Spannocchia
Well, I returned from Italy on Friday night but jetlag has pursued me like a hungry hound. I’m finally feeling right in the head today so I thought I’d follow up on the goodbye post.
Spannocchia: courtyard view
I had a great time! My home-sickness was bad in Rome, the first four days of the trip, and that was with constant phone calls and Skype, but then something happened. I had a great workshop of my two pieces, we left for Tuscany, and I shared more of my work in public readings. Wallflower no more! Actually, I was still pretty quiet on the trip, but during workshop I felt comfortable to share my thoughts and in smaller group settings, I was perfectly happy.
The estate where we stayed in Tuscany, Spannocchia, had so much to do with my feelings of ease. We had time to get to know one another, communal meals, wonderful open-mic-style readings every night,
and dorm life. Plus, most of us went to the pool after dinner to slough off the heat = more community-building. Can you sense a theme? For a program that is low-residency, meaning we don’t see one another for a year and do most of the work on our own at home, feeling part of a community is important (well, at least it is for me).
Community meals with bottomless wine
So, many new friends later, I am home where the heat index is far worse than it was in the middle of the Forum in Rome. I’m thrilled to spend a month with my kids before school starts, happy to see the Huz when I’m not passed out from exhaustion, and sneaking moments at the computer to start my first writing packet for the semester.
12resolutions 
Aren’t open-mic readings the most terrifying and freeing experiences??? I made myself do it a couple of years ago and it was the best self-torture I ever conjured! Glad you did it too.
What did you read? Where? Very cool, Jennifer! I love doing it amongst my writer friends, but need to try doing it in the community. One hurdle at a time.