My Adventures in Writing

Yesterday I had a kind of bittersweet moment. I sent my editor at Suite101.com a message saying that right now, I am not able to keep up with the requirements of a Feature Writer position. It took a lot for me to come to this realization. I’m the kind of person who likes to do it all, even if in reality, I’m not able to. I will take anything on. But then that leads to stress and then eventually, some projects get left in the dust and not completed. I take pleasure in completing projects so this is not good for me to have unfinished business. It eats away at me.

Getting back to my Feature Writer position, I have not wanted to let go of my title as NW U.S./Alaska Travel Feature Writer for the longest time, although I have known I can’t keep up. So, I sent my editor a message saying I need a 6-month break if that’s possible. I told her that if she had someone else in mind that perhaps they should be the new Feature Writer. I will still be able to contribute to Suite101.com but with less responsibility. It makes me sad to think I have to give this up.

Yet, it makes me proud that I was able to give something up. I am a busy person. I’m working full-time, at a new position with more responsibility that ever. I am a full-time graduate student with a large “thesis” project to complete this year. I’m a wife and a home-owner. And the list goes on and on. Something had to give.

I love to write and this doesn’t mean I’m not going to be able to write. It just means that there’s less stress when it comes to meeting deadlines. It’s a tough thing for me when writing becomes more of a responsibility and less of something I love to just do. Perhaps this will give me more license to write about other areas and not just NW travel. I’ve enjoyed writing the two articles for Brass magazine on health care and finance. Perhaps I will look to writing more articles on health care.

This is a great time of transition for me. I’ve finally found a job that I truly enjoy and that fits my personality and character. I want to give it all I can. So, giving up my free-lance writing position is one thing that has to go for now. I’m going to move towards my goals in my healthcare career right now. I have the whole rest of my life to be a writer!

I don't like driving in Portland but I am forced to endure it for another month. I attend my classes Friday night in Hillsboro and then drive to SE Portland to stay the night with family. The drive usually takes about an hour, even though it's about 25-30 miles. The first time I drove to SE Portland, it was dark and busy. I got lost twice, well, I wouldn't say lost, more like misplaced. I knew where I was and where I wanted to go; I was just in the wrong place. So, the next time I got misplaced again, thinking I could use a different route and end up at the same place. That's what I get for thinking at 10pm after a long day of work, class and driving. So, tonight, I made my fifth trip to SE Portland and it was just about perfect. I still don't like driving in Portland. People drive so much faster. There are signed pointing all over the place. I am thankful that there isn't too much traffic at 10pm and then at 8am when I leave again. There is only one thing that makes my drive worthwhile. As I come through the Sunset Tunnel into Portland and turn onto the bridge, the cityscape lights up the night sky, reflecting on the Willamette River. Every time it takes my breath away. You just don't see that site anywhere else in Oregon. It's amazing. I wish I had more time to view it and take in its glory.