This past weekend I attended the bookmarks festival in North Carolina and despite the fact that I landed from LA after my birthday trip on the 21st at 1 AM Eastern standard time, and then had to get on another plane to North Carolina at 1 PM Eastern standard time that same day I had a fantastic time.
I have never been to a more organized and accessible festival in all of my years of writing/being a visible person in the world with disabilities. The staff was so kind and accommodating. I know it may not seem like a lot, but what a relief it was to not feel that my access requests were a burden to the organization. I rode around in many a golf cart and practiced my princess wave from princess diaries with a few new amazing author friends, and let myself sit in the feeling that I belonged there. Of course, along the way, my ego was a little bruised when the signing line for my book was scarce and very kind people came up to me to tell me that they had no idea who I was, but like the cover of my book. I consider that a small win because some people still bought it anyway! I think the reason that I had so much fun was because for the first time in a long time I wasn’t overthinking everything. Specifically, I wasn’t over thinking my access needs and whether or not they were a burden to anyone else or whether or not I was a problem because I needed them and the reason that I think that is, is because no one at any point made me feel like I had to apologize for anything, or that I had to be anyone other than the person I was, the person I am.
I find that the feeling of belonging is less and less common despite the work that I do in therapy. There are moments where I’m bargaining with the world and with people, to be OK with the Me that I give them, to be OK with the Me who needs breaks, who breathes a little too heavy, whose hand is a little too high in the air at all times. I treasure the moments when I don’t have to do that, and it’s not often, in work settings, that I don’t have to do that, so this was extra special. I will be thinking about the laughs and a real Conversations and commiserations that I had with the other authors I met, the kind words from readers, both old, new, and forthcoming. It was nice, it was really nice.
How cute are we, btw?!? 🫶🏾🫶🏾
Before I attended the festival, I spent a week in California celebrating my 32nd birthday! I had the very best time with some of the very best people I know. This birthday felt like it held a little bit of magic. For one, it was an even number birthday and everybody who knows me well knows that I love an even number. Secondly, I have had a rough year, like a lot of us, and I needed this trip like you need a moment to reset, after a slew of unfortunate or just downright bad on your luck, events. I had the best reset, I got on a plane on September 15 and met two of my best friends at LAX. We stayed at the most gorgeous VRBO in Encino for three days, and then switched over to a Hotel in Hermosa beach for the last three days of the trip. The night before my birthday that is on the 19th, I dropped my phone into the hotel, bed frame, I spent the night hearing my phone go off through the muffled bedframe, as my friends and family wished me a very happy birthday and panicked about needing to pay to get the phone out while trying not to wake my friend who was in the other hotel room bed. In the morning, because we had somewhere to be, she got it out for me free of charge (lol, because my rational brain figured out that they can’t charge you for getting a phone out of a bedframe when the reason it fell through the cracks was because of their design.) because the maintenance men were late. A handy queen! (Love you, Kelly!) after that harrowing experience, we went to lunch with my darling friend, AMG! (only I get to call her that don’t get any ideas lol!) Aka Mandy Thee Moore. We had a great time over a great food with lots of laughs and a gift. I will always always treasure. I love you girl I know you know, but I do I really really do!
How cute are we x2?
That night, my friend, Kelly! and I went to the cheesecake factory, the best place in the world and closed out the trip both very refreshed and sad to leave lol it was the exact thing I needed at the exact moment that I needed it and I’m really grateful that I have people in my life who pour into me even when I forget that I deserve it!
Here are some more pictures from the trip:
Now that I am back home, post both trips and preparing for a quick trip to New York City for the Brooklyn Book Festival this week, I’ve had the time to think about what I wanna do next? The answer is write 1 million more books, finish a draft of the romcom that is so good that it was surprise even me, that I’ve been working on for years at this point, and find a signature scent. The writing 1 million more books is going to be very hard, writing is very hard, but I’m excited to do it! I also think I’m going to spend some time perfecting my princess, diaries, princess wave I want to make Mia Thermopolis proud after all.
I promise to be back sooner than I was last time!
XoXo,
Keah
Song I’m obsessed with: You Wish remix by Flyana Boss
Last movie I watched: Barbie
I'm glad you had such a good time and that the festival handled all of the accommodations as they should have. ❤️