Yikes! Sorry about the 22-day silence. (Yes, I counted). If it makes you feel any better, it’s not just you guys I haven’t been talking to. I have disappeared from just about everywhere else. Facebook. Friends. (What friends?) Stopped making phone calls to my mother and grandmother. Like I said, yikes!

(An update in case you’re worried: I caught up on the phone calls first).

So, you might be wondering, where was I in these 22 days? And what was I doing?

Let’s see: flying with dragons over the nighttime mountain. Walking up an endless staircase built by elves. Getting abducted by aliens…

The shorter answer is: I have been writing. #Am writing, always now. This month, I am working on short stories with my advisor, in case you were wondering how I could have possibly frolicked with dragons and aliens and elves in such a (relatively) short period.

On a side note, writing short stories is a delight for this very reason. You enter a world, have a quick party, and leave at will. No commitment. Neither pain nor obligation. Just fun and discovery.

Anyway. Back to my excuses. Dragons and aliens make for great excuses, do they not?

It isn’t even the issue of time, not exactly. I am sure I could have found a few measly minutes to say “hey” or reply to an email message. It’s a matter of focus. It’s a matter of NOT REALLY BEING HERE IN THIS WORLD ENOUGH TO KEEP TRACK OF BLOGGING AND FACEBOOK. You know?

But don’t worry. Here I am. In my actual body. At this computer. Online. Online is an awesome place, really. A place of friendships and inspiration and keeping in touch and trying things out. Sometimes it takes staying away for a while to realize it all over again. So here I am. Still here. Sort of, anyway. 🙂

In my next post, I plan to explore fear through a childhood memory and/or encourage you to write a short story (if you’re a writer). Or maybe, I’ll share a great secret I have discovered, a secret to happiness and productivity and success! Yep!

(Of course, I could totally just share it now. But I like secrets. And so I’ll wait till next time. It’s a very quick and easy secret, really. Really, it’s not even a secret at all.)

Love to all, and thanks for sticking with me, with or without a regular blog posting schedule,

Katia