Seattle Girl on Cape Cod: A Room of One's Own and other BIG NEWS...

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write...”—A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolfe

I finally did it. I got a 'A Room of One's Own' in December. I invested in myself. This may not sound like much, but it was huge for me. I have spent quite a bit of time getting the atmosphere just right. I've added plants, a sofa, a rug, etc. 

My Room of One's Own....

I found most of the furniture on Facebook Marketplace. I got a mid century sofa bed for $50, a huge Monstera plant and a bunch of other plants for $50. I also got these items for free: an accent chair, side tables and a gorgeous Moroccan mirror. The owners of the space I'm renting gave me a desk, office chair and two beautiful plants for free too.

Gorgeous sunset tonight from my Writer's Room

The office space I'm renting is 5 minutes from my home. It's an oasis of peace. As I sit here on the second floor in my heated room, I hear an owl hooting outside my window. I think I'm the only one here at 8:30pm on a Thursday. Most of the people in my office building are therapists and there is one real estate broker who is never here. This is interesting because I always thought that if I were to ever choose a different career for myself, it would be counseling.

 Earlier today, I treated myself to a foot massage and pedicure at a nail salon in my complex which consists of about 7 buildings total in a square around a large parking lot. The buildings are very aesthetically pleasing, with little houses attached together and set back from historical Route 6A. Besides the nail salon, there's also a day spa and a hair salon. I know, I know, it seems that I'm avoiding the actual work I set out to do here. And what is that work, you ask?

Well, I really needed a private space to myself to teach my college classes, online intuitive classes and I needed a place to offer psychic readings and finish my next book. For nearly three years, I've been teaching and offering classes in my bedroom on the Cape and while this seemed to work out okay when we were renting a big house in Eastham, it's been more challenging since we bought and moved to a one-bedroom condo. The space where I did all my college classes and tried to write was at the foot of the bed and my writer's chair and desk were often strewn with clothing, books, boxes, etc. I had to constantly push things aside to make space for my work and I was also sharing that space with Scott.

So this is a big move for me. The owners gave me all of December for free, so I don't feel guilty yet for not having done too much. I've spent most of the month just getting organized! I still have boxes of my journals and other writing material in the storage area of our condo. I need to get these things organized in my office and come up with a writing schedule.

I know I'm going to teach my college classes and hunker down and write this winter, but I'm also ITCHING to travel. Winter can be bitter cold and windy on Cape Cod. It's a bit daunting to think that I'm going to lock myself up here to write when I really feel like running away to a tropical location and enjoying. 

To stay active, I wake up at 7am and walk with my friends Christine and Katie and often go to yoga after our walk. If I miss walking at 7am, I try and walk at some point in the day. I find this is really important when the days are dark and cold.

In other BIG news, on November 5th, Scott reached into his backpack and pulled out a tiny box and said, "Should I get down on one knee or something?" Oh.My.Lord. I opened the box and inside was a tiny, silver filagree ring with a tiny turquoise stone that he chose himself. A promise ring. He asked me to marry him! We've talked about it a handful of times, but this was a surprise. I said YES! We've had an amazing almost seven years of love, joy and adventures as well as challenges that we've had to navigate, as every couple does. I feel like we've navigated the challenges quite well and are both emotionally intelligent enough to work together in finding solutions to those challenges. I feel good and excited about all the love and adventures to come!

With my sweet man on Christmas on Chapin Beach Cape Cod. Baby, it's cold outside!

 Now the daunting task of planning a wedding in the fall. It all seems so overwhelming that maybe we'll just elope? Not sure yet?

Also, this summer we plan to go to Europe. We can rent our Cape place out for quite a nice sum of money, so we've decided to travel. There's also those plans to figure out. By this summer, I'll be ready to travel again.

I have so many things I want to do that I'm finding it hard to focus and prioritize. I feel like sometimes I just want to soak up everything life has to offer and life has a lot to offer. I like to imagine and create. I am so happy I have a place to do that now. This place is quiet, cozy, warm, comfortable and very conducive to work. It's a writer's dream! Please send good juju so I can do something with this new investment and get the next book done!! It's been a long time and I'd like it to happen....

Here I go.....