Wow. No kidding about life. Things have been a blur since I last posted, and trying to keep up has become harder and harder…:) Overall the last restaurant I frequented for the Friday dining was MOG, loved the sushi, soup, and the wait staff. We met our waitress who was from Texas, she was great, and so inviting, inquiring, it was an awesome location and an awesome hang out. I wanted to put this link into the blogs about Delirio’s and Mog, as it reminds me of this film : St.Elmo’s Fire. I love the fact that there is a deeper story than just a movie title to St.Elmo’s Fire. A definite metaphor for life….

Since that Friday – whew, I am not sure I can keep up. I was able to reconnect with Vika, the Russian AFS exchange student that had come to Seaford, and she is studying in Israel. We started a conversations about sharing photos, writing, etc from other parts of the world in our lit magazine – and wow….great idea to add the world influences section to our magazine, it will be a hit.

A moment about our literary magazine staff – for BabyCakes. Please go to our site and like it and keep tabs as we begin to gather submissions.

Saturday was amazing as this was the Art Fair at ASF. organized by the parent association, this was BIG time. The students for thelit mag arose to the occasion, selling 44 pizzas and the whole time I was a bit holding back as this brought my concession days to a head and reminded me of the students back home. However, that being said, I love my staff. From Camila, to Ji, to Anne, to Carlos, to Maria, to Milo, to Esther, those there and not there are willing to make this year’s Lit Mag something like no other. We laughed, we stressed, we screamed, we went back to laughing. The pizzas were amazing as they sold out, and the staff, well, I could hug them. They made at least 5000 peso through a long day. What was amazing was the art and music that surrounded us all day. From kindergarten to the jazz band, the departments and teachers, no educators 🙂 we AWESOME. This again was big time, the whole campus was flooded with art that turned the school into a museum. This truly was Art in the Park I recalled from the Shakespeare Festivals, to the museum tours we had done in Spain, I promise some pics that will take your breath away will be posted later. I wanted to get the words out first. I am proud of the Lit Mag and the staffers have made a renewed effort, using others’ photos to advertise the artistic atmosphere they hope to capture with everyone surrounding them. These photos are art in themselves. Definitely go to the facebook site to see the chance to submit your art, I dare say they will make history this year. Loved Saturday and so proud of the staff amid a flurry of activity – surrounded by art would be my phrase I daresay for the day.

The weekend was enjoyable to catch up on NANO…
a few words (less than 50000). I never thought I could keep up with such as daring venture as writing a 50 000 novel in one month. Here I sit with ideas constantly going back and forth, and am past the 25000 word mark with November 30th looming like an owl on my shoulder. Yet, what a state of self exploration and chance to get things out I have had inside for YEARS. This is an amazing and committed experience with a staff that supports you all the way. There are a few things in one week I will never forget, this will be one. SO progress every day occurs with Nano and I can hardly
wait to let my friends see this, as they make up the weight of its contents.

The whole while I have been anxious about leaving and heading back to the U.S. in Chicago, anxious is not strong enough, but just almost on the edge of anxiety. I am going to present at NCTE AND head back to the states, very nervous but excited. As with anything of that nature, the time crawled as I worried and tried to prepare as best I could, but the days ticked off so incredibly fast, and Boom! Wednesday, time to head off.

As with anything, again, the day FLEW, and I did not have time to do all the things I wanted, – yet – I was sitting here, in the airport, ready to take off. As I arrived at the gate, the adventure really began…

“Sir, your plane is not due to take off until 5:00 PM- arrival 9:00 as there has been a change.” – My heart sunk, no way. Yet, there was light, there had been a change to switch to United if I wanted and I would be able to depart at 3:30 and arrive around 7:00 – YES! I would take it. A little confusion ensued where I had to find the correct ticket counter for United, customs, etc, all was ready and I was on the plane! YES! I watched a cool movie Monte Carlo, with Selena Gomez. I loved this film, I love Selena Gomez, sorry, but overall, I loved this film made for a chick flick I think, but the story behind it, perfect Hollywood feel good film, and overall, gives you the dream the right one is out there somewhere. I enjoyed the plane film! 🙂 I was so nervous I kept moving items around, losing things right under me feet just plain NERVOUS.

I got off the plane, worked through customs, and wow – no luggage, no joke. I am doing better at keeping my calm while screaming inside, AAAAGH! Someone, who did not have the right ticket or name on their ticket, picked up my blue suitcase, and I had no clothes except what I was wearing. I made the claim, found the blue line Metro which was like 16 stops to Hilton Palmer House, and made it inside, and sat and thought, I can’t believe this. I did GREAT on the anxiety factor considering what had happened. I was starving, and I went out found Subway, and it might have been the best hoagie I had in years, lol. I loved it.

I have to tell you, flying in and seeing the switch between Mexico and the U.S, i realized, even with the bills, and the stress of change, I realized how lucky I was to be surrounded by people I was well, basically be lucky to be around. No matter how little money I have, I am always so rich int he friends I have, and the rich family, rich is so many unmonetary ways I am LUCKY – and this has enabled me to experience things so far I never DREAMED of doing. Thank you to all of them for a moment. I thought this as I landed in the U.S and was just again, NERVOUS.

So despite the bad things going on, I couldn’t be unhappy, I WAS AT NCTE! 🙂

Overall, the night was long, as I realized no internet unless you paid for it each night, and I was hesitant. I wanted to save save save to make sure I had enough to cover all! Again – crazy fate – phone rings in the wee hours and Ta Da! Luggage RETRIEVED! – Can you believe it? And all was there – everything. Awesome, s keeping the right attitude was – yes, the right thing to so.

Thursday – already?! I jumped up and was heading to Starbucks, somewhere, tat had free Wi-fi – and then it hit my. NWP Conference sign in the lobby. I stopped, I was part of the first NWP in the Endless Mountain Writing Project in Mansfield, PA! Today, before NCTE! I had hours to burn so I thought, what the heck, check it out. AMAZING things developed. FREE HUGE breakfast (check, that taken care of!) – sign in for FREE, and then before I knew it, in a first meeting for NWP and meeting people beside me. Not just any people, the lady to my left – was from Chicora. This might not be significant to you, but this was the small town my Dad had last lived in, and it was close to my hometown, and still for some of my siblings. She worked at Edinboro. I went to Edinboro U. The similarities continued around the table, someone from Kent State – I just had done the JEA Kent State Journalism grant experience there, and that is not where it ended. I was in amazement, to a conference I had not even KNOWN about until today. Amazed. Then, heading to the plenary session, I volunteered to speak, and realized I would get up in front of the whole group to state what our initial group had come up with issues that needed addressed or we felt important. I did, I did it quickly, wanting to say the whole time, I can’t believe I am here from Mexico!!!!!!!!!

NWP – you need to check this out, I am going to try and start a INWP – International and begin a record making trip through Mexico I can bring back to next year’s convention. I met so unbelievable people from the Eastern Shore NWP, as well as Delaware. AMAZING. And it is 8:21, and I have the second say of workshops to be ready for, I have been typing here since 6:00 AM on this Friday, and I only have started the adventure that began to unroll on Thursday. I will be back today, but in the mean time, check out NWP – AMAZING. 🙂 I have so many new challenges I want to bring back and work through, and that seems to me the most opulent part of this adventure so far, the energy around others charging up more and more!