Five Weeks and Five Days

That's how long I'm away from the classroom, from tomorrow until the first day of classes on January 24th.

I still have lots of work to do of all kinds, but I will have a delicious break. I am going away to Lake Placid Lodge for 27 hours of delicious pampering. Yes, I'm doing this all by myself, although a full pack of books will accompany me. Ken is a very grumpy traveler and is happiest at home, so I'm thankful he doesn't mind if I take this mini-retreat to Lake Placid Lodge. The "village" of Lake Placid is a major destination in the heart of an important valley within the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. It's a two-hour drive for us in winter.

My room will have a full fireplace (continuously burning), a lake and mountain view, a king-size bed, a table to write on, and much more. What do I plan to do?

Every Christmas season I enter a state of reflection. I reflect on the past year, my life present and past, my relationships, my goals. And I think about what it means to be alive, what is good, what I need, what I'm missing. I think about whom I've been neglecting and how to improve my relationships. So I will be writing, a lot.

Believe me, I enjoy doing this very, very much. I enjoy entering a state of total calm so I can think deeply. It may sound selfish, but thinking about my life and how to keep it in balance helps me be a better, stronger person and gives me the peace I need to be more caring of the people closest to me.

Books: Too many to count! And, because I'll be writing, who knows how much time I'll devote to reading? But I will bring a full bag and both my e-book readers. My laptop will accompany me, of course, and I'll have full internet access.

It's conceivable (though not entirely likely) that I'll devote 100% of my time to reading and save the reflecting for Christmas Eve day at home or the day after Christmas, who knows? Boxing Day, St. George's Day--just wish we celebrated something on the day after Christmas. In these parts, December 26 is just a huge let-down after the hubbub of Christmas.


One book on the "Maybe List." Note, I haven't read Russian Winter or Sunset Park as I thought I would this month. Not yet. But there's still time! Do any of you know Chris Bohjalian? His new book The Secrets of Eden is in my book bag from the library today. I've loved many of his books, though he deals with many difficult topics. He lives not far from here, in Vermont.