On That Midnight Train to Florida

I totally quit D.C. for a week. I packed my stuff and I hopped on a train to purposely ride for 17 hours...I wanted to be in a position where all I could do was think, reassess, write and rest. That's exactly what I did.

I got my window seat (great!), I had my laptop, Blackberry (music and Twitter), and I was comfortably dressed: Tank, Boyfriend sweater, black leggings, calf boots, hair done, make-up minimal. Travel chic. Water and plenty of fruit to avoid dehydration.

It felt good to have a seat to myself, a window I could gaze out of, and just the thought of knowing I had the power to leave stuff I didn't feel like dealing with felt wonderful.

I opened my laptop and added on to my second novel. That thing is gonna be good (in my opinion) especially since I'm combining the second novel's story with the third. That's because both of the plots are in my head and I just don't want to wait for the third to get this story out. For writers who take inspiration from their own lives, you'll get this. I'm currently living novel #3. The passion, because I'm feeling everything now (good, bad, beautiful, ugly), is fresh and I have to transfer it to paper (computer). Considering the fact that the second novel was going to have a very sad element, the elements of the third novel will balance it out. What I want is a balanced story...which totally works cus I'm still dealing with the main issues that were going to be expressed in novel #2 as I'm living #3. So yeah, pretty much, the first novel was based on events in my life during college and a little after. The second (combo of #2 and #3) will be based on personal events, but keep in mind, I have a very creative imagination and it IS fiction.

With #2, my writing is going to be more poetic. I felt the need after the first and since inspiration comes in many forms, poetry found me this year. No poems, just a more of a poetic flow. You'll see.

I wrote on the train, I tweeted on the train- like I couldn't stop. That was different. I also listened to "Love is Stronger Than Pride" by Sade over and over and then tuned in to my Bliss station on Pandora. It's hard to explain this type of band/music. It's meditative, smooth, chill, loungey...If you like Telepopmuzik's "Breathe," then you may like Bliss. The song of theirs I love is "Don't Look Back." Replay...

I watched "Just Wright" again! I enjoyed watching the maturation of Scott's relationship with Leslie. I like the realistic situation involving the return of his ex-fiance who had broken his heart and Scott was unsure so he left Leslie for her...Leslie did her own thing and when Scott got his barrings and saw clearly, he came back for her and courted her though she gave him a hard time at first. The right things done and said by the right person. It's refreshing to watch.

The only thing that irritated me on the train was when I got a seat mate and she slept facing me. Girlllll, no! LOL!! And then when she slept with her back to me, the crack of her butt was showing. One, are you wearing underwear? Two, where is your belt? Three, you can't feel that breeze? Ewwwww...so I made myself sleep facing my window.

When the sun came up, I made my way with my laptop to the dining car. Seats taken everywhere. I asked a young man could I sit with him. I never opened my computer because we talked for hours. He was a Miami man, hardworking, kind and he was stuck at a standstill too. He was in the midst of figuring out how to continue to get what he really wanted in life like me. Two strangers on the same page. I enjoyed my time and my talk with him. And when I was rushing to get off the train with my luggage, he stepped off (not his stop) and helped me. Very, very sweet man. We said goodbye, I think I hugged him (he was a sweetheart) and he hopped back on the train. My mom saw him and asked who he was...Just a nice guy.

Now I'm in Orlando, still thinking and reassessing, but I'm wayyyyy more relaxed. I'm coming back different. I'm already changed. More explanations later!

Love,

Sam