Getting back to my roots.

Hi, guys. How’s it going?

I have had an especially eventful seven months so far this year. With grad pre-requisites, moving-in with my partner, and now grad school for real. I have had few times in between to do other things. The thing is, I have even been neglecting some of the things I love most. Including, this blog.

I’m back in the swing of things now. Or, I’m trying to be. Plus, I’m trying, trying, to read more, get back into living for poetry (reading and writing), and taking some time for physical activity. On that last note, I’m trying to do a work exchange for some regular yoga classes. Here’s hoping that works out (and I can fit training for the position into my schedule)!

In the meantime, I have some news to share with you. I’m not sure I can give the full details. So, I’ll just tell you that a poem, which means a lot to me, is going to be published in a press based in Houston, TX. I’ll definitely share more with you in the fall when the issue comes out.

Not many people know this about me, but I actually lived in Houston when I was super young. Then, I moved back to Texas after college. I had moved in with a guy in San Antonio. Suffice to say, I’m back home in Portland and am no longer with that same guy.

Still, Texas means a lot to me. It’s where I spent most of the year in backyard kiddy pools, staring at the huge sky, and being a true tom-boy toddler. It’s also where I got my first “big-girl” job in digital marketing. The place holds some momentous moments for me. Don’t get me wrong though, Portland is still my home through and through.

Now, I’m excited about the two poems that have been accepted so far over the past 10 months. That’s a super low number but I don’t even care. It’s a big deal to submit your work. It takes courage, passion, conviction, and a lot of time researching magazine, journals, and presses.

I’m not trying to brag by the way. I just want to acknowledge the hard work all writers do when they submit.

I also want to mention that I’ve submitted 19 times so far. 10 have been declined! The thing is, those rejections hurt each time. The hurt didn’t stop me though.

Instead, I took some advice from Elizabeth Gilbert in ‘Big Magic.’ She writes, that for each rejection, it’s best to send out another submission into the world. That advice is seriously, the only way I’m ever going to deal with a rejection from now on.

What about you guys? How has your submitting experience been so far?