Today is Road Trip Wednesday 🙂 RTW is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.
This week’s topic: With Thanksgiving on the horizon we want to know how you balance hectic times like the holidays with your writing schedule.
Well, first, I miss Thanksgiving. I loved that holiday when I lived in the US. I was usually in charge of the mashed potatoes, both the garlic ones and the sweet mashed potatoes with marshmallows…YUM! We also had stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and turkey, and fresh green beans with bacon. Oh and the desserts…Hmmmmmmmmm
Plus, everybody used to come over, it was relaxing and fun, and just great!
Now, that we´re back in Europe, we don´t celebrate Thanksgiving any longer, but I can relate to hectic times.
During the holiday season such as Christmas and New Year´s, I write very little. We travel to France for Christmas, and then drive back to my in-laws in Germany for New Year´s. I sometimes get a few writing sessions in, but I don´t schedule them, as I want to be as flexible as possible for my family and friends during that time.
So, tell me…are you planning on writing after eating the Turkey? (or whatever you´re eating tomorrow :-))
If you´re travelling today, be safe!
Elodie Nowodazkij 
Christmas is always going to be hectic. So much family to see on both sides! Until I get a car travel is so expensive and time consuming as well. Apart from family birthdays and special occasions there aren’t many times where I find I have to balance between writing and seeing family. 🙂
My writing seems to have stalled out these days, and it has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, so I don’t even have that as an excuse. I think once the holidays roll around, I won’t be writing much. This time of year I like watching Christmas movies (there are tons!), listening to Christmas music, and playing games with family. Not much time in there for writing. Come January, I’ll be ready to dig in and get more stuff done. What else is there to do in January? 🙂
I would love to travel during the holidays. Sometimes when I’m on the road visiting family I like to bring a long a notebook so I can jot down any ideas I have while I’m away from my computer. That helps and keeps my head in the story.
Thanks for sharing 😀
I wish I could write during commute but since I drive. LOL I wouldn’t mind traveling tho. I try to schedule a few minutes every day to write, but if not I always jot ideas down.
Wow that sounds like a very busy Christmas! I generally only celebrate holidays with my immediate family which, luckily, I don’t have to travel far to see. Tomorrow I’m planning on going over to my aunt’s house for an early dinner and then likely I’ll be back in time to fit in an evening of writing.
Since I’m Canadian I won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow (although I still have lots to be thankful for!) We celebrated back in October and taking an evening off of writing to spend with family was nice. I think sometimes I don’t realize how much I need to recharge until after the fact and then I can come back to writing feeling refreshed.
That’s a lot of holiday travel! We are still figuring out what Christmas will be like now that we live in Buffalo, and my mom no longer lives in my hometown (she moved to where my step-dad lives just after last Christmas.) Possibly lots of driving, but no flights or anything like that.
And I will definitely eat some extra potatoes for you tomorrow–sweet and mashed! I’m excited by the prospect of not having to travel on Thanksgiving, since we’re going to my in-laws’ 15 minutes away. So I’ll be writing first and then eating!
Green beans and bacon, yum!
Somehow I was naive enough to think I could get in 1000 words even though I have to pack tonight–so I guess I still have unrealistc writing goals during the holidays! I think it’s important to make a commitment to writing, but it’s also important to take time off to spend with loved ones and enjoy the holidays.
I always get a giggle when I read about you traveling between France and Germany, like it’s just a Sunday drive. Living way across the ocean in a country that could house all the European countries within its borders, it’s hard to fathom, sometimes, although I just checked out the distance between Berlin and Paris to get an idea of how far apart they are. It’s about the same distance as from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Calgary, Alberta where my sister-in-law lives. She travels that distance often, even though there is a whole province between us, usually to join us for the holidays. 🙂
It’s nice that you are close enough to visit your family. It makes the holidays that much more enjoyable. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas! 🙂
(Sorry I haven’t been around, lately. I am having such a hard time managing my time, these days!)