Day 3: Time flies in America

Day three? Really? Day three already. I guess day one doesn't really count as I was flying, and day two was when my brain was only half functioning, so day three is really day one proper. Awesome, my sabbatical break isn't passing quickly before my eyes!

It's now just gone 5pm local time and I'm feeling a mixture of pleasant satisfaction and uneasy nervousness. Both for the same reason. I'm in America! I've travelled here alone and now sat in the wonderfully restful Bishops Ranch. This is an experience building adventure and its scary :))

I figured writing a log each day will help to ease the nerves, grow confidence and when I get back, it'll give me something to smile about. I hope it makes you smile to!

The day started at around 4am give or take. Back home I have this nasty habit of waking up at this time as well, and it appears my body clock doesn't care which country it's in.  Outside a coyote was howling! A real coyote! At breakfast a bit later on Cass would tell me about the pups he heard as well, and then at lunch I'd be told about a rattlesnake which was caught and was sat (can snakes sit?) in a white bucket by the office. Really wildlife living wild!  Just remember, I was told, they're just as scared of you as you are of them.

At 6.45am I decided to go and have a swim. I figured no-one would be around at that time, so a pleasant swim would get the day off to a nice start. How right I was. It was pleasantly cold out (glad I wore a T-shirt to the pool in an attempt to hide my tummy), and the water was pleasantly warm.  The fog was pleasantly burning off the hills around me, and pleasantly no-one else was around. Tummy hiding mission a success. A few more days swimming and I might venture walking down to the pool without a T-shirt and only a cleverly placed towel draped casually over my shoulder but still hiding the stomach that doesn't want to back down.

Maybe...

Over a breakfast of sausages and pancakes (food here is amazing) i was reintroduced to a family I'd met last night from Seattle and chatted with Lisa (member of staff) and Laurie (the writing retreat leader) about the history of the US and which states had been purchased, which had been taken and which had been just always around. The history is this area is so different to back home, I felt completely ignorant but loved hearing them discuss it. It's something I'll brush up on when back home.

I decided then that I was here to write, and so that's what I would do for the day. I penned a few ideas down, forming a structure to the story I would be writing. But it needs a hook, something to draw the reader in, but I'm struggling with that at the moment. At lunch i met another person who arrived early to attend the same retreat as me. She came last year and settled my nerves down. Last year everyone was so supportive and she loves science fiction. So far so good.

The music camp had their last day today and put on a show for family before leaving. I fully intended on going to watch, as their singing at each meal was a lot of fun. But I made the mistake of taking a nap after lunch. Two hours later I got up to find it was just finishing. Meh.      

So here I am, sat outside the office in the sun and wind, thinking of what delights await me at dinner.  It's been the first day of reflection. I guess part of my nerves is a little home sickness, but I guess everyone gets that. But I read the first book in a series that was recommended before I left by Becky in the office. It's called 'Tieless in Tokyo' by Anthony Phillips and the best 70p I've spent so far on this trip. The guy is genius, writes like I think, is witty, observant and made me remember that I'm not the first person to go travelling alone to a place they've wanted to visit for years. Anthony if you're reading this (or Becky if she wants to pass this on), there's no robots here either :) go download it on kindle, read it and tell your friends. Like me, I'm sure you'll enjoy every bit of it.

So that's me signing off for the day.  Day three, day of swimming early, sleeping late and generally working out how to relax.