(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
Packing for any trip is a challenge, and I love it. I especially love packing minimally, ideally with just a backpack, occasionally with a second carry-on bag. My May travels were a particular challenge, though, because my trip was going to include: airline travel, a family reunion, farm chores, bus travel, painting, lots of driving, some Ubers, big city rambles, public speaking at readings and panels, luncheons, private meetings with business professionals, an awards gala dinner and presentation, a film festival, a book signing, a private party at a very fine house, more driving, hiking in the mountains, dodging mountain lions and cacti, and napping. Also writing--lots of writing.
I wrote out my schedule for each day, important dates and times for picking people up from airports and confirmation numbers for shuttles and hotels. I wrote down notes from panels and quotes from speakers. I wrote out my own reading material. Made lists of more books to read. I recorded thoughts and feelings and passing poems. I worked on novels and story ideas.
I still managed to do it all with one backpack and one rolling carryon suitcase. But that's not the impressive part. The impressive part is that I did it all with one pen.
Okay, and five notebooks.
I know, I know. "Five notebooks does not sound minimal, Sarah." Here's my reasoning: a Kokuyo Field Sketch Book as my trip book--that's where the notes and lists and things went. The planning notebook for the book I'm editing (Graphilo), as I'd be meeting with the agent I'm revising it with. The novel I'm currently writing, because I knew I'd have writing time (Barnes & Noble leather journal), and the planning notebook for that novel (Field Notes Dime Novel). And my short story notebook (Nanami Seven Seas Writer) that contains my short works in progress. Several of these are small, so the story notebook, trip notebook, and both planning notebooks traveled in a Lochby Field Journal. The novel draft was solo. Now, did I use all of them? No. I did not actually get any work done on the new novel--the largest item I dragged around through several states. I did use the other four, though. And I SHOULD have made time to work on the novel.
As for the singular pen, it was my new addition--the Schon Dsgn Pocket Six fountain pen. I did bring other pens: a Pilot Vanishing Point, my Spoke Roady, and a ballpoint. But I never got those ones out. The Schon was almost always already in my hand and I used it happily for everything. It was durable enough to go in any pocket, and the very EF point could handle any paper. It's the ideal travel fountain pen.
I'll also note that despite all these travels, airplanes, and over 10,000 feet in elevation changes between my locations, I experienced zero pen leaks or burps with either fountain pen.
The trip was wonderful and successful. I saw family again, and my writing community, bonded with my horror fam, and celebrated with them. I communed with nature, breathed mountain air, and did not get eaten by any apex predators. My writing career nudged forward a bit and there are exciting things on the horizon! I also did nothing that could be defined as work or homework. Amazing.
Returning from such a trip is hard. As I write this, I have six tabs of homework open and a long list of chores and tasks in front of me, as I count down the hours till my day job shift starts. And I count down the days, weeks, and months till my next adventure.
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