In truth, what the 'break' has truly helped me realize is that when you love something, even if it is of the work vein and business side of life, it's almost painful to leave it behind for a time because pleasure is ultimately attached.
About a week ago, I was going through U.S. customs and after winding my way along the never ending lineup, I found myself at the mercy of the stern looking customs security officer I was directed to. Vegas was my end destination and the only thing standing between it and me was him. I pasted a smile to my face, ready to answer all of his questions like a pro, thinking that I knew in advance what he would ask:
Who are you traveling with?
What is the purpose of your trip?
Where will you be staying while there?
The question he threw at me right off the bat was a variation of this but the wording and exactness required in the response was a bit of a curve ball to me in my early morning and zombie-like state.
"Good morning. What is the purpose of your trip, business or pleasure?"
I responded without thinking, stuttering out the response, "Business...oh..no..I mean pleasure." I corrected myself bashfully and gave a nervous laugh. Clearly not quite the pro I thought I was.
"Jessica, is your business the pleasure of gambling away your hard earned money?" He continued.
"No sir, my business is the pleasure of spritzing it up poolside (translated means-enjoy some white wine spritzers) and getting a stellar tan."
He cracked a smile and gruffly replied, "Good answer, Jessica, good answer. Enjoy your business of pleasure trip."
I laughed, wished him a good day and went on my way but have since reflected on that exchange and my recent travels noticing that regardless of how restful and seemingly void of business each moment is intended to be, the natural tendency to network and promote comes out no matter how hard I try to shrug it aside. As I've said in earlier posts, I don't like talking myself up and have always felt awkward when explaining my qualities during various job interviews etc... but when it comes to my writing, I feel that it's such a part of me that it's impossible to answer questions about how I'm spending my summer while on holiday from teaching, without involving a reply about my writing. I don't see it as business, I see it as an exciting hobby that has the end possibility of transferring to business.
For instance, I was interacting with a few NBA players while in Vegas. They were there for summer league training. Of course I inquired about them all and asked how they find the NBA lifestyle. I was completely impressed with how humble all of their attitudes were and the fact that each of them asked specifically about me and how I keep busy. Naturally I talked about teaching and writing. By mid conversation I had these 6 foot 5 inch tall, burly guys intrigued about my publishing journey and the plot of my chick-lit fiction novel. (I suppose they may have just been feigning interest, but I appreciated it nonetheless.) One of their lawyers even asked if I needed an entertainment representative for the process. Of course I happily took his card, and no it wasn't just because his chiseled chest was beckoning me to do so while we sat sipping Sangria.
At my core, I simply love writing and will continue no matter what successes may come, and no matter what my surroundings may be. From the fancy pools of Vegas, to the rocky shores of Portugal, the white sandy beaches of the Caribbean to the grassy bluffs of Prince Edward Island, pleasure is always in this business of mine.
I'm no travel blogger at the moment, but that's a new one for the never ending bucket list!
If you've yet to see it, check out my trailer for my novel, The Tantalizing Tale of a Bitter Sweetheart by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzUCspmOebw
Please follow the links below to learn more about the Because I am a Girl cause initiated by Plan International:
http://becauseiamagirl.ca/
Connect with me on Linkedin Jessica Ashley Dafoe
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Follow me on twitter: Jessica Ashley@City_Rhapsody
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