I’m back! I bet anyone subscribed to this newsletter wasn’t expecting this.
Well, I wasn’t either. When I applied to Mesa Refuge, a writing residency in Point Reyes, over a year ago, I knew it was a long shot — and indeed it was. I got waitlisted, but their program managers had encouraged me to reapply the following year.
Well, guess what? I did, and here I am, writing to you on the last day of my two-week residency In this incredibly beautiful place where I am so lucky to have spent the first half of this month.
What am I doing here, you may ask? Returning to my Argentina research, much of which I never actually made the time to sit down and write upon my return to the states. And what better than two weeks of uninterrupted quiet time in a literal oasis than to inspire me to actually get my thoughts and research on paper?
So that’s what I did, and I am proud to report that I have now officially hit 30,000 words on some sort of manuscript. Is it a book, you may ask? Who knows! It’s certainly something.
More than 100 pages of something …
More importantly, I got the pleasure of jumping back into the work, doing an interview on local radio station KWMR and today, reading an excerpt to Mesa alums and leadership.
Being part of this community is a huge privilege, and I have gotten to share this gorgeous space with several writers with inspiring and important work of their own.
And don’t worry, I haven’t just been in grind mode — I have also been using my time off to take up birdwatching and improve my watercolor skills. So far, I have seen more birds than I can even count, but among the highlights are the two bald eagles I saw kayaking on Tomales Bay with my boyfriend Josh, who came to visit, a family of quails that walked right in front of me, two giant great blue herons I saw flying home one evening at dusk and endless Canada geese, mallards and other ducks dipping their bills into the depths of the marsh searching for bugs. I also made friends with a ground squirrel.
One of my favorite moments each morning has been around 8 a.m., when I have been sitting outside and listening to all the birds and other wildlife awaken for the day.
As is now traditional, here’s an audio clip that I hope gives a taste of the cacophony of Point Reyes wildlife. Listening back to it, it almost sounds like a jungle — it’s hard to believe that has been my norm for the past two weeks.
To close things out, ghere are some photos from my favorite spots on the property, including my writing shed and the KWMR studio, which is filled with more CDs than I’ve ever seen in one place in my entire life.
And if you know anything at all about the book publishing industry, reach out! I am more than a little out of my depth here, but eager to learn.
