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 for IWSG members. Answering it is optional. For December, the question is: “What are five objects we’d find in your writing space?”
This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are J.H. Moncrieff, Tonja Drecker, Patsy Collins, and Chrys Fey. Feel free to swing by their sites and see what they’re up to.
Answer to the question (“What are five objects we’d find in your writing space?”)
Probably the same items you find in other writers’ writing space – a laptop, a mouse, a glass of water (or cup of tea), a strong light, and a desk – with the major difference that everything but the laptop and the mouse changes whenever we move houses to take care of people’s animals.
My trusted computer goes everywhere with me
Book Progress
What was I thinking when Mark and I moved into our camper van Zesty indefinitely, at the end of July? That I’d be able to combine daily errands, sightseeing, driving, hiking, and translation jobs with writing/editing my memoir? Ha! And, it’s not that I didn’t know better, after running our own business from a sailboat in the middle of nowhere and from a couple of campers for years. Combining work, life and leisure on the road (or the water) is tough, leading to the insane and the impossible! Yes, Mark and I are good at making a challenging lifestyle just a tad more challenging.
Enough about my wishful thinking, my naivety despite experience, and my conviction that “it might work out this time.” It didn’t. I can’t concentrate hours on end to work on my book when: 1) my laptop’s battery only lasts three hours, 2) we have limited data on our cell phone acting as a hotspot; the same cell phone Mark uses for navigation when he goes on bike rides, 3) two people occupy the same 10 square feet and one stowable table simultaneously, 4) a paid job pops up each time I attempt to pick up that memoir again, and 5) we stay in all these amazing places full of discovery and adventure.
So, Mark and I are house sitting again for the time being. It truly is the only way this memoir will get done. And, I’m happy to report that, after five (!) months of inactivity, I have started editing my work in progress (WIP), with the help of my wonderful beta readers who provided comments, suggestions and alterations. It is daunting, and it is fun. Again, my appreciation goes out to all the people who invested time and effort so I can complete this next stage.
Revisit to Monterey, CA
If I ever settle somewhere, Monterey would make a competitive candidate. For years, I have been looking forward to revisiting this city in Northern California. Ever since I fell in love with it thirteen years ago. That didn’t happen under the greatest of circumstances, and Monterey unexpectedly became our home for five weeks (see excerpt underneath).
A month ago, as we were making our way south through California, a day trip to Monterey was on the agenda. Then, a humongous translation job arrived in my inbox, something that never happened before: a class action lawsuit, 80 pages long, over 23,000 words to translate from English to Dutch. It was overwhelming. It was boring. But I had the time and needed the money.
Mark and I settled ourselves at the Veterans Memorial Park Campground for $30 a night. We usually never pay for camping and this was expensive for what it was: a primitive campsite with a picnic table and a fire ring we weren’t allowed to use. Granted, there were restrooms with two basic hot water showers as well, an improvement to our free camping choices. And, I could bike to the library to use their electricity and WiFi. In the mornings, I’d work in the camper until my laptop battery was dead and after lunch in the library until closing time.
To save money, we left the campground every three days, to park elsewhere for the night, undercover.
After a week, the job was done and I could finally revisit my beloved Monterey. Until the smoke from the fires down south reached us, the weather was sunny with blue skies, the ocean vistas endless, the water super-clear, reminding us of the Caribbean, and the wildlife ever-present. Sea lions, seals, a plethora of birds, and my friends, the sea otters, happily played in the bays. How I enjoy being in this place!
One day, Mark and I biked the attractive bike trail along the waterfront, and continued on 17-Mile Drive. By car you have to pay for this scenic ride. We turned around in Pebble Beach, to climb back up to the campground. Once again, the town didn’t disappoint, and we got stuck longer than planned. Luckily, it was for very different reasons than in 2005.
Memoir Excerpt
We follow the California coastline with full sails and enjoy the wind in our hair. Darwin needs time to relax, but finds his sweet spot in the cockpit, while Kali pants and stands for hours on end. It hurts to watch this behavior. When I take her inside the tilted boat to comfort her, she climbs the couch and the wall, thinking it’s the floor. I swallow hard. My mind balks. Moments later, being inside triggers my physical discomfort as well. Soon enough, I hang over the transom again. Three out of four crew members are disabled and unhappy. It doesn’t make the fourth one feel any better. Mark has to do everything himself again: steer the boat, attend to the sails, make lunch, check the charts, and discourage his loved ones from wanting to die.
A few hours into the trip, the mainsail rips. Now we have to motor. This reduces our progress, is loud, and smells. The exhaust fumes stimulate my nausea.
“I don’t know whether I can do this,” I whisper to Mark. I hate to admit defeat.
“Yes, this sucks,” he answers. “Everything is going wrong. Look at the dogs. They’re miserable. And, so are you.” We suffer in silence. I don’t know how to proceed on this voyage. I don’t want to give up either. As if on cue, at the height of our misery, a pod of dolphins brightens our wake, followed by an ensemble of sea lions.
“This is amazing!” I scream, forgetting our situation. “How do they know that we’re feeling like crap? It’s so nice of them to try and cheer us up.” I wordlessly thank the creatures, and smile at Mark. He’s not impressed and remains deep in thought.
Our attempt to arrive in Monterey before nightfall fails. A couple of hours after the sun set, we limp into the public marina, where helping hands tie us up. We’re exhausted and demotivated. Unable to do anything about our issues that evening, we walk to the buzzing commercial area and decide to eat out. The whole restaurant spins. I can barely focus my eyes on the table in front of me. My belly can’t handle more than a spoonful of clam chowder. What a waste. I walk back to our dock like a drunken sailor. This is messed up! My conversation with Mark stops dead in its tracks when we reach the same sentiment: is this what we want to do? Really? Who would choose to be miserable on the ocean? But, it’s Mark’s dream to go sailing, and we’ve worked hard to turn this dream into reality…
Have you ever been to Monterey? What is your favorite city in the US, or elsewhere?
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December 5, 2018 at 18:37
A tantalizing excerpt! 🙂
I can’t imagine getting all that writing work done in your small space with so many other demands for attention. Question about the translating: in this day and age, with a document that long and so many computer-based programs at your disposal, do you run it through any kind of machine/app translator first and then fix all the non-native and awkward constructions? Or do you hand-translate word by word on your own from the beginning?
December 6, 2018 at 10:33
Hi Lexie! Nope, not possible to write in the camper when we’re traveling. Easier now, as we house sit. 🙂
In regards to the translations, with the company I work for, Day Translations, we are not allowed to use CAT-tools, which are Computer-Assisted or Computer-Aided Translation tools. That being said, I have a few favorite translation websites that I refer to for synonyms or to get my brain in the right place. I have had people ask me why translators are hired, if you could just copy and paste text in Google Translate. Well, if you know two languages well and you put text in Google Translate and you then read what comes out “the other side”. Ha! Hard to explain to people who don’t speak two languages, but the results can be VERY disturbing, non-nonsensical garbled or convoluted.
December 5, 2018 at 19:15
Lovely pictures! I can’t imagine how hard it is to write with everything changing like that. But it sounds extremely exciting!
December 6, 2018 at 10:34
I love my lifestyle, Tonja. And, in a way I dread having to settle for a few weeks/months to get my memoir project finished. But, the sooner I complete that, the sooner we can hit the road again.
December 5, 2018 at 19:21
Hi, Liesbet – Congratulations on getting back to your memory. I LOVE the excerpt that you have tempted us with. I cannot wait to read more!
December 6, 2018 at 10:34
Thanks, Donna. I love your excitement! I’ll try to keep that in mind as I continue this process. 🙂
December 5, 2018 at 20:22
Congrats on getting back to your memoir. Life often gets in the way of our plans, but at least you course-corrected and have returned to it now.
I haven’t been to Monterey, but it sounds lovely. I’ve visited Santa Rosa in northern California and loved it, even though it got surprisingly cold at night in the summer. Someday, I hope to go back.
December 6, 2018 at 11:28
Thanks, JH!
Northern California is colder than one might think. We spent one winter up there and were surprised about the need for heating. The following year, we spent the winter in Southern California, which was better, but still too cold for us at times. I’ve come to realize that Florida is the only state in the US where it gets warm enough for our bodies. In the south anyway.
December 5, 2018 at 20:39
I absolutely LOVE Monterey and the 17-mile drive. You’re in my old stomping ground. Beautiful country! Enjoy!
December 6, 2018 at 11:33
We love it there, Janet. So nice that you used to live there. We almost got a month-long house sit in Monterey for January, but the home owner’s condo association doesn’t allow camper vans to park there. What a bummer!
December 6, 2018 at 12:07
I never got to live IN Monterey – but grew up in the SF area and lived for a bit in the Santa Cruz mountains – both places where a day-trip could get you to Monterey. What a bummer about the camper van parking!
December 6, 2018 at 13:13
We used to love the Bay Area (it’s where my husband and I met as well), but it has gotten so busy and so expensive that we are now making a wide birth around it when driving north or south in California. Unless we want to visit friends there. And, now that we have this camper van, we are noticing all the rules that exist in California in regards to “over-sized” vehicles. I’m planning to write about this as part of a blog, one of these months. Crazy restrictions!
December 5, 2018 at 23:44
We thought about going to Monterey our first season out in the van but there was no free camping and $30 is way out of our range. But it looks wonderful – I think we need to go now.
People are all the time coming up with ideas on how we can make money on the road. They don’t understand how hard it is to work when you are traveling. That’s why for now we are regulating all the work to summer.
I have been so terribly sick sailing – I suffered sea sickness every season except that last when we broke the boat – thankfully I wasn’t sick because it took the two of us to get the boat back to safety, but it seemed such a waste not being sick because we never got to go anywhere. Our first season sailing I was sick all the time – but I didn’t want to give up (it was my dream to begin with). Dolphins always make everything better and when it is good there is nothing like it.
Congrats on getting back to the book! Enjoy your stationary life for a while!
December 6, 2018 at 11:41
If you only go to Monterey for one night, it is possible to sneak in some urban camping. The only way we could afford the $30 a night was because I was paid pretty well for this job. We wouldn’t have stayed this long otherwise.
Only when you work and travel at the same time, do you realize how hard it is. I like the way you’re doing it. You focus solely on work certain months of the year, which allows you to enjoy the other months of the year, without worrying about work.
Seasickness is awful! Being on a catamaran made it better for me, and our dogs. Dolphins never get old. I can’t get enough watching them!
Thank you for the well wishes, Duwan.
December 6, 2018 at 03:06
Loved the excerpt, Liesbet! I’m happy you’ve been able to get your focus back on the memoir. Yes, I’ve been to Monterey, it’s so gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos! Stay safe!
December 6, 2018 at 11:43
Thanks, Jill and I’m so glad you have experienced Monterey as well. For some reason that place resonates with us! I hope it’s gotten a bit warmer in your neck of the woods.
December 6, 2018 at 15:44
Sadly, no warmth…snow in the forecast for the weekend…Yuck!
December 9, 2018 at 17:03
Maybe the sun will come through the coming week, Jill! I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the last storm isn’t/wasn’t too bad.
December 6, 2018 at 04:31
I can see why you wanted to go back – beautiful area.
I imagine it’s next to impossible to focus on your own writing in the middle of all that. If you were in a regular house, there’s little to go explore, but out in your camper… too much!
December 6, 2018 at 11:44
Yep, indeed. A regular house works much better to focus and get things done! Especially the unlimited electricity and WiFi is a bonus. 🙂
December 6, 2018 at 10:06
You and Mark are amazing, Liesbet, how you make sharing space and your writing/living life work together. Seriously, you are a lucky writer. As far as paid writing jobs getting in the way of editing your memoir, you are lucky to have them so regularly. I enjoyed your excerpt from the memoir. This is going to make a great book. I’ve never been to Monterey. I wish you every blessing this holiday season.
December 6, 2018 at 11:48
Thanks for the compliments and the wishes, Victoria! I’m not a fan of the word “lucky”, though, as I feel that most of us choose their lifestyles and follow the paths that they wish to follow. In my case, if something wouldn’t work out, I’d have to change my situation. Which is something we have done often. Life is about choices, we can’t count on luck. 🙂
December 6, 2018 at 12:34
I always find it so hard to write when we’re traveling or working on the boat 🙁 I’ve never been to Monterrey, but hear great things about it. Maybe one of these days we’ll get there.
December 6, 2018 at 13:15
It is so tough to write, when your surroundings are in chaos, Ellen. I actually don’t write at all when this happens. That’s why my thousand-and-one ideas for articles and books have not made it any further than my head. 🙂 And, it’s why I could never write a book while cruising on Irie. Plus, we had other jobs back then as well.
December 6, 2018 at 14:06
Yes! I’m glad you’ll be attacking that memoir again. I’m very interested to see how it comes together. I’d wager it will be amazing (as the draft I read was outstanding).
December 9, 2018 at 16:56
Thank you so much for the compliment, Ryan! And, for the confidence…
December 6, 2018 at 14:16
So glad you found time to get out on your bikes in Monterey. It is a lovely place to peddle. I should be passing through there in a few days with a girlfriend who recently purchased a truck camper. Monterey is lovely, but I think I prefer the area around Morro Bay. Tough choice though. Enjoyed the memoir excerpt and photographs. Say hello to Mark for me and Al too!
December 9, 2018 at 17:00
Mark says “hi” back. We like the Morro Bay area as well, but never spent much time there. On our most recent drive through, we stopped to visit our friend Johnny Coconut. He is a barber at Mike’s barber shop, an institution in Morro Bay with two shops there, and one in Pismo Beach. And, recently, they have a shop in SLO as well. Enjoy Monterey and the camper trip. A truck camper is surely a runner-up for the Westy!
December 6, 2018 at 15:25
I loved exploring Monterey and I echo your sentiments about Northern California. It’s beautiful and the coastline captures my enthusiasm each and every time. Best wishes on your memoir, the little glimpse you gave was fun to read.
December 9, 2018 at 17:02
Thank you for reading and leaving another comment. I’m glad you liked the excerpt. While the main theme of my memoir is my relationship, some places had to be included and described. 🙂 You live in a wonderful part of this country!
December 6, 2018 at 16:07
Hi Liesbet – Your excerpt is tempting! I’m glad you’ve been able to return to editing your memoir. I explored Monterey and the 17-mile drive when I did a road trip along the Pacific Coast Hwy. Beautiful scenery as you’ve captured in your photos. There are several US cities that I like, I can’t name one favourite 🙂
December 9, 2018 at 17:05
I truly can’t wait to check out your Toronto, Natalie. Reading about it on your blog and knowing a few people who live there, and even more who love it there, has me excited about a future visit. I don’t have a Canadian favorite city yet, as I’ve only visited Vancouver and Victoria, which weren’t too shabby. 🙂
December 6, 2018 at 17:47
I’m impressed with how you make your situation work. Liesbet. My laptop days as a journalist-photographer were far less challenging and having an office feels like a luxury. Great photos too. Favourite US city – other than Boise, where we live – has to be New Orleans for the food and the jazz. (Montreal if we are talking about North America.)
December 9, 2018 at 17:09
While I’m familiar with New Orleans from past travels, I have not been to Boise, or Montreal. Hopefully in the near future. What is Boise famous for, other than being the capital of Idaho? (I love visiting capitol buildings, by the way. :-))
I hear you about having an office. Luxury indeed! Once we are done with our current three-week house sit in San Diego (yes, we have moved again), I’ll be without an office for a while. Not looking forward to that, unless I finish my memoir…
December 10, 2018 at 14:12
Boise is famous for great food not just Idaho potatoes bu amazing Basque food as the city/area has the largest Basque population outside the Basque Country. And there are a huge number of natural escapes in the area.
December 10, 2018 at 15:43
Sounds attractive, Roland. We will have to add it to our itinerary on our next road trip! And, I have (another) blogging friend who lives there as well.
December 10, 2018 at 15:47
I have two Boise-based blogging friends: Loni Townsend and Jeri Walker. I’d guess it might be Loni as she is a regular IWSG-er, but I could be wrong.
December 10, 2018 at 15:59
You’re wrong. 🙂 I don’t have too many IWSG blogging friends yet, but hope to improve those connections over time. The person I was referring to is Lynn from the blog Encore Voyage: https://encorevoyage.com/
December 10, 2018 at 16:13
Well, I now follow three bloggers in Boise – great recommendation for a retired couple with minimal incomes.
December 10, 2018 at 16:37
🙂 Now: back to work (writing) you and I!
December 7, 2018 at 14:55
Liesbet,
I admire your dedication to the memoir…and can appreciate how difficult it is to attend to business as well as write from the mobile environment. When we are on the boat I feel the same way, unless we are at the dock and have shore power. Then I don’t have to worry about charging the laptop, or the phones, etc. and I have reliable internet and don’t have to use the hotspot to get anything done.
I love the idea of house sitting…
Nancy
December 9, 2018 at 17:13
Hi Nancy! Thank you for swinging by and commenting! My husband and I finished an eight-year cruising adventure in the Caribbean and South Pacific on our 35ft sailing catamaran for that very reason. The constant hassle and frustration in regards to internet and power, running our Wirie business, plus the non-stop boat list and having to live our lives, sailing, household stuff, shopping, etc. was a combination that became too challenging. So, yes, house sitting was the solution for us. Until we got itchy feet again, bought a camper and lived and traveled in that for a while. Of course, with the memoir project weighing on me, that was only a temporary relief. 🙂 Now, we are back to more comfort and convenience for the time being. The pressure is on, as I’d love to hit the road again.
December 8, 2018 at 02:19
I’m glad you had some time to get a bit of editing done. Good luck moving forward, but enjoy those awesome sights, too!
December 9, 2018 at 17:18
Thanks, Shannon. It’s all about balance… If only life on the road was simple and straightforward in itself, so I could work in the mornings and explore in the afternoons. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
December 10, 2018 at 11:18
I have some normal things you’d expect in a writer’s space and some odd things, like a ceramic BB-8 coin bank, a sugar skull stress ball, an amethysts crystal, a leprechaun figurine, and sometimes a cat or two. lol
December 10, 2018 at 15:41
I could do with the stress ball, and the cats. But, my husband is allergic to them. The cats that is. 🙂 If I were to have a house/home base, my office would contain stuff like yours! Mostly souvenirs, probably.
December 11, 2018 at 17:40
Loved the photos and the excerpt! So happy you landed for awhile to be able to work on edits. They aren’t fun under the best circumstances so it’s no surprise you couldn’t work in Zesty. 🙂
December 12, 2018 at 15:21
I love it that you “get me” so well, Debby! 🙂
December 17, 2018 at 22:52
Hi Liesbet
Your excerpt was wonderful. Sorry you and the dogs were so sick.
I wish we could have gotten together while you were in Monterey. If you guys are ever back this way let me know. You have my email.
Travel safely
Laura
December 19, 2018 at 16:07
Seasickness is no fun, yet, it didn’t keep me from sailing the world for eight years. What doesn’t kill us makes us strong, right?
I’ll definitely get in touch if we happen to drive through Monterey again. One day we will, as it truly is one of my favorite places in this country, especially for long-term stays. As a matter of fact, we were close to securing a month-long house sit in January, until we learned the owner’s condo association doesn’t allow RVs to park there.
January 6, 2019 at 12:00
Liesbet, I can identify with this challenge. I travelled a lot in my last two jobs before I retired, especially the second-last one where I worked for eight years. I learned to write on airplanes, in airports, on trains, and in motel rooms. Of course, in most of those places I had one advantage over your situation – access to an electrical socket. (However, I have been seen crouching on a airport floor beside an electrical socket to charge my laptop while writing, especially in the days before charging stations were common). I also had a disadvantage; I was always trying to fit my writing in around the edges of a 10-hour work day. The life of a writer is not an easy one. There are always so many other tasks and events competing for one’s attention. So good for you for getting back to revising your memoir!
By the way, I agree with you about Monterey. I visited it a number of years ago and really liked the area.
Jude
January 8, 2019 at 13:44
Hi Jude! I’ve been thinking about this comment ever since I read it. I’m so impressed that you could pull all this off for so many years, writing while at airports and during travels. I could see the motel or hotel rooms, since these provide a level of comfort and privacy, but I’m just too tired and distracted to ever make that work. I’ll try it in the plane tomorrow, but I’m not as focused (or used to it)! We will see what happens!
And yes, writers with a full-time job (or in your case, even more than that) have an incredibly difficult time making their books happen. Especially when raising a family as well. I couldn’t even fathom how they do this!
I’m glad you like Monterey as well. I always think about the ocean, blue skies,and wildlife when I reminisce about that town. 🙂