Back in February, I attended the San Francisco Writers Conference, which was great. I posted about my experience and learnings over at Writer Unboxed, but I wanted to share a few photos here too.







The conference was a way of dipping my toes back into the publishing world. I have definitely been “out of the game” since my kids were born, and I’m ready to come off the bench. But a lot has changed since then, and on top of that, I feel a bit rusty.
Before the conference, I had been toying with the idea of pursuing an MFA. After the conference, I was sure of it. Graduate studies had always been in the plans — I even took the GRE — but upon graduating from college, I felt the “real world” beckoning instead. As the years passed, I figured I would probably never get my MFA after all. It wasn’t until last winter that I started thinking about it again. Only now, I’m not trying to follow my parents’ expectations or impress anyone. I just want to learn and grow as a writer. I want the structure of a formal program, and the immersion in craft and community. I want to work toward a big, tangible goal — and walk away having earned something concrete at the end of it.
But the universe loves a curveball, haha. So in the spring, we learned that Andy’s company would be sending him to China for the next three years.
The good news is, living abroad has also long been a dream of mine, as has improving my Chinese. So this is an incredible, unique opportunity for me and my family. We’ve been in Guangzhou for a little over two months so far, and it feels like the adventure is just getting started.
In the meantime, I’m still writing on my own. And those graduate programs will still be there when I’m ready.



One response to “From San Francisco to Guangzhou”
What a grand life adventure! Andy, the kids, and you will make wonderful memories