Well, the puppy and I made it to the East Coast. Flight was smooth and uneventful. The most exciting thing was that we had a female pilot, which still seems rare. I asked one of the stewards to pass her a message, "Please tell the pilot there's a 6 month old puppy down below and this is her first flight ever." He said he would tell her.
I was a nervous wreck during take off and landing but the puppy managed just fine. When I left her she was falling asleep. When I picked her up, she was happy to see me but not traumatized or overly anxious. I was very impressed with how United took care of her and told them so.
Now we're in Brooklyn, visiting with family and taking care of some business before heading to Vermont. Though I've been here countless times, this time I'm experiencing a bit of culture shock just because the dog is with me. It's just so weird to be so far away from home, in New York of all places, where it snowed tonight. Nothing major, just some flurries, but still, when we took a walk it was pretty surreal. Mere hours ago we were walking in Hollywood under the palm trees!
I'm amazed at how easily she's adapted to the new surroundings, a house full of people, including two teenagers and a large German Shepherd. Does she realize we're 3,000 miles away from home? Maybe it doesn't matter. Home is wherever we are.
I've decided to keep blogging while I'm on the writer's residency, daily if I can manage it. Hopefully, this won't distract from my other writing (there's so little time). But blogging has become a bit of a lifeline. I enjoy sharing the journey, and feel like blogging actually keeps me on my toes as a writer. I also want to get faster at it, and less attached to the outcome.
I'm going to just post and let it be. People will either read and respond, or they won't. I can't think about it too much. The only way to make this residency work is to be as efficient with my time as possible. This means I won't be responding to comments or checking in on other blogs as much as usual. I promise to follow up with people when I get back to LA in early February.
The residency officially begins January 6. In the meantime, there is much to do.
I wish for everyone a good night, and hope you are safe and sound in your part of the world as well.