glad I took this trip.  I was starting to get in a rut.  I needed this.  Needed to remind myself that I can be wild and bright and that life keeps throwing possibilities at you if you run out to meet them.  Now is not the time to settle!

And that applies to the writing too.  More ambition. More challenges.  No complacency.  No more of the same.  Onward!  Upward!  New and shiny and different!  Be more tomorrow than you are today!

I have a million stories from the ship, but I can't think of anything right now.  I'm too busy being happy.  It's midnight, here in Paris, and in honor of Woody Allen (who, incidentally, is the reason I wedged a quickie weekend in Paris into my plans) I think I'll go for a stroll.  See if I trip back in time as I meander down a boulevard or two.  There's a canal not far from my hotel, here in the Bastille district, with a thousand lights and sidewalk cafes.  There's a glass of wine at one of those cafes waiting for me.

Bonsoir, mes petits amis.