Life as a traveling young writer is…interesting to say the least. My days vary a lot depending on where I am and what/who is in the area, and weather drastically changes depending on what climate I’m staying in. I am not in school anymore, so writing is what takes up a majority of my life. Let’s do a quick Q&A and see what my life looks like now as a traveling author.
Edit: I drafted this before we moved into a house. We’ll just go along with the questions, since this is how I lived for four years, and I’ll add edits for the questions that now have different answers.
What is a typical day in your life?
Like stated above, my days vary depending on what my mom has planned, what time of year it is, and where we’re staying. Right now, a typical day in my life looks like waking up late, posting on social media, eating lunch, doing chores, working on some side projects, and writing. I typically do not see friends or other people outside of my family. When we do, it is usually on the weekends, and only if we are in a specific place near people we know.
Edit: We just moved into a house a couple of weeks ago. Since then, my days have changed slightly. I sometimes play Kinect/X-box with my brothers, but other than that, almost everything else is the same. (Kinect is a video game, but instead of having remote controls, you use your body. A sensor tracks what you’re doing, and there’s often a lot of jumping, leaning backwards and forwards, and crouching involved. It’s a total body workout.)
How do writing and traveling fit together for you?
My days are scheduled around traveling, so whatever I can do, I do when we are stationary. On traveling days, there’s not much writing going on. Sometimes I skip entirely. Fortunately, traveling days are usually only once a week. I’m able to enjoy the benefits of traveling on weekends while writing on weekdays.
Edit: Obviously not traveling anymore, so life is somewhat more relaxed. We still do stuff on weekends though, but things have changed, because we’re still moving in.
What is it like living in an RV?
We have a big RV. Unlike most, it has two bedrooms, and only four of us share beds (my parents and two oldest brothers). If you count the loft as a bedroom, then we actually have three. The bathroom is another matter. We only have one, so we have to time things well, take quick showers, and make sure everyone knows when you’ll be in there for long. We came up with some routines and unspoken rules to cope with sharing a bathroom between six people. The main one is faster people go first (toilet, shower, and brushing teeth).
As for space, everything is small. Only one person can be in the kitchen at a time. We’ve learned to navigate around each other efficiently (six people in a one-person wide walkway doesn’t work), and it sometimes feels like I’m in one of those puzzle games where you have to get the block out of a tiny space filled with other blocks.
Also, because space is limited, we have to pack what we own into cabinets and drawers. You just learn to put the things you almost never use in the back. Otherwise, you’ll be taking everything out just to get one item. Then, you have to put it all back in (how you found it, or it might not all fit back in).
Other than that, the only thing I can think of is not being able to own things normal people can. We can’t have a big instruments, a sewing machine, or anything bulky that takes up valuable counter or floor space.
Edit: Again, we recently moved into a house. We now have three bedrooms and two bathrooms and lots of space. We also have a piano and sewing machine.
Thank you, Kathryn Hawke for the question! I’ll be writing another blog post about RV life somewhere in the next few months, so stay on the lookout for that.
What does an ideal day look like for you?
I’m not exactly sure what an ideal day is for me. I like having a schedule, but if something pops up, I’m pretty flexible. Ideally, I would wake up late, stay home doing stuff, then maybe (a few times a week) see friends around late afternoon. Then, later at night, I would write and listen to music or do something else relaxing by myself. I’m an introvert, so definitely lots of alone time. On the other hand, I find that I can be very chatty with people I know well. I enjoy spending time with them. Although my social battery can drain pretty quickly, it depends on who I’m with and what we’re doing.
What does an ideal weekend look like for you?
Hiking. I love hiking in the mountains. Right now, 4 to 7 miles is ideal, along with a big dinner and hot shower at home afterwards. However, I also enjoy just hanging out with a friend.
What are your favorite passtimes?
This might sound weird, but it’s not actually working on books. I have many hobbies and interests. Writing books is only one them, and I’m pretty sure the only reason it’s not at the top of this list is because I do it all the time. Thus, the novelty wears off quickly. I’m stuck between crocheting and reading—oh, and digital/website design, texting/emailing friends, and blogging. *facepalms* Honestly, this is a very difficult choice. At this exact moment, however, it’s blogging.
Favorite place you've been + one place you really want to go to?
Man, there have been so many places we’ve traveled to that are just gorgeous. The west coast with its luscious forests, Alaska and Canada with their amazing wildlife and glacial mountains, Colorado with its jagged peaks. (Can you tell I’m a fan of mountains yet?) If I had to chose one, I’d probably say Colorado, simply because it doesn’t get freezing cold like Alaska and Canada, and there isn’t any danger of hurricanes/flooding like the coast. Colorado has some of the best mountains. Evergreens are some of my favorite plants, and they make the hiking experience a hundred times more enjoyable.
As for a place I’d like to visit…hmm, that’s a tough one. I’m going to just go wild and say New Zealand. I don’t expect to ever be able to visit another continent, but the scenery there is gorgeous, and Jessica wanted to know.
What is your goal as an author?
I want to get the four books I’m working on published within the next five years. Other than that, I don’t have many other short term goals. As for my ultimate goal as an author, I want people to, one, enjoy reading what I write, and two, be impacted by my words. My goal as a Christian is to glorify the Lord. Thus, whatever He wants me to do or accomplish is my goal.
Conclusion
I hope you guys enjoyed this short interview! For those of you who asked questions on my Instagram but didn’t get them answered here, I did several interviews on other people’s blogs which cover those topics. Check them out below:
If none of these answered your question, there’s a good chance I have a blog post planed out on that topic. Until next time, happy reading!