I wanted to start this post off with “I’m back and better than ever,” but I’m not sure that’s accurate. Instead, how about “here’s how I spent my summer vacation.
I wrote two posts a week for The Lost Ogle.
If you didn’t know, I write for The Lost Ogle. If you’re not from the Oklahoma Metro area, that might not seem like a big deal. If you are from the OKC Metro, then know that I’m sorry for how much I have probably insulted everything you love at one time or another. I’ve been writing for TLO since March of 2010, and officially retired in 2016. However, much like Michael Jordan, I don’t know when to quit, so I came back this past May when Patrick, the site’s owner and editor-in-chief, had a baby.
I’ve been writing posts twice a week there since then, and you should totally check in on TLO daily for all the news that’s fit to post on a blog in the great state of Oklahoma.
I went to a creativity retreat.
My friends, Lisa and Charles, are two awesome mental health professionals and both of them are creatives. They held a small, day-long retreat at St. Francis of the Woods in Coyle, Oklahoma. There were talks about time management, the growth mindset, and self-care, and it was awesome to meet other fellow creatives. The highlight for me was the nature walk in the rain, and getting to go off on my own a bit through the walking trails.
I won Camp NaNoWrimo.
This July, I decided to participate in Camp NaNoWrimo, and set my goal at 50,000 words for the month. I definitely had a rocky start, just because the first week of the month I was still teaching two summer classes a day, and of course, July 4 activities were a factor. But nevertheless, I caught up and made it happen.
I had a third eye-opening experience.
I think I mentioned it in a Camp NaNoWriMo vlog, but I went to a reiki sound session at Space Yoga Studio in Norman. Be the Light Rocks was there, and it was a super cool experience. If you’re curious about what it felt like, it was like someone was pulling my forehead up and it was stretching like chewed gum. If you’re interested in doing something like that, make sure to check out the Be the Light Rocks podcast to get some more information.
I spoke at Megaphone Summit.
This year, I pitched a talk for Megaphone Summit about building your editorial calendar for your blog and social media content, and it was accepted. I drove up to Fayetteville, Arkansas, with Malory of OKC Over Easy, and we maybe had too much fun. I have an Instagram story highlight saved on my profile all about the trip.
If you’re interested in blogging, social media, or just creating content for the internet, I can’t recommend Megaphone Summit enough. I have a great time every year, and it’s super affordable compared to conferences on the coasts. If you’re interested in attending and have any questions about it, just drop them down below in the comments. I’d be happy to answer!
I went on a writing retreat at St. Francis of the Woods in Coyle, Oklahoma.
I left the day after I got back from Megaphone Summit and spent 3 days in the woods. It was glorious, and I recommend it to all writers. I’m currently making plans to do it again. I think all writers should put themselves in a place where they can create on their own terms, and write under ideal conditions, just because those don’t tend to occur often. But I’ll have more on the retreat in a post that’s scheduled for Thursday, so stay tuned for that.
And that, my friends, is how I spent my summer vacation. Thanks for sticking with me during my break.
As for now, I’m officially back at school and teaching my normal 4-class load. This semester’s schedule is so much easier than last year, and last year nearly killed me. I’m looking forward to showing up in this space regularly again.
