Happy Belated New Year to you all!
Although, really, I’m not the biggest New Year fan. It’s just the passage of time to me, and since I never make resolutions on January 1st, the new year sneaks quietly through my apartment after I’ve gone to bed early.
It’s been a crazy few weeks. First, I was horrendously sick, then the holidays, and now I’ll be starting a new job on Thursday!
It’s exciting, but it also makes my life a bit insane around these parts.
The paper work! Gah! The paper work is killing me! Because I work in the medical field, the amount of crap they make you go through to work is ridiculous.
But I am excited! About seven months ago, I posted this entry about becoming a travel PT. Meaning, I would travel the country every three months to a different state and work covering maternity leaves, short-term disabilities, etc. Grad school cost FAR too much, and although I love to travel, I can’t actually afford to do it that often.
This way, I get PAID to travel! The travel company pays for me to stay in a furnished house or apartment, I get money for food, they pay for my travel expenses, for me to get licensed in another state, for my healthcare, my liability insurance, and SO MANY OTHER THINGS!
Since I’m still single and without kids, this is the best time of my life to do it! I hope to see as much of the country as I can in the next few years. I’m beyond ready for this adventure.
I’m also hoping this will inspire my creative writing. As many of you know, I began a MASSIVE re-write of my first book a couple months ago and it is taking much, much longer than I anticipated. I’m not doing any copying/pasting, but am starting over from page one.
The plot and such is essentially the same, but the tone may be a little different, a few characters added/deleted, some settings changed, etc. But my original manuscript was 120,000 words, which I whittled down to 105,000 before I sent it to agents this past spring.
I’m currently at about 7,000 words. Which equals two chapters. Gah! The first chapter was a beast, and the second one took a while because I was sick most of this month.
Nature and travel and new experiences always helps me to focus and write more, so that’s exactly what I’m hoping for.
Anybody have any new job/travel plans this year? Any locations on your travel wish list?
Happy writing!
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
― Augustine of Hippo
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
“Travel brings power and love back into your life.”
― Rumi
Inkcouragement 
What an exciting change!! I can’t wait to hear about all of your travels. You’re absolutely right – now is the time! I’m glad you’ve found that travel time = writing time for you. For me it seems to be the opposite. I’ve been on vacation (perks of a school teacher) for almost three weeks and have worked on my book so so little. I can’t wait to be back in my routine and back to work!
Hey my friend! Congrats to you on the new job! I don’t know if you read my blog regularly, but I started a new job in October as an account manager and I am doing well. I am a phd student studying research psychology so that takes up a lot of my time while working full-time. In addition to working, I’m off on the weekends. My plan is to read more and get some good writing done. But, I’d love to travel for work! Congrats to you, again!
Continue to inspire others with your blog!
Thanks! I’ve been slow on keeping updated with others’ blogs because I’ve barely even been on mine! Busy has a whole new meaning to me lately.
I hope your new(isn) 🙂 job is going well!
It’s going very well!
Ahhh congratulations! Getting paid to travel is a win-win. 😉 I’ve always wanted to be a travel writer for that reason. All the best this year. Enjoy the new job. 😀
Thank you! I shall. 🙂
That’s good. 😀
Hooray for travel! I’m super excited for you. This sounds like such a great opportunity. Keep scratching away at that rewrite! It will come!
That sounds like a lot of fun! 🙂 Good luck on your new adventures!
Thank you! I certainly plan on taking advantage of every opportunity. 🙂
That new job sounds like so much fun! Let me know if you come to HI in the next year, you can help me with my shoulder! And I am preparing myself mentally for the re-write of my MS, it’s super scary so I’m glad I won’t be doing it alone.
I would definitely help with your shoulder! I’m hoping maybe next winter, but you know things rarely go according to plan.
I know how scary a re-write is. I’m in the depths of mine right now. It was really slow-going at first for me, but now I’m swimming along nicely, as I knew I would as soon as I got settled into my new job routine.
Good luck!
Thanks! You too!
WOW! Well, first things first, Happy New Year, and I’m glad you’re feeling better! 🙂 Congratulations on the new job! That sounds phenomenal! So do you still keep a home base apartment or just relocate everything as you move? What a cool way to see the country. I’m so excited for you! 😀 Why are you rewriting everything as opposed to editing what you already have? I’m just wondering because I’ve just completed some editing that felt like it would have been easier if I would have just rewritten everything. LOL. I’m glad to see you’re back! ❤
I have a home base. I wouldn’t be able to haul my entire apartment around with me. I have too much crap! 🙂
I’m doing the massive rewrite because my original manuscript, though good, was a combination of very early writing and really recent writing. I don’t think the tone was the same throughout. Also, when I received the comment from the agent who read it, she said she thought the concept was fabulous (her word, not mine), but she didn’t fall in love with the manuscript. To me, that says the execution wasn’t right. But at least I know the idea is solid.
And although it’s a huge project, it really is much better. I’m about five chapters in and it’s such a difference. In a good way. The story is basically the same. It’s just the syntax, a few minor plot changes, and tone that’s being developed.