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Going back to California

Captain's Log, Stardate 05.11.2005

I am again at the airport at the end of my visit home to Hawaii. I am so sad to leave my parents and this relaxing time of vacation. I read almost all the books I brought with me and spent time around the island doing research for my Hawaii Chicklit. I wish I had more time to drive around more and do more research. But maybe it's better if I spend more time brainstorming so that my research will be more focused.

I went to the Wahiawa Botanical Gardens for the first time since I was young, and it was neat to see the different native plants that my paternal grandpa had helped to cultivate. He worked in the Gardens in the late 50's. I also came up with some story ideas from the trip.

I visited both the Mililani Cemetery and the Wahiawa Hongwanji temple to not only be a dutiful daughter and visit my relatives' graves, but also to take pictures for research. The Hongwanji visit was mostly to confirm how I'd described it in my suspense ms, although I might use it in the Hawaii wip too.

Mom drove me to the North Shore today, down Mokuleia side to see if I could find the set of the TV show "Lost." I didn't see much besides a stretch of beach that could have been it. I'm assuming they took the props with them when they finished filming the season. But the trip gave me a better idea of the area, since I might use that as the setting for my fictional resort, which I think I'll name after my cousin's daughter: Anuheia. I'll have to figure out what that means! LOL

I'm so unhappy at the prospect of going back to work. This vacation was supposed to help me feel refreshed, but I'm only depressed that I'm not free to spend more time here in Hawaii, building my manuscript world. Lord God, please help me to feel content with where You have put me for now. Please speak to me clearly if You will allow me to quit and write full-time.

I am really looking forward to seeing my husband again, and my dog. Mom and Dad hope my husband will come with me next time. However, he won't have missed too much because I'm bringing home portuguese sausage, huli-huli chicken, and kalbi--all frozen and packed in a styrofoam container for the trip in baggage.

Writing: Creatively, this has been a very productive time. I brainstormed a brand-new short story, and I have lots of ideas for my wip. The relaxing time helped free my right-brain activity, I guess. Maybe I'll spend some time in the air on my writing. I didn't actually write much during this vacation, but the ideas have been flowing.

Diet: I actually ran on my parents' treadmill twice this weekend. I don't think it negated the amount of rich food consumed, but I feel slightly less guilty.

Comments

Pammer said…
I am so glad that you got some good pics and even better ideas. You are an awesome writer. I will be praying for you and your wish to stay at home and write full time. (I pray for the same thing.) (((((((Camy)))))))YOu could, um, share some of those pictures. :0D
Love yas! Pammer

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