Five Things - November 18, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. I’m also starting a daily meditation practice. I’ll be using a quote I find meaningful as a point of focus for the week, and I’ll share as the first item on the list. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things, starting with the quote of the week…

1. “All forms of heartbreak, loss, or defeat will require you to embrace a temporary state of uncertainty if you want to someday move forward effectively. Because it is within the unknown where you will find the clarity to rebuild. Pay attention to who or what helps you feel grounded whenever you are overcome with feelings of fear and doubt, then, make those elements your primary focus and watch as your life naturally begins to sort itself out.” - Kyle Creek

2. Ray and I both need a travel break for a little while, and I’m ready to settle into our winter space. I’ve already found a great yoga studio, the best local grocery store, and a good hair stylist. I’m joining a book club while we’re here, and I’m planning lunch dates with some new friends. Ray found us a great acupuncturist, and my body is so grateful! While we aren’t ready for a permanent home yet, we think taking a little down time for the next few winters will strike the right balance between adventure and rest.

3. There’s still a lot to do before wrapping up the semester for winter break, but I feel so satisfied with what I’ve accomplished and learned already. I’m currently workshopping a mystery story, which is way out of my comfort zone. The inspiration for this particular story came from a couple of places. First, I’ve been obsessed with the Lizzie Borden case since I visited the museum a few years ago. There was a particular legal element in the case that stuck with me. I won’t say, because it directly inspired my story, and no spoilers, but if you ever have a chance to visit the museum, I highly recommend it. Another piece of inspiration was a graphic on social media that said, “They didn’t burn witches, they burned women.” Growing up in New England, and having taken many a field trip to Salem, MA, this resonated. The Lizzie Borden case and the Salem witch trials took place almost exactly two centuries apart, so I had to pick a time period and focus on getting the details right. I chose Salem twenty-five years after the trials, and it’s been really interesting to take a deep dive into the research. As soon as I work through edits, I’ll find a way to share my story with anyone who’s interested.

4. I am so grateful that the art I am so passionate about has become my life’s work, but a funny thing happens when your art becomes your work. Well, it’s work. I’m not complaining, and I wouldn’t change a thing, but I do miss having something creative in my life that I do just for the joy of it. To that end, I’m planning to sign up for a glass art class. It doesn’t start until the new year, but I’m really excited. I’ll let you know how it goes.

5. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. The unique thing about Thanksgiving, as far as holidays go, is that it’s only about food, friends, and family, and our gratitude for those things. There is no other agenda – no gifts to buy, no atonements to make, no goals to set. Just a gathering around a table. I hope you all find joy and peace around your table next week. Happy Thanksgiving!

Five Things - September 9, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. You may remember that I had to write a short story to workshop at residency for grad school this summer? I ended up crafting a flash fiction horror piece titled “Monster,” a modern day Frankenstein tale with an AI twist. While I’ve written and sold two horror stories in the past, this is not a genre I gravitate towards, and I've never tried to write flash fiction before (a short story under 1000 words). Well, I’m excited to report that Tales to Terrify acquired this awful little gem, and it will feature on their podcast sometime in the next couple of months! I’ll include a link here when it’s out. If you’d like to have a listen to my other horror stories, you can find them here: Goodbye, Charlie (story begins at 18:40), and Lady in Blue (story begins at 16:39).

2. Fall is in the air! My alter ego discussed my feelings on apple pie, pumpkin spice, and productivity on the ‘Dear Maggie’ blog. You can read that post here: It’s Pumpkin Spice Season!. In summary, fall is my most productive writing time, and it’s a good thing because grad school is a lot of work. Of course it is. It’s grad school. But I am no longer a spring chicken, and doing homework late into the night is a thing of the past, so I’ve been even more obsessive about planning my time. The calendar, notebooks, and to-do lists are back in full force! Those who know me understand I live and die by my organizational system, but truly this keeps me sane.

3. One thing, among many, that I love about my work life is the flexibility. I can plan my days and weeks around my personal rhythm to maximize productivity. The downside to this is that sometimes I don’t totally step away for weeks. As this semester kicks into high gear, I’ve committed to taking at least one full day a week completely off from work, school, and all writing related things. Ray and I are back on the road, and there’s so much to see! When we started this journey, we’d rock into town, make a list of all the things we wanted to do, along with the things we needed to accomplish that week, and make a plan. Well, we’re back to that strategy. Last week, we spent a whole day at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, reading in our beach chairs and wandering the boardwalk. This week, we’ve already got tickets to the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian in DC, and reservations at one of our favorite restaurants in Georgetown. Next stop after this, Kentucky and Nashville!

4. Last week was our 31st wedding anniversary! Yes, you read that right. 31 years! We spent it on the beach and enjoyed a relaxing day together (that day off I mentioned above). People ask how we’re doing now that we essentially live in a tiny, mobile home as big as the bedroom in our last house. My reply is that we are having a blast! I feel incredibly grateful to be on this journey, not just the one in the RV but the one through life, with my best friend, partner in crime, and biggest fan. We look back on what we’ve accomplished together and feel gratified. We look ahead at the future we’re building and feel excited. Mostly, though, we look at each other and know we are with the person we want to be with most in the world.

5. “I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Five Things - July 30, 2024

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

So here are this week’s five things…

1. You may have noticed you’re receiving this on a Tuesday instead of Monday. It's been more and more challenging for me to get my Monday blogs up on time due to my school schedule and the fact that Monday’s are often travel days for us. With that in mind, I’m experimenting with posting on Tuesdays for the third quarter of 2024. We’ll see how it goes!

2. I’m back from my residency, and wow, it was everything I could have imagined and more! Our cohort is just an amazing group of people. We bonded quickly and spent nearly every waking moment together. The class workshops were positive, productive, and supportive. It was like having your best beta readers, who care deeply about you and your work, live with you for a week. I’ve never formally workshopped my writing before, and with this group, it was a fantastic experience. The rest of our days were filled with craft talks offered by the graduating class, readings from their theses, and faculty craft talks, which were superb. It was a lot of work, but so satisfying. I feel confident I made the right choice with this program. We all have a couple of weeks off before the more intense fall semester begins, so I may just sleep for a few days straight!

3. “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” - Brene Brown

4. I’m on a cleaning spree. While we’re stationary for a while, I have a list of all the cabinets, drawers, and storage spaces that needs sorting. Since I packed nearly everything I own for my trip to Colorado, unpacking provided the perfect opportunity to tackle the first project. I cleaned my clothes closets and drawers and produced a giant garbage bag full of stuff to donate. I don’t know how things accumulate so quickly, but living in such a small space, there’s only so much that can fit. My remaining clothes are now sorted by type of clothing and color, and it makes my little OCD heart very happy.

5. Sometimes, I forget what airport I’m flying into. It’s a strange phenomenon. Although I am going home, our home isn’t stationary. I remember when we started this journey, we marveled that when we shut the shades at night and our pets curled up on the bed with us, no matter where we were in the country, we were home. Being back in Rhode Island, where we actually owned a home for decades, I wondered if we would feel differently. I am pleased to say our tiny, mobile home still feels like home!

Five Things - June 3, 2024

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

So here are this week’s five things…

1. Dallas Fan Expo is right around the corner! In fact, I’m sorting through my table swag as we speak. Since we’ve been on the road, I haven’t attended nearly as many in-person book singings or events as I have in years’ past, so I’m really looking forward to hanging out with my fellow science fiction and fantasy writer pals, meeting new fans, and otherwise soaking up the atmosphere unique to Comic Cons. I’ll be moderating a panel on Saturday at 11 am titled, “A Hero, an Antihero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar,’ where we’ll have a lively discussion on character development. If you’re in the Dallas area June 7-9, come say hello!

2. School started last week! Our first class mostly focused on reviewing the course syllabus, meeting classmates, and navigating our way around the technology we’ll be using for the following few years. Nonetheless, it’s happening! I’m really back in school, and I love it already!

3. You may have noticed I’ve stopped posting our travel schedule at the end of each blog. Lately, we’ve been taking shorter hops as we trek back east, and we’ve also had to be a little more flexible with our plans. It got to be too complicated and time consuming to update the schedule here, however, I can share our general plan along with a few of our longer stops over the coming months. We’re here in Columbus, Ohio until June 14th. We hop around New England for a bit, then spend July 2-10 in Portland, ME before setting up camp in Rhode Island for the rest of the summer. I’ll be flying out to residency in Colorado from RI at the end of July. Looks like a fun summer!

4. For the first time in our travels, I had a small melt-down when we pulled into a site. It had been raining, our plans had to change last minute due to some necessary repair work on the RV, and I’d been driving more than not for a few consecutive days. Exhaustion won out and I had a good cry in the middle of setting up. I’m pleased to report, the cry was cathartic and the feeling passed quickly.

5. We’ve seen and done some amazing things while on the road. We’ve explored National Parks, visited small towns and big cities, muddied up our Jeep off-roading, and so much more. Missing our Rhode Island community has been one of the only difficult things about our nomadic life, but we’ve also been able to spend time with family and friends around the country that we might not have had a chance to see otherwise. In Kansas City we watched a Royals game with a long time work friend, and I got to hang out with writers I’d met years ago at my very first World Con. In Wisconsin, we barbecued with friends who we’d previously known only virtually. In Ohio, we’ve been spending time with family, and Daisy dog is even having a sleep-over at a cousin’s house due to some complicated work travel for Ray and me. We’re making the most of our time, for sure, even as we miss our beloved RI community.

Five Things - May 6, 2024

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

So here are this week’s five things…

1. My first semester of school starts next month! It’s the summer semester, which includes residency, and I’ve registered for my classes, paid my tuition bill, and booked my travel plans. Grad school has been a long time coming, and I can’t wait to get started!

2. I had to get a new laptop last week. The screen on my old one wasn’t behaving and the battery wouldn’t hold a full charge, all signs of imminent failure. I didn’t want to wait until the last minute, but never in my experience purchasing and setting up new laptops has the process ever gone smoothly. Usually, I get home thinking I’ve asked the Genius Bar guy all my questions, but then it turns out my office suite is outdated and my spreadsheets look like gibberish, or my calendar events aren’t showing up, or my contacts won’t synch, or a whole bunch of files are hiding somewhere and I can’t find them, or every single application is logged out. I may sound a bit jaded, but after hours in the store, I’ve never come home and had a smooth transition. Well, I am pleased to report, I approached this mission with a very detailed list of ALL POSSIBLE PROBLEMS, and now everything works. I’m almost afraid to say it aloud for fear the laptop gremlins will hear, but it's true. All is well in my tech world, at least for now.

3. We’re leaving Kansas City today, and it was definitely a fun stay! We caught a Royals game with a good friend of ours, and when Ray had to travel for work, I convinced my bestie to get a last minute plane ticket and come explore KC with me. Per usual, we had a great time. We ate some delish barbecue, found a great yoga studio, and binge watched Netflix. A writer friend of mine lives here, and he took us to his favorite spot, a really cool Irish pub with live music. We also crashed his weekly writer’s group gathering, after which we ended up closing down another bar. Kansas City is the site of the very first World Con I ever attended, so I have a soft spot for this city, and it didn’t disappoint!

4. A not so fun thing about the midwest – tornadoes. They’ve been touching down all around us. We left Nebraska just a day before a big one hit a few miles from where we’d been staying, and we’re heading into more unsettled weather. In these places, we have our animal carriers out and ready, we’ve located the storm shelter, and we keep the stuff we need for a quick exit all in one place. Hopefully, we won’t actually have to make a run for it in the middle of the night with four cats and a dog, but you never know!

5. If you are in the Dallas area, I’ll be signing books all weekend at Dallas Fan Expo June 7-9 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. I’ll post my full schedule soon, and maybe I’ll see you there!

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

Five Things - April 22, 2024

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

So here are this week’s five things…

1. You may notice that this week’s blog doesn’t show our itinerary. As we head east for the summer, and then cross back to the west coast for the holidays, we plan to be a little more fluid with our travel plans. I’ll be starting school and will need time to work, we have some repairs scheduled for our moving house, and in general, we’re more comfortable being flexible.

2. Arkansas was much prettier than I expected! Rolling hills, green fields, flowering trees, and of course, the Ozark lakes. We spent a week at Table Rock Lake on the Arkansas side, and it was lovely. Definitely a place we’d vacation, but it was a bit isolated for us while we were trying to live our day-to-day lives. The nearest ‘town,’ and I use the term generously, was about forty minutes away, so it was a challenge to grocery shop, exercise, or pretty much do anything besides work and enjoy the scenery. Like I said, lovely if we were vacationing, but a long week otherwise.

3. Over the last few days, we’ve stopped in Arkansas, Kansas, and Nebraska, and now we’re heading to Kansas City, MO for a few weeks. My thoughts on middle America - there are a lot of cows and fields. A lot. However, I’ve been to KC a few times for book events, and Ray and I have a good friend who lives there, so I remember enjoying the city quite a bit. We have dinner plans, a date to watch the Royals play, and I’ve already found a yoga studio and a hair salon I’m hoping to hit up. It seems I’m more of a city mouse at heart!

4. Last week was my orientation for grad school. It was great to have everyone from the program in the same room, virtually of course, and hear from instructors and students alike. I’ve already made my travel plans for residency this summer and set up my school email account. It’s starting to feel real! I suppose when we write out that first tuition check, it’ll feel even more real, LOL.

5. Wind is my driving nemesis. I am comfortable driving this beast in rain or snow, over tight mountain passes, and up and down hills, but the wind is a challenge. As I write this post and get ready to pack up for our trek to Kansas City, the breeze is blowing. Yikes! She handles well, and I know intellectually that a good gust won’t blow us off the road, but it’s still really nerve-wracking. Wish me luck!

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

Five Things - April 8, 2024

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. We’re here in Fredericksburg, Texas for the eclipse, and it’s pretty cloudy. There are still a few hours before the moon starts inching its way across the sun, so I’m hopeful for better visibility. Fingers crossed!

2. At the end of the week, we’ll be heading out of Texas to finish our trek northeast on our way to New England. I’m excited to explore parts of the country we didn’t get to the last time we crossed the continent. Next week, the Ozarks!

3. I can’t believe the first quarter of the year is behind us already. At the start of each new quarter, I review my intentions and goals for the year, evaluate, and refine the specifics for the next few months. Much of my professional focus for the year so far has been on building my alter-ego Maggie Clare’s brand and finishing the final three books of a seven book romantic suspense series I started working on during COVID. I still need to be pretty aggressive with my writing schedule, but I’m pleased with my progress so far. Tomorrow, subscriber’s to Maggie’s newsletter will get a sneak peek at the opening chapter for one of those books. If the steamy stuff is your jam, you can follow me at msmaggieclare.com. My blog ‘Dear Maggie’ runs on alternate Mondays and is a fun, playful Q&A where I answer everything from why Maggie Clare is my pen name, to my favorite book boyfriends, to how I feel about bad reviews. Have a look!

4. My first summer session of grad school is just around the corner! I have a new student virtual orientation next week, and pretty soon I’ll be booking my flight to Colorado for the residency. It’s starting to feel real!

5. Dallas Fan Expo is also just around the corner. I’ll be there from June 7-9 with a few of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy author pals signing books and otherwise making mischief. Stay tuned for more intel on our panel schedule and booth location. If you are in the Dallas area, please stop by and say hello!

Five Things - February 12, 2024

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. We’re in Palm Springs now, and wow this place is pretty! It’s mostly desert, but snow capped mountains ring the low, flat, sandy terrain, and the sky is just the brightest blue. Our National Park tour continued with a visit to Joshua Tree, and per usual, we were in awe. We’re only here for another week, and Ray is traveling for most of it, so we’re definitely planning a return trip!

2. Did I mention my husband is traveling this week, so I will be all alone for Valentine’s Day? Please send pity and chocolate.

3. It’s birthday season in our family, which is always fun, although I don’t think we’ll see any of the kids on their actual birthdays this year. Noah, kid #2 just turned 26, which is significant as this is the age when he gets kicked off our insurance policy. Adulting, as they are all learning, is sometimes not as much fun as it should be.

4. However, one of the really fun things about having adult children is watching them pursue their passions and become these really cool, interesting people. Noah, the kid referenced above, is a stand-up comedian and writer. He was invited to perform at SXSW in Austin, Texas this March, and we’ve rerouted our trip to be there for the festival. So excited!

5. I have another ‘sip and sprint’ virtual meet up tonight, and I’m really looking forward to it. As I explained on my last post, the idea behind a writing sprint is to block out any distractions and then write as much as you can in a short amount of time, which is how I’ve been structuring my writing time lately. I’m making good progress, but this kind of group enthusiasm, accountability, and encouragement is something I’ve missed since we’ve been on the road. These little get togethers with my future classmates also make grad school feel real. Just a few more months…

Our itinerary, subject to change:

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 8 - 23: Chicago, IL

May 23 -28: Wisconsin Dells, WI

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

Five Things - December 18, 2023

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. As 2023 draws to a close, it’s part of my practice to conduct a personal and professional year-end review. This particular year was unique. It was hard to know how to set goals, or even what realistic goals would look like, when our lifestyle was changing so dramatically. Would I still be productive during my favorite writing seasons? Would I manage to find a rhythm to my life and my work? Would I accomplish as much professionally as I hoped? Would I say the heck with it all, I’m going off the grid entirely and moving to the Colorado wilderness? Turns out, I’m not going off the grid, but I will be heading to Colorado this summer to start grad school. With so much uncertainty going into the year, asking whether or not I achieved my goals for 2023 doesn’t feel like the right question. I definitely didn’t write as much as I’d hoped, but I’d prefer to focus on the things I did accomplish and the amazing things we did experience this year. So, here are the top-three achievements for my professional highlight reel…

   • Dreamwalker went out on submission with my agent. No results yet, but in my professional career, this is the project that earned me an agent, and it’s the first time I’ve wanted to pursue a traditional publishing deal.

   • For the first time, I have several writing projects in process all at once. I’m in the middle of writing a fantasy novel (with dragons!), and in the middle of finishing the last three books in my alter ego Maggie Clare’s romantic suspense series. So, my accomplishment this year is that I have three half-finished books in my document files!

   • I was accepted into graduate school. I’ve been circling the idea for a long while, and this year, I applied, paid my deposit, and set up my school account and email. I’m really excited to be part of an academic community again, and I can’t wait to get started.

2. I’m in the process of sorting pictures from the past year to make a memory photo book. As I go through them all, I realize how much we’ve seen and done in 2023. This lifestyle has afforded us the opportunity to experience, in one year, things that might have taken a lifetime. We’ve stayed in twenty states, visited nine national parks, dropped anchor in big cities from New Orleans to Albuquerque to Portland, and found tiny little towns we’d never have discovered otherwise. This highlight reel is too big for a post, but I’ve documented much of it in pictures, and it’s been fun to look through them all and remember.

3. The holidays are a little different on the road. For many years, we mostly hosted events at our home in RI, and we loved it. This year, we went out to dinner for Thanksgiving, and for Christmas, we’ve rented an AirBnB so our family can gather. This way of celebrating feels temporary, until our children begin to establish traditions of their own, but we’ll be together nonetheless. We’re taking dad to see the Star Wars exhibit in Disney, watching a local production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ on Christmas Eve, and cooking a meal together on Christmas day. The sun is shining, and it’s pretty warm outside, so that’s a little different, but enjoying each other’s company and celebrating together is what really matters, even if we’re outside barbecuing in December!

4. As the sun sets on 2023, and Ray and I reflect on our first year as nomads, we both agree that despite where we are in the country, we do have a home, we simply bring it with us. We’ve also realized our home is more than our physical space, although we were surprised at how quickly we made that our own… Home is being with each other and having our fur babies with us. It’s our little routines, like morning coffee outside under the awning, cooking dinner together, and planning our calendar together. It’s sharing this adventure every day with the person you love.

5. “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” ― T.S. Eliot

Our itinerary, subject to change:

November 19 - January 3, 2024: Orangeland Park, CA

January 3 - February 2: Chula Vista, CA

February 2 - 16: Palm Springs, CA

February 16 - March 1: Las Vegas, NV

March 1 - March 5: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 5 - 15: Albuquerque, NM

March 15 - 17: Amarillo, TX

March 17 - 24: Oklahoma City, OK

March 24 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

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

Five Things - November 20, 2023

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. I was accepted to grad school! After the fiasco with my missing transcripts, I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but everything turned out fine. The MFA program is two years and three summers. I’ll start in June with the summer session and a July residency in Colorado, which is not a bad place to be for a week or two in the summer! I’ve been asked why I decided to go back to school when I’m already smack in the middle of my writing career. Here’s what I wrote as part of my personal statement on my application…

   The purest answer is that I love to learn. I love to surround myself with smart, creative, driven people who help me stretch, and it’s time for me to stretch as a writer. This program will allow me to focus on genre fiction and will help support the career I’m already building, while at the same time challenging me to grow artistically and professionally. I’m truly excited to learn in an academic setting once again. I’d also like the option to teach at the college level, and an advanced degree will allow me to do so. As much as I love the freedom and creativity that being a novelist allows, I thrive in a community and I miss teaching. 

   I’ve circled the idea of earning an advanced degree for years, and the timing finally feels right. While this may seem counter-intuitive considering we are nomads at the moment, we actually have a great Wi-Fi system on board, and both my husband and I are committed to our careers even as we enjoy our unconventional lifestyle. I very much look forward to the years of creativity, learning, and professional development this program will undoubtably offer.

2. We’re in Orange California for the holidays! When we started our journey from Rhode Island just after the holidays last year, we couldn’t imagine how much we’d see and do in a year and just how fast the time would fly. We’re really excited to be in SoCal as three of our four kids live here. Just being able to grab dinner or take someone shopping or let our dogs play together is such a pleasure. We look forward to settling in for the season!

3. Amy and I are back on a roll with the Author’s Buzz podcast. If you’re a new writer looking for advice on how to navigate the publishing industry, have a listen to our latest episode: Publishing Pathways. As always, we keep it real!

4. This Thanksgiving week, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the past year. It was a year of big changes for us. We sold our home, along with pretty much everything else we owned, and embarked on a grand adventure to see the country. And what a grand adventure it has been! I’ll share more thoughts on that soon, but as this holiday of giving thanks approaches, I’m immensely grateful for the important things like our family and friends, our good health, and the good fortune we have to enjoy this unconventional lifestyle. What I’ve also realized along the way is how little we truly need, not just to survive, but to thrive. Our living space is about 1/10th the size of the home we sold. We share one car, a Jeep that also doubles as our garage to store beach chairs, golf clubs, and yoga mats. We sleep in a comfy bed, and we have all the amenities of a luxury hotel in what is essentially an oversized bus. We eat well. We have our beloved animals with us everywhere we go. In many ways, it’s a simpler life than the one with the big house and the fancy cars, but it’s no less rich, and I am grateful for the experience. I recognize even with this simpler version of things, we have more than many people on the planet, and I don’t forget that. So, as I write this post on the Monday of Thanksgiving week, I feel grateful, and I’m going to hold that attitude of gratitude for as long as I can!

5. “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ― Epicurus

Our itinerary, subject to change:

November 19 - January 3, 2024: Orangeland Park, CA

January 3 - 14: Oceanside, CA

January 19 - February 2: San Diego, CA

February 2 - 16: Palm Springs, CA

February 16 - March 1: Las Vegas, NV

March 1 - March 5: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 5 - 15: Albuquerque, NM

March 15 - 17: Amarillo, TX

March 17 - 24: Oklahoma City, OK

March 24 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

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

Five Things - September 25, 2023

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. Our wine fridge holds TWO cases of wine and still has room for seltzers, beer, and other miscellaneous beverages. Who knew?

2. Being in the same time zone as our kids is really nice. RJ is studying abroad in London at the moment, so he’s difficult to reach with any regularity, but the other three are all in the Pacific Time Zone.

3. This is our last week in Santa Barbara, and I’m really going to miss it, but I’m excited to head north and spend time in Portland, Oregon where our daughter is a sophomore in college. If you’re keeping track of our travels, the list below has been updated significantly, so check it out.

4. Last post I mentioned I’d applied to graduate school. If any of you read my alter-ego’s blog, DEAR MAGGIE, you’ll have heard that my undergraduate college can’t find my transcripts. Apparently, when they digitized all the records years ago, mine never made it, and the paper copies are long gone. It’s like I never went to school. The registrars are sorting it out, but I feel like an accidental Mike Ross, minus the eidetic memory skills. It’s odd to think there’s no official record of all my work. I’m sure there is some lesson here on letting go, but I’m not sure exactly what it is. Anyway, an update… Boston University School of Medicine (yes, I attended medical school for a year back in 1998) has my basic record on file, which includes my final grades from both Holy Cross (my undergrad) and Providence College (where I did my pre-med work), so hopefully this will be enough to satisfy the grad school admissions board. Fingers crossed!

5. On Wednesday, October 18th I’ll be teaching a 90 minute webinar through the ARIA Writing Academy titled “Kick Your Scene into Action.” You can follow this LINK to learn more.

Our itinerary subject to change…

September 5 - October 1: Santa Barbara, CA

October 1 - 9: San Francisco, CA

October 9 - 30: Portland, OR

October 30 - November 12: Seattle, WA

November 12 - 19: Travel to Orange, CA

January 3, 2024: Orangeland Park, CA

January 3 - 14: Oceanside, CA

January 19 - February 2: San Diego, CA

February 2 - 16: Palm Springs, CA

February 16 - March 1: Las Vegas, NV

March 1 - March 5: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 5 - 15: Albuquerque, NM

March 15 - 17: Amarillo, TX

March 17 - 24: Oklahoma City, OK

March 24 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

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

Five Things - September 11, 2023

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. I missed last week’s post because it was WEDDING WEEKEND! Our oldest son legally married his beautiful wife last year as he was active duty in the Navy and it just made sense for them, but this was the big celebration with friends and family. It was absolutely magical, and I think we are all still basking in happiness.

2. We’ve landed in Santa Barbara for the month of September, and I love, love, love it here. It’s got a SoCal vibe without that frenetic LA energy. When I was younger, I desperately wanted to live in LA, but now I’m finding it just a little too fast-paced. Then I read that line and think, ugh, I sound old. Whatever. I’m soaking up the sun here in the mid-coast, recovering from the epic party that was our son and daughter-in-law’s wedding celebration, and trying to write a few decent words for my latest novel. Also, my sister and brother-in-law spend the month of September nearby in Carpinteria so I get to hang out with them pretty regularly. I’m definitely in my happy place!

3. It’s official – I’ve applied to graduate school. There’s an MFA program at Western Colorado University focused on genre fiction, screen-writing, and publishing that I’ve been circling for years, and I’ve finally decided to go for it. I needed a program that wouldn’t derail my writing and publishing career, but rather support it, and this one is perfect. Fingers crossed!

4. Our sweet Milo has the beginnings of cat dementia. After a thorough vet visit and lots of reading on the internet, her night howling and confused wanderings make more sense to us. I’ve just ordered a cat diffuser, night light, and found a ‘pet spa’ soothing station on Pandora. She’s also got some good drugs for those nights when she really can’t settle. It breaks my heart to see her so upset, but she’s still the sweetest girl and we’ll do our best to keep her feeling safe and secure.

5. “If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” - Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 2002

Our itinerary, subject to change…

September 5 - October 1: Santa Barbara, CA

October 1 - 9: San Francisco, CA

October 9 - 30: Portland, OR

October 30 - November 12: Seattle, WA

November 12 - 19: Travel to Orange, CA

January 3, 2024: Orangeland Park, CA

January 3 - 14: Oceanside, CA

January 19 - February 2: Las Vegas, NV

February 2 - 9: Flagstaff, AZ

February 9 - 23: Phoenix, AZ

February 23 - March 8: Tuscon, AZ

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