Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. In addition, at the end of the blog, I’ll keep a running itinerary of our travel plans. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. San Diego has been great fun so far. We’ve visited the botanic gardens for the annual Lightscape display, biked around Coronado with a college friend, had dinner at Torrey Pines, and spent the weekend with R.J., Nick, and Leslie. Still up, the San Diego Zoo, La Jolla, some tide pool exploration, the aquarium, the wildlife preserve, and another trip to Balboa Park!

2. There’s this cute little hummingbird that visits a nearby bush every morning, and I am fascinated by her. Because of my tiny new avian friend, I went down the internet rabbit hole and learned all kinds of interesting things about hummingbirds like the fact that their miniature wings beat more than fifty times per second and they can fly over 30 mph. They have to feed every fifteen minutes or so to support their super high metabolism, and they’re partial to nectar and sugar. Also, they use spider webs as a nest-making material along with moss and lichen. You’re welcome!

3. At a yoga class the other day, the instructor shared a quote that went something like this: Transcendence occurs when half the time you are reaching up and half the time you are letting go. I interpreted these words to mean it’s important to find the right balance between striving and not becoming overly attached to the outcome of that striving. I constantly have to remind myself of this because many, many things in the writing and publishing industry are out of my control. Simply put, I can write a book, but I can’t make people read it. As this new year gets underway, I’m aiming for the right balance between reaching up and letting go.

4. In support of the rather aggressive writing goals I’ve set for myself this year, I’ve implemented daily writing sprints, and they really work for me. Here’s a tip for any new writers out there: Shut off the internet and eliminate potential distractions, then set a timer for thirty minutes. Write until time’s up and take a break. Rinse, repeat. It’s a pretty effective method for reaching your daily word count.

5. "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our itinerary, subject to change:

January 3 - February 2: Chula Vista, CA

February 2 - 16: Palm Springs, CA

February 16 - March 1: Las Vegas, NV

March 1 - March 4: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 4 - 8: Albuquerque, NM

March 10 - 17: Austin, TX

March 18 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

April 19 - 24: Ozarks, AK

April 24 - 28: Topeka, KS

April 24 - May 12: Kansas City, MO

May 12 - 24: Chicago, IL

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien