3 Splashes of Summer

I grew up with a pool in my backyard and a pool pass in my bag so to say I am a self-proclaimed pool princess seems fitting! My summers are planned around trips to the pool and the beach, it's just a regular part of my day in the summer. No questions asked, I will be in the water each and every sunny day June-August. So when the summer comes and there are no sunny pool days and your family vacation to the beach is transformed into moving a daughter to a college 4 states away what do you do?

Well, If you had told me this would be my summer I might have curled into a ball and cried or reverted back to my 2 year old self and screamed and cried. But no one told me this would be my summer. Instead opportunities (aka splashes) filled my calendar. Opportunities I had no idea were coming my way. Opportunities that filled my soul and gave me the confidence and discipline to learn about myself as a writer.

1st Splash~
Julie Johnson a colleague and friend extended an invitation to participate in the Columbus Area Writing Project (CAWP) to me and 6 of my colleagues.  We met at THE Ohio State University each day for 2 weeks. We conferred, we shared and of course we wrote everyday for 4-6 hours. I learned a few things about myself as a writer.

• I need a busy place to write. Busy with people I don't know, like my favorite coffee shop where I am sitting in right now. 
• Spotify has amazing playlist that really help me focus and produce.
• It takes me about 45 minutes to find that little voice whispering inside my head. 
• I can write for about 2-4 hours if I find the zone. 
• Commas still terrify me! 
• The 3 finger tap on the upper side of the track pad on a Mac brings up a thesaurus(my BFF).
• I LOVE feedback! 
• My words can surprise me and I love it when they do!
• My words sometimes do not convey my intended message. 
• I have a process! It's a bit crazy and maybe even a bit ritualistic, but it's mine! 

This splash was a huge confidence booster for me. I learned about myself as a writer and I faced a long time fear.  As a college student I avoided The Ohio State University. It's big, really big and I wasn't sure I would find my way around, I wasn't sure I was ready for the academic challenge. So when Julie invited me in CAWP through The Ohio State University I was nervous, very nervous! But guess what? I didn't get lost and I wrote, and I wrote, and I wrote! Now I waiting for the revisions and edits to come back… this will be a whole new learning curve and I can't wait! 

2nd Splash~

I am joining Two Writing Teachers (TWT) as a co-author! Did I really just type that? Is this really true? I have admired the work shared at TWT for a very long time and when they said they were looking to expand their team I knew I was looking to write more, increase my writing community and I began to feel a little nudge… (thanks @CathyMere and @KarenTerlecky). Cathy and Karen are long time mentors to me and having them behind me gave me the confidence to apply as a co-author. I am so glad I did, I have been wanting to write more and I know having deadlines, a team and this amazing audience will help me grow and learn right along side all of you! I am looking forward to a long and rewarding journey with TWT! Buckle up! 

3rd Splash~

For the first time I attended #nErDcampmi! I have followed the tweets on Twitter and read many reflective post on all there is to gain by attending #nErDcampmi, but nothing could have really expressed the empowering feeling of being amidst authors, bloggers, administrators, teachers, media specialist all ready to share and learn together in one space! Walking through #nErDcampmi you might brush elbows with those you've followed and admired and then learn they are just as happy to meet you and to learn from YOU. At #nErDcamp we all have one common goal- Learn all we can to support kids! This  one goal levels all playing fields and brings together a powerful group of educators!  I have a notebook crammed with new ideas, book titles and apps all to explore! While #nErDcampmi is amazing inside the camp the learning and growing began on the car ride to Michigan! Car PD up and back continued to fill my notebook! Thanks @JosieStewart, @MarissaReads and @KarenTerlecky for all the learning and miles of laughs! 

So while the summer weather in my neck of the woods has severally altered my self-proclaimed status as a pool princess I am overwhelmed by the splashes of my summer!  I truly believe everything works out for the best, and if it was a beautiful sunny summer how would I have fit it all in?  

Thanks for stopping by to read and I look forward to browsing your post and learning alongside you!