Nashville, A Place For New or Renewed Beginnings

I have visited Nashville three times. Each visit lasts a bit longer than the last with my most recent visit spanning seven days. All of my visits have been tied to my writing or my writing world via Romance Writers of America when I was a board member.

But let's get back to my seven days in Nashville.


This adventure was a writing retreat with writing buddies--Lisa B. Kamps, Jaymee Jacobs, and Julia Canchola. Once there we set out goals not only for the week but for the remainder of the year, along with 2017's plan of action. We wrote aggressive goals, are supportive of each other, and determined to make big strides in our writing journey.

Having this meet up served us well. But I have to give a lot of credit to the setting of Nashville, TN. More specifically we stayed in a roomy condo that more than accommodated us. We worked hard, but also played hard as our reward.

We broke the ice with a visit to the local hang out, Nashville Palace. The band was our sort of welcome party to the flavor of Nashville and its deep connection and love for country music.

Across from where we stayed was the Opry Mills Mall, which largely was like any large mall or outlet center. But there was Boot Barn that was a priority for one of my roomies. Armed with her boots, we continued our walk through the mall and headed for the German-themed restaurant--Bavarian Haus.

Later that night we attended the Opry. What a night that was! A great line up talent from up and coming stars to the veteran country singers. I enjoyed every minute of it.

And as if that wasn't enough, we headed into downtown Nashville to visit a few honky tonks like Tootsie. After listening to live bands, and sipping on apple pie moonshine martini, we headed for the local tour bus. Our guide gave us excellent information as we saw the city from the bus until we got off for a whiskey distillery tour and a visit of the Parthenon (an exact replica of the one in Greece).

I don't think I could get tired of Nashville. The building boom that has hit the city will attract lots of people who are coming to make their dreams come true, whether from musical aspirations or in the field of medicine or as academician due to the concentration of hospitals and universities. It was great to be in a vibrant city feeding our creative souls with all of its gems. We all were the better for the experience and I look forward to showing my appreciation in the words that I actually wrote.

(Brooke Eden, one of the singers, who performed at the Opry)

I hope you find that special place that inspires you to be you, to recharge the soul, and reminds you of what is important when you work.


All the best with your endeavors,

Michelle

A Writing Retreat: Just What The Soul Needed

This weekend I joined over 20 writers in retreat heaven for our creative souls. The idea came about in 2015 when we collectively needed a safe space to talk about careers, our dreams, and enjoy a true community of sisterhood.

Our first retreat came into fruition in January 2016. After months of planning and lots of discussions, we arrived in Destin with no idea of what we would accomplish or if this would be a success. After all, we hadn't defined what would be a successful retreat.

The bonding among us occurred naturally and quickly. Laughter ruled the entire weekend with the wacky senses of humor, the funny quips, and shared experiences over this tumultuous writing journey.

Although the event lasted two and half days, the time was well spent getting us to a place where we could take what we'd learned, along with our own inspiration from the weekend, to conquer our next goals.

Another year has gone by, some writers couldn't make this trip. Some of us lost a parent or relative. Some have changed careers in the day job. Others have faced challenges in the writing world, while others have seen success.

Yet we've come to the same house in Destin (this year is slightly cooler) for that home-grown, feel-good tonic of camaraderie and friendship. I highly recommend gathering your circle, selecting the perfect place, and having the time of your life.

A house on the beach serves us well with rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

All the best,



Michelle Monkou
http://michellemonkou.com

Coming February 2017