Home Again, Home Again

Maybe that’s the best part of going away for a vacation — coming home again
— Madeleine L’Engle

There is a magic in that little world, home; it is a mystic circle that surrounds comforts and virtues never known beyond its hallowed limits.
— Robert Southey

The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.
— Wendy Wunder

I just got back from a writer’s retreat, which is one of the reasons this post is late. It was four days, with twelve workshops, being held at the Delta Marriott in Kingston. If you registered early enough, you got a discount rate on a hotel room of the Delta, which I did.

Last time I was in Kingston it was for the Writersfest, which was held in the Holiday Inn. Same deal, if you registered early enough, you got a discounted room at the Holiday Inn, only that time I didn’t, and the only room I could find was at the Delta – for the full price.

I have to say, that discount makes a BIG difference. I paid less for the entire package – retreat cost, hotel bill (including two meals I had charged to my room), and parking this time than I did for just the hotel bill last time. So you can be sure, when I sign up for this year’s Writersfest, I will do so in time to get the discount rate for the Holiday Inn. :-D

The picture above, which is courtesy of Pixabay, is pretty much the exact view outside my hotel room window, except without the boats and the water inside the harbor was covered with a sheet of ice that was just starting to break up.

Anyway, like the fall event, this one did not get off to a great start. Once again, I thought that since I get up super early anyway, I could easily drive up on the morning of the first day. Once again, I was wrong. I might have made it on time, had I taken into consideration the abundance of trucks on the highway, trucks who seemed to like to play leap frog with each other, thus slowly traffic right down as they jockeyed for position.

So I was already running late when I got to Kingston, where my infallible sense of direction failed me and I turned right when I should had turned left and ended up almost back up to the highway. By the time I got to the hotel, the first workshop was half over, so I just parked my car and wandered up to my favorite coffee shop (the one with the amaze-balls almond croissants). The hotel was nice enough to let me check in early, so I was able to stash my stuff before heading up to the first workshop (for me) of the day.

The bad stuff about the retreat:
I was late and missed the workshop for writing memoirs.
The weather was really cold and crappy, so I didn’t get out and do much walking, like I’d intended to. In fact, I didn’t get out much at all.
The hotel restaurant was a little pricy, with a limited menu.
I had some kind of digestive issue going on, so I wasn’t feeling all that great.

The good stuff about the retreat:
I got a premium parking place right outside the hotel doors.
Everything was right at the hotel so I didn’t have to leave, like on Saint Patrick’s Day when it was pouring rain.
It was nice having a room to go to between workshops.
They had as much tea or coffee as you like at the workshops, and the oatmeal raisin cookies were still warm!

Between the weather and not feeling so great, it really took the shine off my stay. But I learned a lot and I met some really nice people, several of whom want to stay in touch.

I can’t wait for the fall Writersfest!