I feel like I never have enough time to read. So many great books and so little time. With that in mind, and being in between careers right now, I decided to go on a reading retreat.
Did I go anywhere?
Nope.
I stayed in my cozy townhouse, slept in, ate good food, went for an occasional walk, and read like mad for days.
I’m giving myself two full weeks to transition from being a law school admissions consultant to full-time writer. It’s important to have down time between jobs and especially between careers. I’ve worked hard on my Prelaw Guru business this year and I am burnt out. Since I love to read and never feel like I have enough time for it, it made total sense to treat myself to a reading retreat.
It took some convincing though. The luxuriating side of myself was all for it, but she is often out-voiced by my taskmaster side. But after a day of feeling so exhausted that I barely got up by lunchtime, I finally told my taskmaster to step aside. She’s been in charge for the last six months. It was time for Luxuriating Peg to have the spotlight.
And oh, it’s been so good! I’ve devoured three memoirs so far:
- Hiroshi Kashiwagi’s Swimming in the American;
- Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love; and
- Gabrielle Hamilton’s Blood, Bones & Butter.
I have five more days left and I can’t wait to read
- Anne Serling’s As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling and
- Leonard Pitts, Jr.’s Grant Park (my only non-memoir pick).
I can’t tell you how happy all this reading has made me.
All this is a big reminder to listen to myself. No one knows me better than I do. I need to give myself what I need so that I can put the best of myself into my writing. Now that I know how good it makes me feel, I’m going to make reading retreats a regular part of my self-care.
New year. New insights. Onward!
Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a middle-grade novel centered on the question, can enemies become friends? She is also the founder of Prelaw Guru, a law school application consulting company, and the author of The No B.S. Guides for prelaw students.