Sometimes in life there are things that you have to let go of, dreams that have to float away, and then sometimes there are things that you just have to do.
Nine years ago I started "competing" in NaNoWriMo and a couple of years later heard about the wonders of The Night of Writing Dangerously. It's a fundraising event, but also a ridiculous amount of fun for all involved, but it's in San Francisco and there were always other things which seemed to take priority. Unfortunately this year will now be the last Night of Writing Dangerously, and I half convinced myself I could let it go.
The problem was, I just couldn't. I'm really glad that I had the option to not give up on it, but it is also completely crazy to think that in less than five weeks time, I'm going to be flying to San Francisco.
I've got a plan for what I'll be doing for the week that I'm there (not in ridiculous amounts of detail, but enough to know what I'm doing) and it's kind of incredible. I'm going to be able to go to several NaNo events and have some time to explore a city that I've always had a bit of a romantic fascination with.
I might not end up writing very much in terms of blogs when I'm over there, but I'm hoping to get a lot of writing done! Anyway, more on this later!
Showing posts with label travelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travelling. Show all posts
13 Oct 2018
25 Dec 2015
Oh Lorde,
Dear dear, everything is ever such a rush.
I'm back in Manchester at the moment, and have been for about 28 hours after feeling like I had to rush across London in order to get my train, and felt like I had barely got on to the train before I was getting off in Manchester Piccadilly. I was trundling down Market Street with my suitcase in tow to get back to my mother's house.
I felt like I had been running around like a crazy person the night before and that morning in order to make sure that I have everything with me. It's a flying visit, as ever, but being away from my home makes me anxious. Being away from my PC, my notebooks and my library (well, the half that isn't under my bed up here) makes me incredibly anxious. Much as the train journey between the two places is really quick, the flitting back and forward isn't overly simple and I always end up looking like Queen of the Bag Ladies - especially when I'm heading back home!
It's been good so far though, because I'm not having to cook or worry too much about anything. It's nice to be able to have a little time to relax, because it feels like I have been working somewhat solidly since the day I finished university and I've been a little bit
knackered.
Anyway, it's lovely to be able to spend some time with friends and share graduation memories (which have not long since passed) and spend a lovely Christmas with the family.
Merry Christmas to all, and remember - your present is still on Amazon if you haven't yet downloaded a copy of Fairies. :)
I'm back in Manchester at the moment, and have been for about 28 hours after feeling like I had to rush across London in order to get my train, and felt like I had barely got on to the train before I was getting off in Manchester Piccadilly. I was trundling down Market Street with my suitcase in tow to get back to my mother's house.
I felt like I had been running around like a crazy person the night before and that morning in order to make sure that I have everything with me. It's a flying visit, as ever, but being away from my home makes me anxious. Being away from my PC, my notebooks and my library (well, the half that isn't under my bed up here) makes me incredibly anxious. Much as the train journey between the two places is really quick, the flitting back and forward isn't overly simple and I always end up looking like Queen of the Bag Ladies - especially when I'm heading back home!
It's been good so far though, because I'm not having to cook or worry too much about anything. It's nice to be able to have a little time to relax, because it feels like I have been working somewhat solidly since the day I finished university and I've been a little bit
knackered.
Anyway, it's lovely to be able to spend some time with friends and share graduation memories (which have not long since passed) and spend a lovely Christmas with the family.
Merry Christmas to all, and remember - your present is still on Amazon if you haven't yet downloaded a copy of Fairies. :)
17 Feb 2014
Pisa & Lucca
I'm going to write a couple of these to catch up with everything that's been going on...
I know that I'm a bit of a lucky girl sometimes, but the last week has been something else. This time last week, I could barely sleep because I was getting ready to fly to Pisa the next day.
Now, I'm not normally an overly nervous flyer, but this was the first time I was flying anywhere without my parents - yeah, I know that's pretty sad. Everything was going fine though, until the airline decided that the plane was too full of other people's hand luggage to let my roller bag in the cabin, so it had to be checked into the hold.
My biggest issue is that when something deviates from the plan, I get a little bit freaked out, and don't know how to cope. Thankfully the flight was only an hour and forty five minutes, and nothing got damaged.
Our hotel was less than a minutes walk to the Piazza del Duomo, and the Leaning Tower itself - we could even see part of the Tower from the hotel room!
We had been told before we even went out there - by a multitude of people - that Pisa itself doesn't really have that much to offer, but a little ways down the train tracks is a lovely place called Lucca, and it's only a couple of euros to get there and back.
Between Lucca and Pisa is this beautiful stretch of Italian countryside with a beautiful aqueduct and a lot of other pretty buildings, but Lucca itself is definitely the main event. It's a little town that is surrounded by a large medieval wall, and the entrances are all cobbled steps through tunnels in the wall. Although they're beautiful, trying to get up them in heeled boots isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world.
One of my favourite things about Italy is the food. The pizza was amazing, the gnochi was beautiful and the gelato was mind blowing - and not in a brain freeze kind of a way.
On the day we were flying home we also got to climb the tower - which was a very strange experience - and explore the rest of the Piazza del Duomo. The whole place is beautiful. There may not be that much there, but Pisa is definitely worth a bit of a look.
I know that I'm a bit of a lucky girl sometimes, but the last week has been something else. This time last week, I could barely sleep because I was getting ready to fly to Pisa the next day.
Now, I'm not normally an overly nervous flyer, but this was the first time I was flying anywhere without my parents - yeah, I know that's pretty sad. Everything was going fine though, until the airline decided that the plane was too full of other people's hand luggage to let my roller bag in the cabin, so it had to be checked into the hold.
My biggest issue is that when something deviates from the plan, I get a little bit freaked out, and don't know how to cope. Thankfully the flight was only an hour and forty five minutes, and nothing got damaged.
Our hotel was less than a minutes walk to the Piazza del Duomo, and the Leaning Tower itself - we could even see part of the Tower from the hotel room!
We had been told before we even went out there - by a multitude of people - that Pisa itself doesn't really have that much to offer, but a little ways down the train tracks is a lovely place called Lucca, and it's only a couple of euros to get there and back.
Between Lucca and Pisa is this beautiful stretch of Italian countryside with a beautiful aqueduct and a lot of other pretty buildings, but Lucca itself is definitely the main event. It's a little town that is surrounded by a large medieval wall, and the entrances are all cobbled steps through tunnels in the wall. Although they're beautiful, trying to get up them in heeled boots isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world.
One of my favourite things about Italy is the food. The pizza was amazing, the gnochi was beautiful and the gelato was mind blowing - and not in a brain freeze kind of a way.
On the day we were flying home we also got to climb the tower - which was a very strange experience - and explore the rest of the Piazza del Duomo. The whole place is beautiful. There may not be that much there, but Pisa is definitely worth a bit of a look.
7 Feb 2014
93,
It might become a common recurrence that blogs I can't think of a title for are just numbered.
So, the tube strikes are over and London appears to have survived them reasonably well. I'm kind of wondering if they just let them happen occasionally to check that the bus system is working as well as it should do. I know that here in London, we complain about the buses quite a lot - especially when we have to use the buses to get to the tube or the train - but the fact is that we're doing a lot better than most places. With most buses running at least once every five to fifteen minutes, it's not overly long to wait, considering in some cities, the buses can be as infrequent as once an hour.
Now, what joys are there to look forward to?
Well, for me, I'm going to Pisa on Tuesday, which is obviously exciting, then I have a birthday party on Saturday, then essays due on the Monday, Friday and following Monday. I could say that I'm excited about that, but I honestly wouldn't mean it.
For the rest of London, there is another tube strike planned for Tuesday, and oh, my parents are coming down this weekend! I know that doesn't really impact other Londoners - guests, families, tourists and the like roll through this city so often that crowds have become a permanent fixture - but trust me, I'm excited.
In the more distant, but still not overly far away future, I'm turning 21 on the 19th of March, and a little before that there is the anniversary of the blog - it's turning three years old. I can't decide if I think that is an achievement or not.
And in the more hopeful but don't hold your breath section, Yours, is still somewhere in a stage of editing. With literally everything else already done to it, I really need to pull my finger out and just get a move on with it!!, but the essays apparently have to come first. (I think that the pressure of needing to do essays is the best way of getting me to do editing, which is kind of worrying...)
The overall conclusion is, I may not be posting anything for a little while, because I have no idea if there will be Wifi in our hotel, but there will be photos and a blog or two when we get back. For those of you on reading week - make the most of it!
So, the tube strikes are over and London appears to have survived them reasonably well. I'm kind of wondering if they just let them happen occasionally to check that the bus system is working as well as it should do. I know that here in London, we complain about the buses quite a lot - especially when we have to use the buses to get to the tube or the train - but the fact is that we're doing a lot better than most places. With most buses running at least once every five to fifteen minutes, it's not overly long to wait, considering in some cities, the buses can be as infrequent as once an hour.
Now, what joys are there to look forward to?
Well, for me, I'm going to Pisa on Tuesday, which is obviously exciting, then I have a birthday party on Saturday, then essays due on the Monday, Friday and following Monday. I could say that I'm excited about that, but I honestly wouldn't mean it.
For the rest of London, there is another tube strike planned for Tuesday, and oh, my parents are coming down this weekend! I know that doesn't really impact other Londoners - guests, families, tourists and the like roll through this city so often that crowds have become a permanent fixture - but trust me, I'm excited.
In the more distant, but still not overly far away future, I'm turning 21 on the 19th of March, and a little before that there is the anniversary of the blog - it's turning three years old. I can't decide if I think that is an achievement or not.
And in the more hopeful but don't hold your breath section, Yours, is still somewhere in a stage of editing. With literally everything else already done to it, I really need to pull my finger out and just get a move on with it!!, but the essays apparently have to come first. (I think that the pressure of needing to do essays is the best way of getting me to do editing, which is kind of worrying...)
The overall conclusion is, I may not be posting anything for a little while, because I have no idea if there will be Wifi in our hotel, but there will be photos and a blog or two when we get back. For those of you on reading week - make the most of it!
22 Jan 2013
So Yesterday,
I got up at half five..okay, twenty to six, and went to Manchester on the coach. My intention was to go and see one of my tutors from my sixth form, but just as my luck goes, he wasn't there. On the plus side, I did get to do the rounds of my other tutors, say hi to everyone and get my hair done!! Oh, and spend some money in The Bead Shop, but we're just not going to talk about that one...
On the way back I decided that I really can't stand the majority of Lawson's songs, and the irritating thing about that is that they make up about half of my Kindle playlist!!, so I spent the five hours it took to drive back listening to Ben Folds Five, Emeli Sande and Fun. (I've linked you to my favourite songs) and then sat there editing Yours, adding some more bits in that were meant to be tehre and playing spot the typo, which is like a crap, easy version of Where's Wally.
I also spent most of the day spamming my Twitter with basically everything that I wanted to say. It was good fun. Admittedly it's mostly random stuff, but it's good fun, and sometimes it can help you see where my inspiration comes from, which I've been told is reasonably interesting. So if you have Twitter the link is up there, or you can find me by searching @CharliesWrite. If you don't have Twitter, you can still keep up with all the latest news and such by "Like"ing my author page on Facebook - search Charlie Yarwood - Charlieswrite or click on the linky here Facebook Author Page Linky :) I use Twitter mainly for Instagram posts and also when I'm out to be all 'hmm, isn't this interesting/annoying/odd/I'M BORED!', but the author page tends to be more like, 'Here's what's going on in my life&writing! ...'
Both of them will also let you know when I post new blogs, so if you like the ones prior to this one, because let's face it, this is more of a publicity blog entry than anything else (for which I apologise, but it's good to get it out there!) then it'll let you know when there is more of the same. Or you can follow me on here. That's cool too...
Anyway, I'm off to work. Yays and happy joy joy.
Charlie x
:{P
EDIT: I just realised that I made no mention of the big old house move which is pretty atrocious!
I've moved to the wonderful and lovely Roehampton, so finally out of Elephant and Castle!! :) It took my parents, me and a van to get my considerable amount of stuff over to the new house which I'm sharing with three lovely ladies. Most of that stuff is still sat in boxes at the end of my room, because I'm yet to have a spare minute to figure out where the bloody hell all of it is going, but I'll get there I'm sure. Not tonight though, since I'm going to be in late again. Anyway, yes, work time. x
On the way back I decided that I really can't stand the majority of Lawson's songs, and the irritating thing about that is that they make up about half of my Kindle playlist!!, so I spent the five hours it took to drive back listening to Ben Folds Five, Emeli Sande and Fun. (I've linked you to my favourite songs) and then sat there editing Yours, adding some more bits in that were meant to be tehre and playing spot the typo, which is like a crap, easy version of Where's Wally.
I also spent most of the day spamming my Twitter with basically everything that I wanted to say. It was good fun. Admittedly it's mostly random stuff, but it's good fun, and sometimes it can help you see where my inspiration comes from, which I've been told is reasonably interesting. So if you have Twitter the link is up there, or you can find me by searching @CharliesWrite. If you don't have Twitter, you can still keep up with all the latest news and such by "Like"ing my author page on Facebook - search Charlie Yarwood - Charlieswrite or click on the linky here Facebook Author Page Linky :) I use Twitter mainly for Instagram posts and also when I'm out to be all 'hmm, isn't this interesting/annoying/odd/I'M BORED!', but the author page tends to be more like, 'Here's what's going on in my life&writing! ...'
Both of them will also let you know when I post new blogs, so if you like the ones prior to this one, because let's face it, this is more of a publicity blog entry than anything else (for which I apologise, but it's good to get it out there!) then it'll let you know when there is more of the same. Or you can follow me on here. That's cool too...
Anyway, I'm off to work. Yays and happy joy joy.
Charlie x
:{P
EDIT: I just realised that I made no mention of the big old house move which is pretty atrocious!
I've moved to the wonderful and lovely Roehampton, so finally out of Elephant and Castle!! :) It took my parents, me and a van to get my considerable amount of stuff over to the new house which I'm sharing with three lovely ladies. Most of that stuff is still sat in boxes at the end of my room, because I'm yet to have a spare minute to figure out where the bloody hell all of it is going, but I'll get there I'm sure. Not tonight though, since I'm going to be in late again. Anyway, yes, work time. x
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