Visiting the Big City

Can a hillbilly from the Ozarks find happiness in the Big Apple? 

I recently went to New York City for RWA Nationals and managed to answer that question. The visit started with a wonderful dinner on Wednesday with my hubby, my agent and my editor at The View, a rotating restaurant at the top of the Marriott Marquis at Times Square. It was on the 48th floor, so sometimes we were surrounded by taller structures, like the gleaming Chrysler Building. And sometimes, we had long views of the Hudson River with the green hills of New Jersey fading into the horizon.

The food was delicious and the company delightful. Spending time with Kensington editor, Alicia Condon and my dear agent Natasha Kern was a highlight of the whole trip. Writing is such a solitary activity, it's easy to lose perspective. It was wonderful to spend time with two souls who wholeheartedly believe in my Coldwater Cove stories!

The rest of the week was a blur of activity--workshops, networking and signings. Then on Saturday, I played hooky and the DH and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I LOVE art, even if I don't always understand it. It nourishes something inside me.

Then later that evening, we went to see Penn & Teller's show on Broadway. They were just as entertaining as you might expect and a little more disturbing at times than I anticipated. I mean, they sawed a lady in half and didn't put her back together! (Don't worry. She did reappear in one piece later in the show.)

 That little mute guy can pull an audience in with just a smile. He made me laugh and I can't explain why.

Anyway, even though the city is an exciting place, by the time Sunday morning rolled around, we were ready to head for home. I found myself longing for a sky dark enough to see the stars. It was light enough to read outside on Times Square at any time, day or night. I wished I could hear individual footsteps on the sidewalk instead of the constant tramp of thousands of feet. I wanted a breath sweetened with the scent of freshly mown grass.

So can a hillbilly find happiness in the Big Apple? Yes. But only in small doses.

How about YOU? When you travel, long does it take you to become homesick?

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Because traveling with all my breathing gear is a little outside the box, I posted some of my experiences on Second Wind, my personal blog. If you're interested, pop on over. My goal is to encourage others who may be dealing with health or mobility issues.