The Perfect Vacation

This week, we've been talking about the Perfect Vacation.

I'm with Katy: the idea of a perfect vacation changes for me, depending on what I feel I need, and how stressed I am.

Most of the time, my ideal vacation involves travel in Europe. It's a blend of beautiful scenery, terrific food, and plenty of learning about art, culture, history. However a couple of months ago, in the dead of winter, while I was in the throes of revising book two, I'd have given you a different recipe for the perfect vacation:

A fresh pedicure, white sand, warm clear blue water, a frosty, cold beer, a great book, my kids and husband surfing nearby.

But now I've had a few weeks to decompress. The days are warming up and I've been finding time, for the most part, to squeeze in a walk under the sun here and there. The draw of solitude and a suntan aren't quite as strong anymore, but I'm not quite ready for Europe, either...

About three weeks ago, I decided that I needed a little breather before I dove into drafting Book Three of the Never Sky Trilogy. Delving into a new story world seemed like a good idea, so I officially started working on the Next Project.

I'm spending just an hour a day on it, because I have plenty of other demands (marketing, writing, interviews, etc.) in addition to winding down the school year with my kids. But during that hour, I'm utterly transported. This work-in-progress has taken me halfway around the world. It's introduced me to knew people (see: characters) who are absolutely delighting me. Every day is an adventure. Every day, I'm learning something new, and enjoying myself. That single hour rejuvenates me for the day. It has me daydreaming in the car, and furiously hunting down research books. It has become my daily vacation, and right now it's perfect.

So that's it for me. Right now, the perfect vacation is right under my fingertips. every morning from 9-10 am.

What about you? What recharges you?