A girl and her van.

I spent Tuesday through Thursday afternoon camping along the Susquehanna River (one of my favorite places in Maryland). I packed Van Morrison on Tuesday and then enjoyed the utterly decadent feeling of going grocery shopping for a trip where I didn't have to eat while keeping a wild, barely domesticated coyote from eating my food right out of my hands/mouth (I love you Walter!!) 

This is what I brought: Two Robbers Hard Seltzer (orange/mango flavor), sour gummi worms (my favorite snack), all the donuts, ramen noodles, soup, mini-croissants, trail mix, dried fruit, bananas, yogurt, peanut butter, crackers, like four different types of cheese, pretzels. Okay I think that's it. Guys, this is like $75 worth of food for one person for 2.5 days and I had ZERO regrets! 

Once at the campground, I spent too many hours building the RESPLENDENT campfire you see below (like 90% of the campfire was me burning my precious copy of The Philadelphia Inquirer, but still it counts). It was chilly, so I cozied up in the van and read for a million hours, leaving a window cracked "for the ambience" (I'm an idiot) and then waking up freezing in the morning and buried under every blanket I owned. 

But!! Like most folks, I'm a sucker for crisp, autumn weather, and early October holds a special place in my author's heart. The smell of the campfires at night, the crunchy leaves, the changing colors, the smell of cooking, the blue sky, the fall breeze...it was just perfect and made me want to write 100 different stories about cute witches stirring their cauldrons and flirting with other cute witches (or something). Essentially, it's witchy season and I'm ready.

I spent two days hiking along different trails - which I rarely do by myself, since I'm usually being pulled by my 25-pound coyote. So it was lovely, and quiet, and the trees were gorgeous, and the river was just exquisite. My blankets were cozy, the fire was warm, the books were incredible and I felt rested for the first time in awhile. 

I usually go on outdoor expeditions to inspire creativity around my different writing projects - I always get good ideas on the hiking trail. But I was, to be honest, so wiped out after finishing the draft, it was also just lovely to sit quietly, look at the leaves, and feel my writer brain decompress.