Overpacked but Inspired: A Writer’s Travel Diary 🧳

How a road trip turned into a crash course in minimalism (and creativity!)

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! I’m currently tucked away in the quiet area of the hotel lobby, working on Dating Die-Sasters, socializing, writing this post, and waiting for my friend to return from the conference. Today is the last day, and the International Speech Contest is about to begin. I’m not in there—and honestly, I’m okay with that.

Being able to travel and work on my books has been such a gift! This trip even doubled as research—I’ve decided my Gargoyle/Grotesque story will be set in Philadelphia.

Our next stop? The Dismal Swamp. We’re leaving Philly in a few hours for Virginia, where we’ll explore the swamp, check out the city, and take plenty of photos. I’m toying with the idea of scattering some of those photos throughout my book—what do you think? Should I do it?

After Virginia, we’re heading to Waynesville, NC, to soak in the vibe for my upcoming Hobgoblin book, and then it’s back home to Tennessee.

One big lesson from this trip: I really need to master the art of condensed packing. Just because we drove doesn’t mean I needed to bring half my closet! Going forward, I’m going to pack for driving trips as if I were flying. And for both short and long trips, I want to strike the perfect balance: comfortable, fun, and professional—especially with some author events coming up.

Oh, and since I plan to travel overseas one day, I’d better get this packing thing figured out soon. Spoiler alert: I’m currently failing at it.

Back to the trip—most people I’ve met have been wonderful. Hotel guests ranged from cordial to super chatty. The staff? Hit or miss. The room attendants were fantastic, but only two bellhops were nice—one was flat-out rude. After we checked out so we could pack the car, I planned to leave my laptop and tablet with the front desk while I ran across to Reading Terminal Market for fruit and breakfast. Apparently, that was too much to ask. Between the front desk and one particularly cranky bellhop, the response was… less than friendly. So, I skipped it, parked myself in the quiet area, and later had a friend watch my stuff for a quick dash to the market.

Guess hospitality isn’t Hotel 101 anymore. Oh well—we’re heading to Virginia soon, and I’m ready for the next adventure!

To my readers, the wonderful people I met, and my fellow Leo (you know who you are): Have a fabulous weekend filled with hugs, love, laughter, and blessings. And remember—live your best life today!

Later! 👋