To Write While Traveling, or Not

My writing Progress

So, best laid plans and all... I didn't get book 3 outlined. I tried. I wrote one sentence prompts for each chapter in my notebook, then went blank.

As for location sightings for Josh, I decided that unless he was studying architecture, he wouldn't go to the Aegean. There are no natural elk there but loads of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Hmmm, he could also be a preservationist, archeologist, jury is still out, but I have options.

I did find a new place to start the book, and then just went ahead and started writing. Got about 10 pages in before I felt likely to throw my pen and notebook overboard, frustrated with the speed with which I could write by hand! I'd say that was pretty good, considering I had distractions like the nesting cranes (above) that we found in the gardens of an Albanian restaurant.

I didn't plan this trip as a writing retreat, but I did hope to recharge my creative juices, and I think I succeeded. I also grew my waistline, also expected. I want to meet the person who doesn't gain weight on a cruise ship, or maybe I don't. It was probably the person jogging past my lounge chair near the pool deck. New plan: exercise first, then get on with my day, plus lots of summer salads, yum

Thoughts on Travel

Before I get back to my first chapter, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on travel in general. Why do you travel? Is it to make new friends, eat different kinds of food and wines, relax, learn about new places (to us that is), see beautiful, ancient, modern, and ugly (brutalism anyone?) architecture, gardens, wildlife?

I want to see how other people live. What do their towns look like? What do they eat? How do they get around?

I toured old cities, local restaurants, lots of churches - Rick Steves would be proud of me. Churches show us a lot about a community. Even the ones in ruins show how the victors treat the conquered. I was in the Aegean. It's a part of the world that was constantly being conquered. Notice the fortified castle on the hill above? Often churches were built on top of ones destroyed by either natural causes (earthquakes) or wars.

This photo shows a church in Kotor, Montenegro that had plastered over a Byzantine mural and was in the process of uncovering it. I love seeing a place honor and preserve their heritage.

That leads me to the hard thing about travel. We landed in Gallipoli one day, and our guide to the old town of Lecce said that the entire economy was based on tourism. It had to be. A blight had destroyed the local olive trees. We passed miles of dead trees. It was tragic. The virus arrived in a bag of coffee beans imported from the Caribbean. The historic city was in a state between derelict and building site. The original inhabitants left, they couldn't afford it or make a living there. Now hotels and restaurants were coming into the abandoned spaces.

I've been reading the same story about cities all over the world that are big tourist draws: Venice, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Kyoto, Breckenridge. The locals are pushed out by high housing and food prices, their streets are crammed, restaurants booked solid, trains, beaches, and trails jammed with people. New York City seems to balance tourism with locals. Denver does too, but so do all the above cities. In all cases, living expenses go through the roof when tourism money is added to the mix. Travel opens doors, minds, and our eyes, but at what cost? Thanks to organizations like UNESCO, our heritage can be saved, but can our great cities? If you have run into a city that has figured out the answer, please let me know in the comments section below. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Vacation Reads

The Bullet That Missed, by Richard Osman

This is the 3rd in a series of cozy mysteries that are delightful, if you like British murder mysteries (and who doesn't), characters you want to invite to dinner, settings you can easily picture, and the work of a writer who has an instinct for pace, dialog, and humor. I love all the above and finished this one way too quickly. So, I turned to my book group's choice...

The Women, by Kristin Hannah

I thought this would be a downer for a vacation read, as it's about a woman who served in the Vietnam war. I was so wrong. Having grown up watching M.A.S.H. this all felt so familiar, with the helicopters coming through the jungle, the operating rooms in tents, the mud. However, the nurse who tells the story is unique. I won't give anything away when I say she surprised me, and I was entirely in awe. If you read Senator Tammy Duckworth's book, Every Day a Gift, you won't want to miss this one.

The Mystery Guest, by Nita Prose

This is a follow up to The Maid, which I adored. It was appropriate, as I was traveling, and it all takes place in a hotel. Apparently, I like murder mysteries. I primarily record BBC murder mysteries. It's not the murders, it's the mystery that carries me along. I love puzzles, and love seeing how characters put together the clues. Kristin wouldn't let me put the book down!

My Books

The Netahs, Into the Wilderness and The Netahs, Down in the Valley are books 1 and 2 in my young adult series. They are available in paperback, hard cover, and ebook versions. You can support your local independent bookstore by ordering through bookshop.org or go to my website (https://www.lisakaniutcobb.com) for other ordering options. Let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading!