I used to do quite a bit of traveling. International travel is a magical space for me. I think that I love the fact that it erases all the structures, habits, and daily duties of your life and you get to live in a free space of discovery. You listen to yourself everyday to determine what you want to do and you craft experiences just to have them—not to make sure life is functioning in one way or the other. In 2019, I went on an epic two-week trip to Senegal with friends. I didn’t know it then, but it was my re-entry into the traveling life. Since then, I’ve been to Curaçao, Italy, Mexico, Indonesia and Costa Rica. My head’s not spinning, I don’t feel like I’ve been running like a crazy person. It feels completely natural—I feel at home in the world.

Recently, I was blessed to be able to spend five weeks in Costa Rica. Five weeks is an incredible gift. I went from city to city, content to explore and rest, adventure and eat as the weeks wound on. I’ve mentioned on a previous post how angry I was to have to write while on the trip. It’s become clear to me how little space and time I have cleared in my daily life to write and make art. It’s all stolen time. For 2024, I’m making a bid to shorten my work week so I can commit full days to my work. If my bid succeeds, I’ll have two full days committed to art and writing per week. Two days that are not the weekend; two days that give me daylight hours, instead of the post-work night writing I’m so accustomed to.

I’m profoundly excited about this plan. I’m deeply curious to see how this influences my input, my daily attitudes, and my overall mental health. And of course, I can’t wait to meet the work that is developed as a result.

Wishing you creative time that isn’t stolen or borrowed, but is cleared and scheduled as our creative time is our sanity time—it’s our time to fulfill the work we were sent here to do.

Onward!

—K.