Last night I skyped with a friend in India who I met in Oxford at Summer School. In a few weeks, I’ll be meeting up with a group of women I met in Tuscany last year at a writing retreat in San Francsico. Then, in June I’ll be heading back to Florence and Tuscany to attend a retreat with some writers I met last year, along with a bunch of new friends. Later in the year, I hope to attend a conference in Victoria with a whole lot of Aussie writers I’ve met up with since 2010.
I’ve been privileged to make friends all around the world from London, New York, Florence, Delhi, Texas to Canada and beyond. As a writer it’s important to be connected into a creative community and to maintain friendships. Writing is such a solitary activity and I find that being part of a world-wide community makes the world of writing a little less scary. Distance doesn’t matter to good friends. With technology we can continue the conversation no matter where we are.
As I spoke to my friend last night I thought how wonderful it would be to plan a round-the-world trip based on my friendships.
It would look a little like this on a map:
Singapore is only a five hour flight from Perth and I’ll stop in for lunch with my friend Cheryl. Robyn lives in Xian and attends language school there so I’d call in for a cuppa. I’ll pop into Phnom Penh and catch up with Transform Cambodia friends, then hop over to Delhi to see my friend Aparna. Dubai is where Anne, a wonderful friend who for her 77th birthday went on 7 trips over the summer, lives.
After Dubai I’d fly to Florence in Italy and catch up with Eva and Cristine from Excellent Gusto. Also Lisa Clifford, Penny Howard and Michelle all of whom are involved in organising The Art of Writing retreat.
At The Art of Writing retreat
From Florence I’d fly to London to see many friends—Anna, Nerida, Bronwyn and Bree and then take side trips to Oxford, Brighton and Dorset. Dorset is where my friend Monica from Appleaday is based. Judith, who lives between LA and Oxford, may be home otherwise I’ll see her in New York. Brighton is where my writing mentor Laura lives.
I love New York and Joan teaches there out in Princeton. We met in Oxford at Summer School. After New York, I’d fly to Nashville to visit Emma and Michael.
Los Angeles would be next where I’d call in on Justin from Red Eye as well as Christine, Kate and Judith. If I had time I’d drive down to San Diego to see the Cullens.
At Oxford University Summer School
Then up to Seattle to visit Jade from Perth and a million of her friends we met last time we were there. Canada is one of my favourites and Vancouver would be a stepping off point to visit Cathy in the Northwest Territories.
On the way home, I’d stop in to see Bonnie and Rhys, and then hop over to Brisbane to meet writerly friends in Queensland. I’d continue the tour to Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide to catch up with friends from writers groups I belong to along with lots of other creative friend types.
I think I’d arrive back in Perth a very happy person.
Each year I seem to add more friends to the list. I love to collect friends and hope that Perth would be somewhere my friends would want to visit. The conversation would continue when they dropped by for a meal and a glass of wine.
#365adventure is a book lover’s year of adventures. Adventures in travel, friendship, family, soul, heart and, of course, book stores!
