Two weeks at Annaghmakerrig
Along the Ulster Canal Greenway in Monaghan town.
I’d been hearing about the Tyrone Guthrie Centre—informally known as Annaghmakerrig, for the lake it adjoins—since my grad-school days at NUI Galway, and I don’t know why it took me so many years to apply. My dear friends Deirdre and Seanan have both attended, enjoyed swimming in the lake and got a ton of good words down. When Seanan invited me to his wedding outside Dublin back in May, he suggested I finally apply so I could head up there afterwards.
(For anyone just finding me: this is Ireland we’re talking, in the Republic but up near the border. Map here.)
Okay, I do know why it took me so long: because as a non-EU citizen, I wouldn’t be eligible for funding, and until recently I couldn’t justify the cost, although the fees are quite reasonable. As a self-catering guest (they don’t accommodate vegan or gluten-free diets in the main house), the weekly rate was €400. At first I was a tiny bit annoyed about not being able to stay in the house (I was spoiled by the chef at Hawthornden, what can I say?), but the “cottages” (which are actually two-level apartments around a courtyard lush with rosebushes) are comfortable and very charming, and though I enjoyed the little bit of socializing I did do (a few brief chats in passing and a Sunday-evening open gallery tour), I reached my limit pretty quickly and hightailed it back to my desk.
Time-travel novel notes.
I’m in a very different place in life than I was back in 2010 (Yaddo) and 2013 (Hawthornden); after my best friend’s wedding and driving around Mayo and Sligo with my partner, and aware of how precious this time would be given my impending move to Richmond (decluttering and packing took AGES, and I was also taking care of my niece for much of July), I only wanted to write.
(And walk around the lake continuing to think about what I was writing.)
The bay window in my sitting room/study.
I got a lot of reading done too, aided by a full and eclectic bookcase. The Vaster Wilds might just be on my top-ten list of ALL-TIME FAVORITE NOVELS (!), Allan Gurganus’s story “Forced Use” (in The Faber Book of Gay Short Fiction) absolutely blew my mind, and I also really enjoyed Jess Kidd’s Mr. Flood’s Last Resort.
As for food, I did my grocery shopping at Aldi in Monaghan town the night before (fortunately my B&B had a fridge!), and when a couple of dancer/playwrights who were staying in the cottages departed, I inherited more than enough vegetables to get me through the two weeks (thank you, David and Miles!) I had resolved to eat simply—beans and toast, veggie burgers, Linda McCartney sausages, soup from a packet, etc.—so I found that self catering didn’t take away from my work-time at all. Like I said, because I kept to myself, I actually had more time and energy for work than if I’d stayed in the main house.
On the weekends I fixed slightly more elaborate meals.
The cottage kitchens are very well appointed (air fryer! hooray!), and when I ran out of the instant espresso I’d brought I was able to use the free coffee in the main-house kitchen.
Todd sent me flowers, so life was super-abundant with roses inside AND out!
This recap (like all my residency recaps) is an encouragement to apply. Even if you’re not an EU citizen, you may find it worth dipping into your savings for an opportunity for extra-focused work-time in some of the most tranquil surroundings imaginable. (Or to work in community, if that’s what you need.) A few more practicalities, in case you do:
There’s efficient bus service from the Dublin airport via Bus Éireann Expressway (€32 round trip if you buy in advance). A taxi from Monaghan town to Annaghmakerrig will run you €40 (cash only) each way (there’s a recommended taxi service, the number is included in the orientation PDF). You can definitely time your arrival so that you don’t have to spend the night in town (my partner’s flight home was the day before my residency started, and it was a lot easier to grocery-shop without my luggage! There is no official left luggage service at the bus station, although the lady at the coffee shop was kind enough to hold my bag for me for a couple hours on my way back, so it’s definitely worth asking.)
The nearest villages are absolutely not walkable because of the winding shoulderless roads, but I didn’t find it necessary to rent a car for this part of my trip, I just made sure I had enough groceries for the full two weeks. (Seanan drove up to take me out to dinner one night, but I still would’ve had enough food.) It’s certainly possible to hitch a ride with someone else, just leave a note on the fridge in the main-house kitchen.
Two more notes:
I met artists working in a very broad range of creative disciplines, a couple of whom confessed that they hadn’t expected their work was “serious enough” for a successful application. Happily, they were wrong. Don’t count yourself out.
And I highly recommend swimming in the lake, no matter how cold it is. I didn’t stay in long, but it was so so invigorating.
If you have been to Annaghmakerrig, I’d love to hear about your experience!
P.S. The International Rescue Committee is the humanitarian aid organization to which I contribute on a monthly basis. Here’s a link so you can click through and donate if you feel so inclined.
Squam Fall 2017
I've been home from Squam for a week and a half, but I am still totally basking in the afterglow.
A post shared by Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) on Sep 10, 2017 at 2:26pm PDT
I was on the support staff full time this go-around, but there was time each day to go for a swim. The weather was glorious. G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S. I have never gotten to spend this much time in the lake—swimming every single day apart from the Sunday we arrived—and I felt so very lucky for that. I did indeed sleep on that screened-in porch every night; I kept thinking the temperature would plummet (when I slept outside in Vermont at the end of September 2010 I remember shivering no matter how many layers I put on), but I was perfectly snug. From my pillow I could see the moon shining through the trees, and in the morning I opened my eyes to the rising sun glimmering on the water.Pine resin sticky in my crazy cropped hair; pond scum between my toes. Bliss, I tell you. BLISSSSSSSSSSSSS.
A post shared by Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) on Sep 18, 2017 at 5:02am PDT
This was quite possibly the most special retreat since Elizabeth first started organizing them, because she announced after dinner on Friday evening that our friend Meg Fussell would be taking over as retreat director next year. You can read more on how that decision came about on the Squam Art Workshops blog. Meg is an utterly delightful human being. She has the magic combo of organizational prowess and social finesse one would need to rock this gig, and I'm so excited to watch her put her own stamp on the retreat and continue to expand our creative community. I expected to make myself useful (this was the first time I got to drive a golf cart, but it definitely won't be the last, heh!), celebrate with friends old (as in longstanding) and new, enjoy the lake and the woods and the loons and the stars like I always do—but I did not expect to feel quite so inspired or quite so loved by people I am only just getting to know. You're going to hear a lot about my new friend Dr. Giavanni Washington in the months to come: she is an intuitive percussive healer and coach who regularly hosts sacred circles and retreats for women of color in the LA area, but her work really is for everyone. I have no doubt that we have known each other many times before, but even so, it's kind of mind-boggling how quickly someone can become one of your dearest friends.
A post shared by Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) on Sep 19, 2017 at 9:44pm PDT
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There's a good bit more I could write—isn't there always?—but I'll just leave you with this. On Saturday night, across the road from the art fair, our friend Em Falconbridge was doing her doTERRA "oil fairy" goodness while her daughter Yindi was offering hand massages using said oils, and Giavanni set up her space for oracle card readings, all in the same warm inviting room.Yindi didn't have any "customers" yet, so I went over and asked for a massage. I told her that I used to do the same for my grandfather, and that I was definitely going to cry while she did it, and she was so sweet and kind to me. I am getting quite comfortable with crying in public, let me tell you. Afterward I asked her if she was taking tips, and she gave me this incredulous look—imagine "nooo!" said by a ten-year-old girl in the most adorable Australian accent.
It was healing, and I was grateful.
A post shared by Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) on Sep 17, 2017 at 3:05pm PDT
Ireland Top Ten
[Update, 2024: I have passed the torch on researching/updating Moon Ireland, which is why you’ll no longer find the book page on this site. I still highly recommend Moon Guides in general!]
I keep meaning to announce that the revised Moon Ireland (along with its mini-me, Moon Dublin) is now on sale! This new edition is absolutely beautiful, and I hope you get the chance to use it sometime in the not-too-distant future.
To celebrate pub day (which was going on four months ago now, eep!), I've winnowed all my favorite places down to ten must-sees, in north-to-south order, with guidebook page numbers for easy reference.
Glenveagh Castle.
County Donegal.
Literally anywhere in Donegal—because it takes more time and effort to get to, most visitors never even contemplate a visit. So much the better for you! Spend a night in Donegal Town before heading west to Kilcar, Killybegs, Glencolmcille, and/or Slieve League, or north to Glenveagh National Park, Gweedore, and/or Dunfanaghy. (Pages 369-388.)
Downhill, County Derry.
Wandering the Downhill Estate gives me those delicious gothic shivers, not just for the ruins themselves but for the over-the-top character behind them: the infamous Bishop Hervey, whom George III referred to as "that wicked prelate." Local legend says the bishop—an entrepreneur, playboy, and self-described agnostic—played a game of cards here with the devil himself. Perched on a cliff near the ruins of his mansion, the jewel-like Mussenden Temple was built to house Hervey's library, mistress, or both. The rest of the estate is comprised of a forest park perfect for an easy ramble, and a gatehouse tea room was in the works when I visited in 2016. If you have time to spend the night here, the Downhill Beach House is highly recommended. (Page 425.)
Loughcrew Cairns, County Meath.
It took me years to make it up here, and when I finally did I could have kicked myself for taking so long. Newgrange may be the official "must-see," but (partly because there's very little tourist infrastructure, and they aren't easy to get to) these "hills of the witch" are infinitely more atmospheric. After tracking down the key from the coffee shop at Loughcrew House, you'll climb to the top of Carnbane East and unlock the door to Cairn T, venturing into the darkness to view spiral carvings made more than three thousand years ago. All told there are about thirty megalithic tombs scattered over these hills, and it's said you can see seventeen counties from the peak of Sliabh na Caillighe. (Page 90.)
Galway City, County Galway.
I went to grad school here, learned and loved and wrote here; there's no city on earth quite like it. Wander the charming old streets and lanes downtown, check out the many excellent pubs and restaurants, rent a bike and cycle through Salthill out to Barna Wood. (Pages 288-299.)
Inishbofin, County Galway.
The Aran Islands are glorious, don't get me wrong, but Inishbofin is much less touristy—what it lacks in spectacular prehistoric and early-Christian ruins it makes up for in peace and quiet. (Page 316.)
Letterfrack, Leenane, and Connemara National Park.
Wild mountain, sea, and fjord views, not-too-strenuous hiking, quiet country pubs: this is my favorite little corner of County Galway. (I've read several recent decidedly-not-positive reviews of the Old Monastery hostel, but there are many more accommodation options in the area. I've also stayed at the Leenane Hotel and can recommend it, although you'll want to go to the Blackberry Café for dinner. (Ring ahead if you're vegan.) (Pages 317-321.)
Glendalough, County Wicklow.
It's super touristy, yes, so definitely spend the night—once the coach buses leave you'll feel like you have the place almost all to yourself. The Wicklow Heather (1km down the road in Laragh) is an excellent (veg-accommodating) spot for dinner—and if you stay at Heather House, you'll have breakfast here too. (Page 110.)
The Kerry Cliffs (and Skellig Michael), County Kerry.
This relatively new attraction rivals the Cliffs of Moher in breathtaking clifftop views, and while the owners of the land are unabashedly opportunistic, I still think it's worth the entry price (€4 per person here versus €6 per person to park at the Cliffs of Moher). The Skellig Ring makes for gorgeous and relatively peaceful driving, since the coach buses are too big for these roads—take a day trip out of Killarney, and you will miss this. I haven't been to the Skelligs since my first trip to Ireland back in 2000, and I'm holding off on a return visit out of concern for the fragility of the environment. (Pages 223 and 226.)
Ardmore, County Waterford.
St. Declan's monastery and cliff walk is just about the most picturesque experience you can imagine. I'm amazed at how untouristy Ardmore still is! (Page 159.)
Union Hall.
Union Hall and Glandore, County Cork.
I have a special place in my heart for these postcard-pretty twin villages in west Cork: it was at a tiny beach near Maria's Schoolhouse Hostel that I wrote the first pages of my practice novel. While the hostel is long since closed, you can still go on kayaking trips with Maria and Jim. (Page 185.)
There are lots more places I'm terribly fond of, and I'm hoping to profile them in future posts. And if you're wondering why I've listed only one place in Northern Ireland, I might as well tell you that the overall vibe up North creeps me out in a bad way. That said, on my next visit I'll be checking out the Gobbins (closed, alas, when I was in the area in 2016) as well as Rathlin Island, and after that trip I'll be sure to blog more about the Causeway Coast.
One more thing to note: due to space constraints we had to cut most of the Midlands coverage, which I very much regret. So I'll be blogging about Athlone, Kinnitty, Birr, Emo Court, the Rock of Dunamase, Blacklion, and maybe Boyle in the near future, too (we did manage to fit Clonmacnoise and Leap Castle into sidebars in the Galway chapter). An ultimate vegan guide to Ireland is in the works as well (I'm SO bummed to hear my fave veg B&B is closed so they can focus on the farming side).
If you have any other places to recommend, I'd love to hear about them in the comments!
Spring Squam 2017
It'd been awhile since my last Squam Art Workshops retreat: I taught a writing class there in September 2014 and daydreamed about returning as a student again for printmaking and other yummy classes, but life conspired against it. And like everyone else, I was sad when I heard 2017 would be Elizabeth's last year running the retreats—though I know very well the desire to move on from what you've already proven you're good at. 
A few weeks ago Elizabeth seemed anxious to connect, and when we got on Skype she told me her writing teacher had pulled out and could I fill in. COULD I?So I got to go to Elizabeth's last June Squam after all. My iPhone is busted and I decided not to pack Aunt Kathy's Nikon, so this post is going to be 100% other people's photographs. It was lovely not to spend the energy documenting everything. I texted a few pictures of the cabin to Matt from my dumbphone and got on with the nature worship.
I drove up with Elizabeth on Sunday and helped decorate and organize registration stuff—the most relaxing and enjoyable "work" you can imagine. Check out Elizabeth's blog recap for a nice photo of Meg and Coop, a.k.a. Team Squam Mice (Meg arranged the table above)—and here's a photo of Terri and me taken by her partner Tom at the end of my last class on Saturday morning:
It's a wrap! Camille aka @cometparty and I taught for SAW again this week. It is always inspiring to have Squamies in the house. #squamlove #squamlove2017 A post shared by Terri Dautcher (@tldautcher) on
(You may recall I took Terri's woodworking class in June 2014. Elizabeth likes to say she is an angel passing for human and I wholeheartedly agree.) 
So many fabulous memories from #squamlove2017. Incredible to see so much creative energy in motion. I loved watching the delight in my students as their blankets came together. I adored catching up with old friends and meeting and getting to know new ones. Plus, the magic of the lake ✨the best! Thanks for having me @squamlove! A post shared by Anne Weil / Maker (@flaxandtwine) on
I hadn't seen my dear friend Anne in three years, so we really reveled in getting to be roomies again—talking about our families and creative aspirations on the sun-baked dock and late into the night.
Writing on this porch, enfolded in the magic of the trees..💖 #squamlove A post shared by Jane (@sepiaandglitter) on
Both my classes were full of smart, enthusiastic, open-hearted women of all ages, teens to seventies. In theory we were writing personal essays (for a clear definition of what constitutes a personal essay as opposed to memoir, read this), but in practice each student shaped those six hours to her own ends. The mind mapping was a big hit.
No one is making me breakfast this morning. #imisssquam #lovegroupdining #squam2017 #squamlove2017 #squamlove #ineedmaplesyrupA post shared by Sue Greene (@suegreene) on
I connected with mind-blowingly talented teachers (see if you can spot me above having our last breakfast with my cabin-mates Mary Jane Mucklestone and Karen Templer), caught up with friends I made way back at my first Squam in 2011, and got ideas for future projects that absolutely light me up. More on that...eventually.
Evening lights at my cabin Cragsmere. We are all cozy. #squamartworkshops #squamlove #squamlove2017 #rdcsquam A post shared by Cordula (@handherzseele) on
My block printing!! I only cried a little while drawing. #squamlove #saw2017 #squamartworkshops Class with the beautiful @penelope_dullaghan! A post shared by Jessica MF (@jessica.mf) on
I know I keep saying I'm going to get back into blogging more frequently and consistently, but after teaching this time around I do feel more motivated—I had several conversations with similarly ambivalent bloggers ("I feel silly writing and putting it out there when it feels like nobody's reading it"), and I figured we could just make a point of reading and responding to each other's work. Community is what we come for, after all! See plenty more pics where these came from using the Instagram hashtag #squamlove2017.
Home Again, and a Bunch of Updates
Home again, after the best trip yet. My friend Joelle and I were texting regularly all through our respective trips to Iceland and Asia, and after she got home she wrote,
I'm in that phase where it kind of feels like my trip didn't really happen. There's always a struggle to live just a little differently than I did before.
I've been turning those words over ever since. After this trip I am far less of a mystery to myself. I have finally begun to understand why I feel and react the way I do in difficult situations (and in truth, how I tend to create those difficult situations). I know I'm being vague here, but I may be remedying this soon (see next paragraph). For now, I'll just say that Joe Dispenza's book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself has more than secured a place on my (not-yet-official) list of the Most Useful and Enlightening Books I Have Ever Read. I'm looking forward to writing about exactly how and why it's helping me!
Now for Getting Specific: because Life Without Envy is on sale at the end of the month (!!), I'm doing the usual promotional thing, albeit on a scale that makes sense to me. One of LWE's essential messages is about making oneself useful, and I've been pondering how to walk my talk in ways that feel authentic and effective. Admittedly, there is a part of me who would much rather hole up and get back to writing fiction, but how can I write a book like Life Without Envy and then run away from my own advice on community building and becoming as honest as possible about one's messiest feelings?
You may recall that I posted a virtual writing workshop series on Youtube back in 2012, and I'm thinking about starting up something similar again—only with shorter (2 to 3-minute), more-to-the-point videos with frank advice on practical topics related to the book. That is one immediate way in which I can make myself useful.
I brainstormed topics. I made a list. "Success" Versus Satisfaction. Impostor Syndrome. How to Think Your Way Out of Self Loathing. (The IRONY of Self Loathing.)
Then, of course, my ego piped up. What if you post a bunch of videos and NOBODY RESPONDS, you loser? (I will say this over and over again: I wrote the book I most needed to read.)
Then I remembered something one of my new internet pals Alexis Donkin wrote in a recent newsletter:
Someone could be on the edge and read something we wrote and it sends them over. On the other hand, someone could read what we wrote and find solace, comfort, and rejuvenation. It just depends on our words - on our small actions.
That's why it's so important to choose our words and small actions carefully. That's why it's so important to be gentle – to be loving to ourselves and others.
What we say, what we write, how we act—it DOES matter. If I post a video and it turns one person's day around, then that is mission accomplished. Nobody has to go viral on Youtube in order to make the world a little bit kinder. (I actually have a specific anecdote on this topic—about overhearing a conversation in a restaurant that helped me lift myself out of a frighteningly gloomy mood—and I will share it on video.)
So yeah. I think I'm going to start a new Youtube channel, and if you have any topics you'd like me to cover (or other tips/suggestions), please let me know!
* * *
Now for some newsy things:
The wonderful Jamaica Plain restaurant-cum-bookstore Tres Gatos is hosting the Life Without Envy launch on Sunday, October 2nd starting at 3pm. Come early for brunch (alas, they aren't the most vegan-friendly place in town, but what options they do have are excellent). And do please RSVP on Facebook!
I'm also giving an hourlong Life Without Envy workshop at the Boston Book Festival on Saturday, October 15th, 2016. We'll have space for about thirty people. I can't imagine it'll be that crowded, but come early just in case!
* * *
And here's a quick link round-up, ICYMI on social media:
Immaculate Heart write-up in the Improper Bostonian
Life Without Envy in 18 Must-Read Nonfiction Books of September 2016 in Bustle
Why Having My Book Go Out of Print Was a Pretty Great Thing, After All in Publishers Weekly
My Intentional Writer interview with Alexis Donkin
* * *
More soon!
The Grand Tour of Asia
Oh, HELLO! I almost forgot I even have a blog. Moon Ireland revisions were frantic (I did get them done on time, though, whew!), and now I'm stoked to be working on a follow-up to Life Without Envy. I will get back to blogging someday, I just don't have any idea when.
September! Yeah, September. For sure-ish.
My next adventure is coming up very soon: a two-month backpacking trip with Seanan (and a few more friends, for different portions) around south-east Asia. My sister and the crew went to Indonesia back in February while I was in Ireland...
...and when I got home to New Jersey yesterday I was delighted to find a stack of rupiah waiting for me. Thank you, cookiesister!
You can follow me on Instagram for pics from Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Cambodia again, and Indonesia, in that order. We're plotting a trip to the Banda Islands for a DIY writing holiday towards the end. I am the luckiest person on the planet. (Luckier than Seanan, since he's got to put up with me.) In all seriousness, though, I have set some powerful intentions for this trip, and I'm insanely excited to see what happens.
A couple notes before I go:
There are three more Goodreads giveaways for Life Without Envy scheduled for the weeks of July 11th, August 8th, and August 30th...though September 27th will be here before we know it!And ICYMI, read this. I literally cried at my desk.
Happy summer, everybody! <3
Wish you were here, @fionaashleen. #beach #yoga
A photo posted by Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) on Jun 25, 2016 at 1:27pm PDT
Comet Party Yoga and Writing Retreat
[Update, 5/5/16: Alas, we haven't gotten the numbers we need to be able to run this retreat. If you're interested in participating the next time we try to run this thing, drop me a line!]
This is the last week to get the early-bird price ($300 instead of $350) on the first-ever Comet Party yoga and writing retreat with my dear teacher Anne Wichmann! Since I've been posting information about the retreat rather piecemeal, I thought I'd do one more post to gather all the info in one place.
When: Friday, May 20th (afternoon) to Sunday, May 22nd (afternoon), 2016
Where: Bethel Farm, Hillsborough, New Hampshire. Get psyched for long walks in the woods and the wood-fired sauna (maybe alternating with dips in the pond!)
What: Jivamukti yoga classes, meditation, and kirtan paired with intuitive writing sessions
Why: to relax, learn more about yourself, and meet lovely new people!
Meals: 100% vegan, baby! All allergies and dietary restrictions catered for (just let us know.)
Accommodation: small dorm-style with shared bath. (I know this set-up won't be for everyone, but I love the cozy summer-camp feel of the Bethel Farm guesthouse.)
Retreat schedule: here.
Transportation from Boston: we'll be organizing ride shares.
More about Jivamukti: it's an athletic yet well-rounded style of yoga, including chanting, breathwork, dharma talks, and meditation along with the asanas. I've found Jivamukti teachers to be the warmest and most giving yoga instructors I know. Oftentimes you'll get a quick warm-up shoulder massage with china gel (a menthol-based cream, very tingly and refreshing), and/or another little massage during savasana. Jivamukti teachers walk the talk when it comes to ahimsa, the principle of non-harming. Anne is a very chill and loving teacher.
More about Stephen Bethel (owner of Bethel Farm and another awesome Jivamukti teacher!) here.
What is "intuitive writing"? Good question! We'll be taking journaling to the next level with exercises designed to lift you out of your ordinary way of thinking, priming you for a transformative experience. Everything you write during this retreat is for your eyes only. You can get a sense of the type of writing exercises we'll be doing here. There's also a sneak preview of Life Without Envy in your retreat workbook!
You can register for this retreat either through Bethel Farm or by emailing me. Anne and I are so looking forward to it!
St. Patrick's Day, and other tidbits
A few fun things to report today: first, to celebrate St. Paddy's Day, I've written a round-up of my favorite haunted (or at least haunting) places in Ireland over at PopSugar.
In case you missed my post-apocalyptic library essay the first time around, the lovely folks over at Dead Darlings have reposted it today.
And best of all: the first review of Immaculate Heart, in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Next week is launch week, so expect more pictures of cupcake decorating!
Bookiversary!
Today feels quite shiny and special. I don't know that I've ever told this story on the blog, so here goes.
In January 2006 I went back to Ireland and rented a car (a series of them, actually, ha) to research the first edition of Moon Ireland. This was my second paid writing gig (after co-writing Hanging Out in Ireland the summer after my freshman year of college), but this time I was working on my own guidebook for proper money. My primary ambition had always been to publish a novel, but after my experience with the practice novel I was feeling more anxious than excited when Kate Garrick submitted Mary Modern to a bunch of editors that February.
This time, though, there were several nibbles. More than one editor wanted to make an offer, Kate said. I felt even more nervous. She set the closing date for Friday, March 14th at 3pm.
At the end of that week I was staying at a hostel in Leenane (in Connemara), and had fallen in with Kevin, a fellow writer from Dublin, and Tom, an American in his sixties who was working as a handyman at the hostel. The guys promised to help me celebrate in the event of good news (HA, of course you will!)
I gave Kate the hostel phone number, emailed my family and asked them to think good thoughts, and refreshed my inbox repeatedly on the hostel computer until I remembered that I'd only be receiving bad news that way. Good news always comes by phone. [I have since learned that certain kinds of bad news come by phone, too, but we won't dwell on that.]
I very vividly remember sitting on a dormitory floor early that evening, voicing my anxiety to Kevin, who was sympathetic. It's one o'clock in New York, I said. This isn't gonna happen. It's not going to sell and I don't know what I'm going to do.
After a little while we heard the phone ring downstairs. "It's Random House calling!" Kevin declared (and if he was mocking me he did so affectionately.)
Then we heard footsteps on the stairs. "No, really. I think it's for you!"
I crouched on the floor, my heart in my throat. The guy working the front desk called my name. HOLY S**T IT HAS TO BE KATE IT'S GOOD NEWS.
I ran to the door and grabbed the cordless, and when Kate told me we'd gotten an offer from Sally at Shaye Areheart/Crown I blubbered every single expletive in my vocabulary.
We drove into town. I bought all the Guinness Kevin asked for. We had a good night.
#MoonIreland
I'm leaving for Ireland soon, and while I'm there you can keep up with me on Instagram. (I should have known it would become my new social-media-crack-of-choice once I finally got a smartphone!!)
Seven Days in Ireland
Two nights in Galway with Ailbhe and Christian and Shelley and A&C's ridiculously cute kiddos, down to Tipperary to see Seanan's folks, weekend in Dingle and back to Tipp for one more night before heading up to Dublin on the train (which was a treat, faster and more comfortable than the bus—Seanan found me a €15 web fare). It was lovely to be able to say "see you again in February." I'll be back to revise my guidebook!
Big thanks to my aunt Kathy for giving me (yes, GIVING me) her Nikon SLR camera. It was so very generous of her. I'm excited to take a digital photography class in the next couple months so I can learn how to use it beyond the basics!
Lincoln Pond
I just came across some photos I took during a weekend camping trip on Lincoln Pond in the Adirondacks with a few friends back in July. Next summer feels so far awaaaaaaaaay! 
We rented two boats (a canoe and a rowboat) and paddled forty minutes to our island campsite (Lincoln Pond is enormous). It wasn't as remote as it sounds—there were plenty of people out fishing around our little pocket of woods, which was a bummer. But absolutely beautiful otherwise! 
Masada and the Dead Sea
"Don't worry, he's not gonna die.""It's not that. It's my camera I'm worried about!"
Masada is an absolutely awe-inspiring mountaintop fortress with a sad history. We hiked up (Elliot narrowly missing a rockfall perpetrated by a bunch of a**hole teenagers), checked out the ruins up top, and then Elliot and Jill took the funicular back down (see photo in this post) while Kate, Spencer and I ran down the trail to see if we could beat them back to the visitor center. We didn't, but it was exhilarating. That's one of my favorite moments from this trip. 
Later that day Kate had penciled in our one chance to experience the Dead Sea (jam-packed itinerary, as usual!), and we were really bummed when we saw that the beach was cordoned off for off-season construction work.But did we let all those DO NOT ENTER signs stop us?NOPE. 
Super salty, lovely and floaty. Totally worth clambering down a crumbling embankment, and scrambling back up again. 
The next morning we visited Beit Guvrin National Park. It's an extensive site dating back to Old Testament times, with much of what there is to see being underground (although the caves are relatively new). 
I got a little obsessed with doorways on this trip, and light shining into darkened spaces. This is the entrance to the Sidonian Tomb of the Musicians (above and below). 
See? Beautiful. Next post: Jerusalem!
Blessed Are the Clean of Heart
After a couple nights in Haifa, we made our way south toward the Dead Sea (next post!), stopping at Zippori National Park to admire all the mosaics. 
In the afternoon we visited the Mount of Beatitudes for a little New-Testament refresher course. 
There is a basilica and gift shop, of course. Jill and I enjoyed chatting with a nun who was hard at work on an art project for Christmas. 
Does it say in the Bible just how beautiful the Sea of Galilee is? 
Your Miracle Is On the Way
Find someone you like on their good days and their bad days.
—Elliot's wise words on the occasion of their 10th anniversary
Oh boy, do I have a treat for you today. (Elliot might have said good days, bad days, and wacky days.) When we visited the mosque in Kampala we ladies were compelled to wear skirts and headscarves (which were provided for us), and we, being Western feminists, were NOT happy.
On the upside, my sister gave me the most amusing video out of everything we've recorded on our travels. Watch it after noting these facts:
1. We were confused by the signposts in a Rwandan town on Lake Kivu, which seemed to have two names: Karongi and Kibuye. (But now that I'm googling them, it looks like Kibuye is the town and Karongi is the district.)
2. Bilharzia is a disease caused by parasitic worms that live in freshwater.
(I hope this video doesn't offend any Muslims who may randomly happen upon my blog. She mocks all religions equally, if that makes any difference. Just imagine all the fun she'd have doing a song-and-dance number in this getup!)
The minaret has 272 steps. (Jill counted.)
One of Kate's shots from inside the mosque:
We also visited the Tombs of the Buganda Kings at Kasubi (ceiling detail above) and the Baha'i Temple (below).
A few last notes from my journal:
Kampala was originally built on seven hills [somebody had Rome in mind!] We did not see much of the city's opulence—my most vivid memories are of the usual dusty red roads packed with one-room stores or houses of simple brick and mortar, truck cabs stacked on corrugated tin roofs. "Beauty Parlor" or "Dry Cleaner" looks like a hovel. All the buildings very very crowded together. One of the guidebooks talks about tourists coming to see the wildlife but the people are just as interesting, and that is true. Friendliest children ever. ("A mzungu!", with delight.) Gorgeous women in vibrant wax-printed fabrics, perfect posture, carrying plastic water jugs or baskets of bananas or avocados on their heads.
We had a couple of lovely last meals in Kampala—Colin promised us wholesome traditional fare, and it was delish. We even had banana juice. (Banana juice!!)
At our last lunch we all dared each other to eat these INSANELY HOT PEPPERS. WHOOOOOOOOOOOO.
This concludes my Uganda-Rwanda-2013 recap (about time, right?!) Next week (or maybe the week after), back to Israel/Jordan!
My Daemon is the Zebra
Okay, so I have a bunch of "spirit animals"—owls and foxes, definitely—but while in Africa, my daemon is the zebra. They're just so...improbable. Blend in? What for?? 
After our time in Rwanda, we braved the chaotic border crossing one more time and headed to Uganda's Lake Mburo National Park. This park (despite its accessibility) isn't as popular as Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, or Ishasha because of its low "big five" count: there are no elephants and no longer any lions. (At least one pride was poisoned by local farmers for killing livestock.) 
What do you find at Lake Mburo? A whopping 315 species of birds, plus:
7pm, 4 September 2013
Stayed behind at the Mburo campsite while the others went for an evening drive in search of hyenas...We saw zebras and impalas today! And I got a good pic of a vervet monkey and her baby suckling. Lots of baby animals. [Vervet sighting—Elliot talking about service monkeys instead of dogs.] Hippos grunting down the lake from the restaurant.
You will also find some very ballsy warthogs, who drew uncomfortably close to our tents. The vervet monkeys, too, were hopping all over our Land Cruiser looking for nibbles. 
Gorgeous sunset that evening:
Kate: "I'm going to have a kid just so I can be an a-hole to him." (After giving me a hard time for not eating the second plate of rice, and telling me it's the last thing I'll eat for a week.)(And yes, she actually said "a-hole.")
Vegan Edinburgh
I have a guest post over on the Main Street Vegan blog this week, a sort of vegan love letter to Edinburgh. Hope you enjoy!
Back to Kigali
When I am at the market, in the midst of a large crowd,I always think I might just find my brothers.—Rose, age 10
This is the blog post I have been putting off for two years. As I type this I'm still not sure I'm actually going to write about the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. What can I possibly add in terms of response or commentary?I suppose I can talk about my feelings as we moved through the exhibit: horror, disbelief, disbelief, disbelief, and more horror; and then, whenever we encountered victims' faces or belongings (or video interviews with survivors talking about their lost loved ones), I felt sadness. I was thirteen when the Rwandan genocide occurred, and while we talked about it in our social studies classes, it always seemed so abstract, so thoroughly unbelievable. Genocide was something that only could have happened in the Bad Old Days, back when my grandfather was indirectly fighting the Japanese on a destroyer in the South Pacific. But the "Bad Old Days" can and do revisit themselves upon the present, usually with new faces and different governments involved.I took a lot of notes that day at the museum (because again, I thought I might be able to come up with some sort of intelligent response here):
Fire is a symbol of death + mourning in Rwandan culture. Elephants = memory, fruit trees = children.
Dogs eating corpses in the streets.
Fabric retrieved from a mass grave: a fitted sheet printed with the Superman emblem.
Children beaten and thrown into septic tanks. Women forced to kill own children before being killed themselves.
Catholic priests implicated in Rwandan genocide—told Interahamwe where Tutsis were hiding. WHY???????????
"Education is part of the answer to denial." (re Holocaust survivors speaking in schools)
Human beings do unspeakably evil things to other human beings, and I can have no intelligent response to that fact. I can only renew my commitment to a peaceful life, which means not responding to anger with more anger, but with compassion; and easing the suffering of others wherever and however I possibly can. I can also pray that anyone who is engaged in conflict, as a victim or as a perpetrator (or who might fall into both categories) will somehow be able to find peace and clarity out of suffering and confusion.
Retreat rescheduled: May 2016!
Hooray! Stephen, Anne and I have decided upon new dates for our yoga and writing retreat: Friday-Sunday, May 20th-22nd, 2016. Details here. Early-bird price is still $300. Email me with questions or to register!
Lake Kivu
High time I got back to my travel blogging—we (Kate and Jill and I) are heading to Georgia to visit Alex in November, and I'd really like to have finished my Uganda/Rwanda and Israel/Jordan write-ups by then. 
September 1, 2013, 6:30pm LAKE KIVU!!! I'm sitting on the ledge of a terrace looking out at one of the most breathtaking views in recent memory. Or ever. So so so lovely. Hills like paper cutouts receding, receding into the pale evening horizon. A calm gray lake. 
September 2, 2013, 10amWe are sitting inside a church where more than 11,000 Tutsis were killed during the genocide. Outside there is a memorial with rows of skulls in a glass case beneath a small crucifix. The stained glass is of the crudest design I've seen, but it throws such bright and beautiful shapes on the cement floor.I keep saying to myself, "Let me be love." And I realized—actually began to "internalize" it, maybe—that there IS no me. I know I am beginning to internalize that truth because it actually felt good this time to face it. 
