Retreat

I’ve been on retreat (my POV)/fishing trip (my husband’s POV). My retreat was extremely successful, my husband’s fishing trip not so much so. I tell him he only said we were going fishing, not catching, but somehow my comment just gets me a dirty look.

It took some time for me to learn to get the most out of a camping trip, but now, my intent is to relax, renew, recharge. I take notes, take pictures, do nothing, sleep, eat, walk and fish. While I fish, I let my mind drift. I daydream. I don’t give a damn whether I catch a fish or not. I’d just as soon not.

I let the lapping water sooth away all the ragged edges, take note of every detail of the landscape, smell campfires, eat s'mores, and watch wildlife. Everything slows down. I read. A lot. Writer’s Digest and the Writer, books and magazines.

On my retreats I end up with tons of ideas, observations, poem footprints, short story outlines, novel ideas and enthusiasm. It is one of the best things I do for my writing.

For a long time I wasted my vacations or camping trips. I didn’t realize the goldmine I was passing up. With just a bit of pre-thought any outing can stir your writer’s imagination. Always, always have pen and paper, digital recorder, laptop—something to get things down on, then determine to pay attention. Simple really, but so vital for a writer.