Just Breathe

I leave for New York City in less than a week. LESS THAN A WEEK. In fact I leave next Wednesday. It's been hard not to let that thought worm its way into my brain during every waking moment the past couple of days. To say I'm excited would be a massive understatement. (O_O) But we're going to keep this civilized. Hopefully this post won't devolve into me screaming excitedly from the floor, "I'm going to New York! I'm going to Carnegie Hall! I'm going to NEW YORK!" Right. Deep breaths, Laura.

Recently my twitter feed has been caught in a deluge of tweets from authors saying they are going to be at BEA (BookExpoAmerica, for the uninitiated) in New York City. I just assumed that this huge literary convention would not be happening at the same time as the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, because who would want to make my dreams come true all at once, really? But surprisingly, I was dead wrong. BEA is happening at the SAME TIME that I will be in New York. What's that? You mean all of Laura's favorite authors are going to be descending on the very city that she's visiting at the same time that she's visiting it? That's right. And you bet I'll be looking for them.

But! Before this turns into a creep fest, I actually have a direction for this post! Since so many fantastic writers and book lovers and award winning teens are going to be traveling next week, I thought I'd share a few tips on how to get the most of your experience in any new place:

1. Bring a notebook. I don't care if you don't think you're a writer, or if you've never carried one in your life. Bring it, and write in it. It doesn't have to be big or fancy. You don't have to write a lot. Just write down whatever feels most important. A picture of the Statue of Liberty is one thing, but with iconic features like that you can't truly relive that moment unless you write it down.

2. Resist the urge to share every moment on social media. I know it's tempting, and the occasional tweet, instagram, or facebook update is fine, but you're on vacation! The experiences you have are a million times more meaningful than any Facebook status, no matter how many likes it gets.

3. Don't get distracted by your own ideas. When I'm in a new place it can feel like the neurons in my brain are firing at full speed. Sometimes I'll get several shiny new ideas related to where I am or what I'm working on, and I won't be able to stop thinking about them. But the truth is, those nuggets of genius are a result of your surroundings, and thus probably won't seem so perfect once you're back home. How much can I really know about New York subway tunnels after five days in the city? Certainly not enough to base my new idea for a spy novel off of them, even though it might seem  brilliant while I'm rocketing around underground. (Disclaimer, I'm not actually writing a spy novel.)

4. Instead, just breathe it all in. Don't take away from the experience by trying to create stories around it; just experience it. Write things down not for the sake of writing but for the sake of remembering. There's a great quote that I found recently that applies to this idea: "Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel the artistry move through you and be silent." -Kahlil Gibran

I plan to be as silent possible while in New York, unless of course I happen to spot Neil Gaiman, in which case I'll run up to him and demand that we have coffee and chat about writing or art or something. Fool proof plan, right?