My childhood friend Heather and I used to talk about the Glory Days being when we were going out with our older rock-band boyfriends during high school. Then in college my friend Scott and I would sing Glory Days at the top of our lungs with the Boss on the stereo as we drove through Los Angeles to our weekly dinner date. I’ve even had a roller coaster of Glory Days working with Travelers' Tales for more than seven years.
But this week ranks too. Fun + love + adrenaline = Glory Days to me. And I’ve had it all this first week of April. It started on the train ride down to SF…
Arriving to gorgeous San Franisco spring weather, seeing my first copy of Sand In My Bra, having a chatty carribean lunch with my gambling friend Pete, working at the Travelers’ Tales office again with the loving familial staff, getting excited over the strong possiblity of working on the sequel to Sand this summer/fall, champagne and aps with Susan, Larry and family, Krista, and writing friends Jenn and Amy. If it wasn’t already a great day, we scooted over to the Wild Writing Women salon at the Monticello Inn where I was hosting our guest speaker, local legend Adair Lara. I did the mix and mingle which I always love, and then it was more champagne with The Women. If anyone is ever up for raising a glass to new book, it’s the wild ones. Carla King suggested a gussied up champers and Alison Wright bought me one too so the three of us could toast in style. She just put her newest book to bed so we’ll be partying at BEA together too next month.
It had been a long time since I’ve spent any time with them, so being with them on the day I first saw Sand was special to me.
Then I trained back up and my box of books and post cards were there waiting for me. Sean Keener of BootsnAll.com was the first of the bootboys to greet me at the door and check it out. Afterwards he took me and Chris out to celebrate at Steelhead.
I returned to their office the next day to sign our final contract for making Written Road.com a part of the BootsnAll Travel Network. Afterwards we went to dinner with more friends and had some hearty laughs hanging out diner style till we were kicked out at 9pm.
Committing myself to Written Road and BootsnAll indefinitely is as scary as it is exciting. But I absolutely love being a part of the travel writing community. And as I push forward with the launch of Sand In My Bra I can see more Glory Days ahead. It never has to be measured as a time in the past. As long as you can see and appreciate it, it’s your present too. And I am, right now, definitely appreciating my current happiness.
Whether it’s a brand new book, an extra hour in bed before the day starts in the morning, burgers with friends, a phone call from a good friend, or a nice email from someone far away — it’s all about the people I’m sharing it with. And I see these Glory Days coming back again and again in my future. How about yours?
Life really is as you live it, as you treat people, as you project yourself. Jen, you are rich. The “Glory Days” never end because they depend on the individual. You can stretch, change and make better those days.
My “Glory Days” consist of my family and the people I interact with, no matter how brief or how long. At my age, it’s the memories that sustain me and the future that still holds tremendous possibilities.
Yes Mary. Tremendous possibilities.
Those two words go good together. Whether in family, friends, career, love, travel, writing, or anything anyone cares about. The possibilities are there if we dream them and have the courage and persistance to make those dreams come true.
Thank you.