Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Announcement (page 2 of 2)

Writing Update December 2020 – “Plunge” Has Been Published!

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For December, the question is: “Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?”

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Pat Garcia, Sylvia Ney, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, and yours truly (Liesbet @ Roaming About)!

My answer to the question

Talk about a coincidence…

In the beginning of this year, I wondered: “Are there times of the year that writers are more productive than other months? Why would that be?” I emailed Alex, the founder of the IWSG, suggesting he’d pose this question to the group. He replied that it would be the perfect December prompt. So, now I get to – have to, really – answer my own question! ????

If I’d live in a house or settled environment, I expect winter would be my most productive writing month as it’s colder out and I wouldn’t feel guilty sitting behind the computer all day. But, as you might now, my husband, Mark, our dog, Maya, and I are nomads (and have been for over a decade), so no “settlement” for us. This means I only manage to write whenever it fits the schedule, the situation, the location, and, mostly, the logistics (internet, electricity, no dramas). Which – if you’ve read any of my previous IWSG blogs – is darn sporadic. I write when I can; when I’m not driving, hiking with Maya, sightseeing, working, running errands, fixing the van, catching up on diaries or my inbox, or sleeping…

Our favorite free campsite this year, in Arkansas

Cold and rainy days would be perfect to write, but they cause other issues with all of us cooped up in a 19ft van. By the way, I keep track of our current location in the right column of this blog.

My book progress

After a long road to completion (five years!), my travel memoir Plunge has been published. I announced that feat here, a few days ago.

Continue reading

Plunge on Pre-order & A Special Dedication

Today, November 15th, 2020, would have been my dear oma‘s 100th birthday. Mark and I planned a trip to Belgium to celebrate that special event. Covid or not, we’d do the effort and make the commitment. Unfortunately, she passed away in the spring of 2017, at age 97. I wrote about my relationship with her here and posted a Dutch poem about her here.

Oma and Liesbet in 2014

I think about my oma a lot. She played an important role in my life – when I was a toddler, a teenager, and, especially, an adult. I often said she was my best friend and savored every chance I had to visit her when in Belgium. My travel memoir, Plunge, is dedicated to her (and one other person). While she wouldn’t have been able to read the book – she didn’t speak English – she would have been immensely proud of her “favorite” grandchild!

It was my intention to launch Plunge today, but that timing was too tight. If Mark, Maya, and I would have remained in “our room above the garage” in Newburyport, Massachusetts, it might have been possible. Working full-time from the road is tricky. But… the next best thing to commemorate my dear oma on the day she would have become a centenarian is by putting Plunge (the eBook anyway; it wasn’t possible for the paperback) on pre-sale.

Yes!!! The digital version of my book is ready for pre-order on Amazon as of today, for the special price of US$4.99. This will go up to US$5.99 on the date of the actual release, which is set for November 28th. On that day – if Amazon cooperates ???? – both the eBook and the paperback of Plunge will be available. Leaving reviews are possible on Amazon starting that day and on Goodreads any time.

Plunge available for eReaders

Thank you, everyone, for following my journey – on the blog and in the book – and for sharing in the excitement!

To pre-order Plunge in the US: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in Canada: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in the UK: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in Germany: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in Australia: click here.

To pre-order Plunge in Belgium and the Netherlands: click here.

How to (Not) Become an American

This is the title of a short non-fiction book – half memoir, half sarcastic essay collection – I have been writing in my head for years. I have played with the idea to materialize those words, as the actual story unfolded with ups and hiccups and downs and betters, not quite knowing whether the “Not” would become most prominent in the title, or not. You see, this entire “becoming an American” process is not as easy as three words. At least for me. More about that later.

The Capitol in Washington DC

Most of you might know by now that I was born and raised and “supposed to be based” in Belgium. Something happened. Obviously. Yet, nothing drastic or planned or expected. I’ve traveled my entire life – solo or not – so being adventurous, curious, and a tad rebellious is part of my genes. I was a school teacher, meaning vacations abound (especially in the summer) to explore and travel. No issue there; definitely the right job choice for my passion. Yet, my inquisitive mind and restless soul wanted more.

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Our New Companion – Maya

Remember a few days ago, when I wrote about four sleepover dogs Mark and I took home from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to offer them an afternoon and evening of extra love, fun, and adventure? Remember Martha? Remember how we dropped her off at Dogtown again in the morning, after mixed experiences and interactions with her?

How cute is she, right?

A Second Chance

Well, we decided to give her another chance. Continue reading

Happy Holidays to All!

The festive season is upon us! While Mark and I are having a quiet one, across the country from his friends and family and across the pond from mine, I hope most of you are enjoying this period in the company of loved ones. It is a time of reflection, love, friendship, tolerance, peace and coziness. I hope all these feelings can be extended throughout the new year! Continue reading

Blogging from A to Z Challenge

A to Z Blogging Challenge

“Are you going to join the A to Z Challenge this year?” my best friend Rosie asked me on the phone a few weeks ago, “I’d love to take it on, but I don’t’ think I will have time in April with all the sailing we plan to do.” The what challenge? And, why would this take so much time? I had never heard about the A to Z Blogging Challenge, so I looked it up online. The idea peaked my interest and a few days later, I signed up. Continue reading

Our New Blog is Here!

Hello everybody and welcome to Roaming About!

Mark and I are excited… about selling Irie, making plans again, incorporating a new lifestyle, and the creation of a new blog! We have successfully left our previous – eight year long – cruising life behind and are now semi-settled in the United States. What our plans are and what has been going on the last couple of months will soon become clear in upcoming blog posts. For now, I just want to refer everyone to our previous website It’s Irie if interested in stories and photos of our past sailing adventure in the Caribbean and the South Pacific, and to point out that this is the place to keep up-to-date with our current comings, goings and doings!

Come back to our site frequently, or sign up to receive the most recent blog posts in your inbox. You can set this up by inserting your email address in the “subscribe to blog via email” section to the right. Feel free to leave comments any time, either underneath the blog posts, or via the “contact us” form. Thank you for joining us!

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