365 Inspirations—165: Before Midnight Movie

"It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages."—Friedrich Nietzsche

To celebrate the end of the quarter, Yoon and I went out to the movies. We went to see Before Midnight, the last of the trilogy. The first two were Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. All three are movies by Richard Linklater.

Before Sunrise is about a couple (Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke) who met in Europe and while traveling and spent about 24 hours together. Most of the movie is focused on conversation.

The movie ends with the couple leaving each other not know whether or not they'll ever see each other again.

About nine years later, the couple meet in Europe while Ethan Hawke's character is on book tour. They spend the day together again. The movie ends with Hawke trying to decide if he should stay in France with this woman or return to his wife and child. He is in a loveless marriage at home and finds it hard to leave this French woman he met years ago and hasn't forgotten ever since.

I know I'm probably spoiling the trilogy, but the last movie shows that Hawke did decide to stay in France, but he had to make very hard choices in doing so. He had to leave his wife, but more heart wrenching is that he had to leave his son behind in the States after he decided to start a new family with the woman he really loves. His biggest difficulty is the guilt he feels for leaving his son, who he only sees on holidays.

All three movies are based on conversations and emotions. The movies are very real and true to life. They are not glossed over with Hollywood glitz and glamour. They seem like a very realistic couple with very real problems. They go through things that we can all relate to.

For me, it's been interesting to follow this fictional couple through their lives in their 20s, 30s and now 40s. I'm the same age as they are in the movies and I've enjoyed watching their lives unfold on screen as mine has unfolded in real life. I wish they would do another one when they are in their 50s, but I think that's the last one.

I saw the first one with my friend and the last two with Yoon in the theater. I now want to rent the first two again to remind me of their journey, as I've forgotten a little.

Anyway, I recommend all of these movies. Yoon and I love to go to the movies together. It's one of our biggest joys. It was also a great way to celebrate the end of the quarter.

Do you like to go to the movies? What movie(s) have you seen recently?

365 Inspirations—164: Dreams

"Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning."—Gloria Steinem 

It's very rare that I remember my dreams. I can recall one flying dream I had not too long ago. It felt so amazing to fly. I felt free, expanded and comfortable. I didn't want to wake up from that dream.

I rarely have nightmares these days.

Most of my dreams tend to be fragmented. They are often a colorful quilt of bits and pieces of my life.

Sometimes I don't really know if the pieces even fit together because it's hard to make sense of my dreams.

I do believe that dreams can tell us much about our waking life.

I also believe that we can remember the details of our dreams if we choose to and even choose the kinds of dreams we want to have.

Dreams are something I'd like to explore more.

Do you dream? Can you remember your dreams?

365 Inspirations—163: What Inspires YOU? Write a Guest Post!

Church in the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona

"Inspiration is hard to come by. You have to take it where you find it."—Bob Dylan

 I've written 162 posts this year of what inspires me and now I'm wondering this: What inspires YOU? What people, places, or things do you get your inspiration from?

Later in June I'll be doing some guest posts and interviews and I want to extend an open invitation to anyone who would like to write a guest post about something that inspires YOU.

Is it your grandma, the neighbor, something you heard on the radio, a sunny day, clouds, a writer, a singer,  an actor, a candlestick maker? I'd really like to know. I'm on the lookout for inspiration and doesn't necessarily have to be what I find inspirational.

Leave a comment here if you'd like to write a post. Or, if it's easier, tell me in the comment section what person, place or thing you find to be inspirational. Who knows? That person, place or thing just might show up here on this blog!

What person, place or thing do you find inspirational?

365 Inspirations—162: Unexpected Gifts

Hugging trees in Hoh Rain Forest, Washington

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."—Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

This is my last week of the quarter and then I'm on break for two weeks. I have to say that I really look forward to the time off as it was a heavy quarter of teaching for me. This summer I plan to only teach one class in order to give myself time to work on other projects.

There were many occasions, during the quarter, when I wondered how I'd make it through the day. Teaching classes back to back for 5 hours with very little down time was really challenging. I did my best and gave the students all that I had.

Now it's the end. Today I spent my class time proctoring a state test and then I met students individually to go over their tests and get them registered for next quarter.

It's really hard to gauge, at times, if everything I'm doing is having any impact. I think we are all our own worst critics at times, so I was happily surprised to hear all the positive feedback from my students today about my class.

Some students wrote letters, some gave gifts and some verbally let me know how much they really appreciated my class and me. I really did not expect any of this and that made it all the more special. Here's a letter from one of my students today:

Not perfect, but heartfelt!

What I realized is that if you give your full attention to whatever you are doing, it will not go unnoticed. You may not realize the impact you have on people and your surroundings, but the things you do are important.

This appreciation from my students, which came in many different forms, was an unexpected gift. These gifts are treasures that make me want to keep on giving.

Have you ever received an unexpected gift?

365 Inspirations—161: Listening

“A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.”—Rachel Naomi Remen

I'm a storyteller by nature. All my family members love to tell stories. When we all get together, there's not a whole lot of listening going on.

So it's no surprise that listening is not my best trait, but I will say that it is one I'm developing and it's been so rewarding to be acquiring this important skill that so few of us have.

It's the end of quarter at school and so much is going on. There really isn't much time to do anything, let alone listen.

But in spite of the end of quarter frenzy that is happening right now at school, I found myself listening a lot today.

Today, while meeting the students individually to talk over their final tests and get them registered for their classes this summer, I found myself doing more listening than speaking.

One quiet Vietnamese woman, who hadn't spoken much all quarter, suddenly found the opportunity to open up to me in our meeting today. She was my last appointment for the afternoon and it was 6:00pm. I was sure I'd be out of there in 10 minutes and was daydreaming of getting something to eat before my next long two hours of class.

But something happened.

While registering this student, I felt she had something she really wanted to say. I felt that she may not have anyone to share her thoughts with—that her life consisted of working long hours and taking care of her family.

In those extra 30 minutes that I sat across from this woman listening, I felt her heaviness and her pain. I heard about her struggles of escaping her country and the loss of people she loved. I felt her sadness, but I also felt her relief of finally being able to let this heaviness out.

I was listening.

I was giving this woman a chance to speak.

I provided her a comfortable space to open up.

I realized that so many of us are often so busy with our own agendas that we barely have time to really listen to others. What I realized today is that if you let a little space surround your life and the people in your life, if you really choose to listen, then you can learn so much.

I felt a deep gratitude that this woman took me away from my "list" and gave me the opportunity to tune in and hear what she had to say.

I realize that we are all connected and what affects one person, place or thing, affects everything else. Sometimes our busyness to move on to the next thing or the next story or even the next word causes us to miss everything that is right here in front of us, if we'd only listen.

Are you a good listener?

365 Inspirations—160: A Weekend Wedding in the Countryside

Flower bouquets we arranged for wedding!

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”—Maya Angelou 

I was gone all weekend for a wedding out in Washington State's beautiful Methow Valley. Even though it's the busiest time of the quarter at school AND I had to pre-schedule a few blog posts, I was not about to miss this beautiful union of two dear friends.

While the ceremony out in a lush green field with beautiful surrounding hills was definitely the highlight, there were so many other wonderful things about the weekend.

Sometimes I think it's very easy to get caught up in our own little worlds and forget that there is a much bigger world out there. I'm grateful for the fact that my friends invited me to leave my little world behind and take part in something very beautiful.

To get to the venue, we had to drive through the Cascade Mountains. It was breathtaking. Every twist and turn in the road offered more phenomenal views.

With each mile we drove, I felt the stress of my busy life in Seattle melting away. I was meant to be at this weekend wedding and I was meant to leave my computer, technology and everything work related behind.

When we got to the venue where we'd be spending the weekend, I already felt instantly rejuvenated. We arrived just in time for the rehearsal dinner and caught up with good friends. Later that evening, I spent time in a wood-burning cedar sauna and, after a nice warm shower, enjoyed a starlit walk to my room. I've never seen so many stars!

The next morning, we ate breakfast and headed to the fields. Several of us were in charge of arranging flower bouquets for the wedding. We went out to our friend's property and picked three huge buckets full of yarrow. Then, we delivered the flowers to another house where we assembled them into beautiful bouquets of flowers which were gathered from various friends' and neighbors' houses. After a brief flower arranging lesson, we got to work.

 It was such a memorable experience and one I will truly treasure. What a joy to see so many people coming together to help out in this beautiful country wedding.

I wish my two friends a beautiful life out on the farm. They've now got me contemplating the country life. They made me see how beautiful it is to participate and be part of a community. I'll never forget the weekend. It was so full of joy and love!

Have you ever participated in a wedding or community event that was memorable?

365 Inspirations—159: Words Have Energy

"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another."—Napoleon Hill

This was Lesson 364 of my 365 Lessons from 2010. I try to live by what I have written here and it has made such a difference in the quality of my life. Here's my post:

Watch what words you put out there. Everything carries with it a vibration. Some words carry a very low vibration. Ever wonder why, in a yoga class, people chant "om?" This word has a very high-vibrational quality to it. Words like mother, mom, oma, and mama are similar. "Om" is thought of as the sound the universe makes or the "hum" of the universe.

Whatever you say comes back to you in the form of energy. Ever wonder why certain people get attracted to what you write? Those people are a reflection of you. They are the reflection of the energy you send out.

How do you want to be in this world? You get to decide. You make the choice. You are not your past. You don't have to remain stuck where you once were. You are here now. In every single moment, you decide how you want to be and what words you want to use. Every time you say or do something, it will be reflected back to you. If you are sending negativity and harsh words out into the world, this is what you'll get back.

Do you ever see yourself in your children--the words they say, the actions they do? Children are a GREAT mirror of yourself. Are you ever startled by what you see?

When you say or do something, do you have the best interest of yourself and others in mind? This doesn't mean that we cannot tell our stories or that there is no pain in life. Of course there are difficulties and pain or we wouldn't be here. I don't believe we are here to remain stuck forever in pain and misery. I believe we are here to work through it and to learn from it. Everyone has a story, but what is the reason to tell it? Sometimes, while I work on my book, I have to go through pain. I can't hide from it, it was there and I'm writing a memoir. But the point is not to bring everyone to pain with me. The point of my story is to take you on my journey through the pain and beyond it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I don't want to be the dark tunnel in this world. That is not how I choose to be. I want to be the light at the end of the tunnel. And that's why I'm writing my book, Lessons from the Monk I Married.

So, if you ever wonder, "Why me?" or "Why is my life so miserable?" Look to yourself for your answers. Nothing outside you can cause your misery. Nothing. You decide how you want to be in this world. You decide what words and what actions you are going to put out there. It starts with you. Right here, right now!

I believe we all have something positive to give. I choose to be light and I choose to love myself as I am.

What do you choose to be in this world?

365 Inspirations—158: Opening Up to Fear

Facing my fear at Yoon's Yoga Bliss near Seattle

"What is needed, rather than running away or controlling or suppressing or any other resistance, is understanding fear; that means, watch it, learn about it, come directly into contact with it. We are to learn about fear, not how to escape from it."—Jiddu Krishnamurti 



This story was originally posted on my blog in 2011

I thought if I traveled, I'd find something. Maybe I'd find God. Maybe someone out there could ease the difficulties of life. You know, I used to talk to God. I'd often ask him (her?), "What should I do?" Often times I'd close my eyes and pray very hard. I didn't want to not know where I was going. I needed to be reassured. I needed to know if things would work out.

But no answer came.

And then one day, when I least expected it, after a long run around the neighborhood, a crystal clear voice said, "You know what to do." The voice was strong and reassuring. But I didn't feel strong and I didn't feel I was any closer to knowing what I was meant to do in this world.

I wanted to follow that voice. I wanted to know it intimately. I wanted to understand where it came from. What if I went the wrong way? What if I did the wrong things? What if I made mistakes? What if people didn't like what I was doing?

I was afraid. I didn't have any answers. I made a lot of mistakes in life (and I'm still making them). I fell down quite a bit. I was not a happy person and I didn't respect myself nor did I believe I had anything positive to offer the world. Still, I could not forget that clear voice that came to me on that fall day of my senior year in high school while running down a narrow path flanked with bright orange and yellow maple leaves. The air was crisp, but the late sun shone on my face and filled me with an incredible warmth. But it did not last.

After high school I traveled all over the world searching for that voice. I traveled to Mexico, South America, Asia, India, etc. I meditated, I practiced yoga and once again, in deep silence, I basked in that inner warmth and stillness I had felt for those few moments in high school. For a time, I attributed these feelings to a certain practice. I believed that something outside me--the environment, an organization, a teacher, a guru, God--made me feel like this. Without this practice or a certain environment, I thought that this peace and this joy could not last.

I don't know exactly when things changed. I don't recall the exact day when I understood that voice or when I overcame my fear. I think it was gradual. Meditation helped, yoga helped, walks in nature helped, writing helped, friends helped, books helped--I am grateful for so many things that aided me on my path and gave me the courage to open up.

But that voice. The one that said, "You know what to do." It didn't come from God or Buddha or yoga or meditation or my husband or my friends or my family or anything else. All of these people and things played a part in understanding these words.

"You know what to do" came from me.

Not the Katherine Jenkins "me," but the one that is opened and fearless. The one that is not separate. The one that is connected to everything.

Do you have a tendency to hide from your fears or face them?

365 Inspirations—157: My Husband, Seong Yoon Lee

"Don't be afraid of the different winds that come to your life—even the unpleasant winds. If things aren't working the way you want them to work, maybe the universe wants to offer you something better, but you can't see that right now."—Seong Yoon Lee

This post was written by my husband and edited by me. It was part of my 31 Writers, 31 Lessons series in 2012. Yoon has a way of inspiring people, including me, to do the things they've always wanted to do in life and not be afraid of the challenges. Here's his story:

I clearly remember the day when I heard the sound of a gong while I was in an evening chanting ceremony in a remote temple in Korea. It was not just the sound of a bell, it was the sound of awakening for me.

I thought that if I became a monk someday, I'd come back to this temple. Two years later, I came back and became a monk. Through many years of sincere practice and everyday life in the monastery, I have learned so much. Of course, it had its own challenges, joys, frustrations—the same as mundane life. I know things are always changing, but I never thought I'd come back to mundane life.

But the winds carried me in a different direction. Sometimes we need a different direction for our growth. I faced many struggles, emotions and fear about this change, but I learned something that I want to share with you here.

My master in the temple told me that I had to finish my degree in Buddhism, so I decided to come back to my college and study there. In my free time, I also studied English and Japanese at a foreign language institute nearby.

That's where I met my wife.

I never expected this would happen, but as we got to know each other, I found that we had a deep connection to one another. It was not easy for me and it was also not easy for her to come all the way here—to this point where we are now. I was a Buddhist monk and she was an English teacher. But also, I am just a human who feels different emotions in me. I don't want to tell all the stories here. You can read all about those in her wonderful book, coming soon, called Lessons from the Monk I Married.

Ultimately, I decided I wanted to be with my wife because of the deep connection and love I felt for her. I had to leave the monastery and start all over again. I also had to face my fears in that process:

How can I make money?

How can I pay bills?

What will other people think of me?

I struggled with all of these questions and had to face each one of them.

Shortly after I decided to leave the monastery, I moved in to Kathy's apartment. However, she had plans to meet her family in New York. These plans had been set months before. After she was gone, I was all alone in her apartment. There was nothing but miso and cabbage in the refrigerator, so that's what I ate. Perhaps this was her test for me. Could I survive on my own without the temple and without her help?

Somehow I needed to make money. But what kind of work can an ex-monk do? I didn't know what I had to do. I looked in the local newspaper and found a position posted for a sushi waiter. I had an interview and got the job. They needed people, also I needed money. But I didn't survive very long there. I moved too slowly and messed up on many orders which resulted in yelling sessions from the manager. I had become his servant. In his eyes, I was just a stupid server who was good for nothing but fetching cigarettes for him.

So I quit. I was back to nothing again. But I started to think about my training and all that I had learned. I had been trained in yoga and meditation in the monastery. I knew I had so much to share about this. So I put up some posters around the apartment building, and before long people were coming to practice—both Korean and foreigners alike were coming. By the time Kathy returned from New York, her apartment was full of people practicing yoga.

So it became my career. I became a yoga teacher. I operated two yoga schools in Korea and am now the owner of Yoon's Yoga Bliss near Seattle. I have met so many wonderful people through this yoga adventure. I found a life where I am able to share all that I am. I learned how we become authentic and at the same time universal. Through creative energy and love, we become the embodiment of who we are, and that authenticity also continues to evolve through our own searching.

So don't be afraid of the different winds that come to your life—even the unpleasant winds. Life is an adventure. Sometimes we find treasures and sometimes things fall completely apart. If things aren't working the way you want them to work, maybe the universe wants to offer you something better, but you can't see that right now.

Be strong. Don't give up searching and you will find those treasures that are beautiful and priceless.

Seong Yoon Lee studied Buddhism at Donguk University in Korea. He was trained as a monk in the Chogye order at Songgwang Temple. He met his wife in 1996 and later they married in 2003. He owned and operated two yoga schools in South Korea, one in Seoul and one in a nearby suburb. He has taught yoga to hundreds of students and his yoga school and unique approach to yoga were featured on a major television network in Korea in a documentary about stress. He currently lives in Seattle with his wife and is the owner of Yoon's Yoga Bliss near Seattle.

365 Inspirations—156: Endings and Beginnings

With some of my students this quarter

“All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time.”—Mitch Albom

Another quarter is almost over. In the  almost seven years I've been teaching ESL at a community college in the area, I've seen hundreds of students come and go. Sometimes I see them in the hallway a year later and many of them say, "Teacher, do you remember me? I was in your class last fall."

 I usually remember their faces, but remembering hundreds of names is another thing. There is something about a face I can never forget and I try to remember their names after they've come and gone, but I often have to be reminded. I will say that while they are studying with me in any given quarter, I'm very quick to have ALL of their names memorized within one week of classes! I can have up to 100 students in any given quarter, so that's pretty good. I have to put their faces, names and something about their personality all together.  Every single one of my students has something unique and memorable about them.

Sometimes I can have up to 20 nationalities in one class. This quarter I had students from Gambia, Madagascar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, Guatamala, Brazil, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, China, Taiwan, Israel, Morocco and the list goes on....

I sometimes forget how rewarding my job is. I've done it for so long that it is kind of second nature. I'm often so touched by the stories my students tell me about their cultures and about their lives. We all learn from each other.

Now that quarter is almost over, I realize that the time we spent together was important and precious. During the quarter, when things are busy and I'm checking papers, preparing lesson plans and helping students, I can forget how wonderful it is to do what I do. It is only when I reflect on our time together that I'm reminded of how lucky I am.

So another quarter is over, but there is another one beginning soon. I'll finish this quarter on June 12th and I'll start teaching summer quarter on July 1st! Another beginning!

Speaking of beginnings, today my best friend gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, but it is not her baby. She decided to be a surrogate mother for a friend who is unable to have her own children. What a joy it was to hold this child on the second day of his life today! So fresh and new to the world! I'm proud of my friend for her selfless act of kindness. She is an inspiration. Here's a link to the post I wrote about her.

Have you had any memorable endings or beginnings recently?

365 Inspirations—155: Setting Free the Fly

"I couldn't kill a fly."—Vera Miles, actress in Psycho

For two days straight a fly has been buzzing around my writing room. He/she refused to venture into any other room. As soon as I was deeply engrossed in writing, this fly (I called him Buzz), would start screaming for attention.

Buzz liked to make circles around my head and then swoop down and land directly in the center of my computer screen. I cursed Buzz, told him to simmer down (which he actually did for a short time) and then I even found myself sweet talking Buzz.

I'd say, "As soon as I finish this paragraph, I'll set you free."

And then I'd forget and move on to other things with Buzz still buzzing around.

I'd ignore Buzz for awhile, like a mother does a screaming kid in a restaurant. I'd pretend Buzz didn't exist. I'd let Buzz become white noise in the background.

But Buzz certainly wasn't a soothing waterfall or waves calming lapping at the shore.

Buzz was on FIRE!

Buzz wanted my attention and was not going to let up.

One day later, Buzz was back. As soon as I placed my hands on the keyboard, Buzz sat on my shoulder looking down at the computer screen as if to say, "Hey! What are you working on today!? Remember you said you'd set me free? Did you forget your promise?"

I don't like to forget promises. I'll admit I'm not the most organized person and I usually have to write everything down, even promises I've made to people. But come on, this is a fly.

"Okay, okay!" I mumbled as I directed the fly to the bathroom and shut the door.

"Settle down. I got it. I'm going to set you free," I found myself saying.

Buzz would not settle down. He circled the tiny bathroom about 50 times before landing on the window. I acted quickly with a flower vase and a napkin and caught the little guy.

I opened the front door and was blinded by the sun. Other flies and bees were buzzing about.

"See ya Buzz," I said as I released him out into the front yard where he could finally mingle with his own kind.

In a strange way, I think Buzz set me free. Instead of continuing to curse this insect trapped in my strange house, I finally paid attention to it.

I'm paying attention. I get it.

Has anything in your life, annoying or otherwise, caused you to pay attention?

365 Inspirations—154: Still Going

"Write every day, just to keep in the habit, and remember that whatever you have written is neither as good nor as bad as you think it is."—Jane Smiley

 Still. Going. Aren't those two words funny side by side. I'm still, but I'm going. Time keeps moving and every single day I wonder how I can keep going or if I can keep going, but I'm still here...blogging!

I'm coming up on SIX SOLID MONTHS of writing and blogging every single day. I have no idea what will pop up here. I have several interviews lined up with interesting and inspiring people, but the rest is a mystery.

Doing something every day is NOT a piece of cake. It takes a lot of commitment, but it is so worth it in the long run. At least that has been my experience.

I'm finishing up another quarter of teaching at the college. The students have taken their tests, which means I will be grading ALL of those tests. Not my favorite part of the quarter, but it does signify that things are coming to a close and a new chapter will begin and I love NEW chapters.

Speaking of chapters, I will be writing several of them in a few weeks. I'm heading off on a solo writing retreat to work on my second book mid-June. I'm so looking forward to that time.

But now I'm GOING to be STILL. ^_^

Do you sometimes wonder how you will get through the day or are you ever surprised by the fact you are STILL GOING?

365 Inspirations—153: Slowing Down and Paying Attention

Blooming Camellia in my front yard

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."—Lao Tzu

When I have many things to do, my usual tendency is to speed up, but for some reason I s—l—o—w—e—d way down today.

I would do one thing and then stop and just sit there with absolutely no thoughts. This doesn't usually happen to me. Normally when I have a lot to do, I'm on to the next thing before the first is even finished.

I started noticing things I hadn't noticed before. I mowed the lawn in the backyard and noticed that our new roof that we got last summer has very interesting little black boxes on one side. I have no idea what these are for. While attentively raking the grass into small piles, I would take rests and watch the trees in our backyard sway in the breeze as huge bumble bees got their fill of pollen from the flowers overhead. I closed my eyes and felt the sun on my shoulders. I listened to the leaves speak. 

I sat down on the front step. Everything was blossoming, blooming, and buzzing. Everything was alive. 

My heart seemed to beat to the drip of the outdoor tap. I stepped behind the bushes, in close to the house, to tighten the faucet and then returned to my place on the step.

I felt full of everything. I felt alive with all that was around me.

I don't know how long I sat there.

Amazingly, I got everything done that I needed to do. I gardened, checked half the tests for one of my classes, made dinner for my husband, cleaned out the fridge, did the laundry and now I'm typing this post. 

I felt like each activity I did was new. I was so curious about each step in the process. I felt like a baby who feels grass between her toes or hears the sound of birds for the very first time. I'm not sure why this day was different than any other day, but I like this new pace.

I'm going to go slowly more often, especially when I feel the need to speed up.

Do you remember the activities you did today? Were you aware of each step in the process? Do remember all the sights, sounds, smells and tastes around you?

365 Inspirations—152: Gardening and Beethoven

Irises in our front yard

"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life."—Ludwig van Beethoven

I had hoped to take a crack at the 75 plus tests I have to grade over the weekend, but gardening and Beethoven took over.

After a long walk at Discovery Park in Seattle, I came home and mowed the lawn and Yoon put our new weed wacker together and got to work. We even weeded the circular flower bed in the front yard and then we were pooped. We have a small fenced yard in the front and a HUGE backyard that we never even got to today. It was very rewarding to spruce up the front yard, but it left me exhausted. I like gardening, but I don't do it often enough and can only do it if it is in small spurts and not for hours and hours.

After a couple hours of work on the front yard, we cleaned ourselves up and got ready for a concert at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Yoon bought tickets last night online, but one of his yoga students ended up comping him tickets right in the orchestra section because she plays in the symphony!

He gave the extra tickets to two friends for a good price!

The concert was excellent. We got to see a violin solo by Alina Ibragimova. She was fantastic.

Anyway, It's now 11:30pm and I'm going to hit the hay with the sound of Beethoven still ringing in my ears! Before the weekend started, I did not plan to do either of these things, but sometimes what we didn't expect to do turns out to be the weekend's highlights!

Did you do anything spontaneous this weekend?

365 Inspirations—151: Interview with Torre DeRoche, Author of Love with a Chance of Drowning, and FREE book giveaway

"To the adventurer: put one foot in front of the other and don’t stop until you get there. To the writer: put one word in front of the other and don’t stop until you get there."—Torre DeRoche

Do you blog about your adventures? Are you dreaming of writing and publishing a book?

I'm thrilled to have author Torre DeRoche here today to talk about her new book, Love with a Chance of Drowning and to talk about her journey from blogger to published author in three countries (USA, Australia and the UK). She also has a movie offer on the table. Does it get any better than that? I can't remember exactly where I first *met* Torre out there in the blogging world, but I knew we had a lot in common. I also have my own journey from blogger to published author and LOVE a good adventure. 

I devoured Torre's book in two days and I've been dreaming of taking up sailing lessons ever since. Here's my short synopsis of this fabulous book:

Australian native Torre unexpectedly meets handsome, Argentinian sailor in bar in San Francisco. He sweeps her off her feet, but there is ONE BIG PROBLEM. He is about to sail around the world in his small sailboat and Torre is terrified of deep water. 

And that's where the adventure begins and it's a page turner. Today I'm giving away one free copy of Torre's book on this blog. Just leave a comment here with a mention that you'd like to enter in the drawing and I'll announce the winner here on my blog a week from today.

Now for my interview with Torre:

When did you first start writing this book? Was it on the boat? In San Francisco when you met Ivan? When did the idea of a book about your experiences first take shape in your mind?

While sailing through the South Pacific, I kept a blog for family and friends to recount the crazy adventure that I’d accidentally found myself on. My parents hadn’t yet met the man I’d entrusted my life to on the Pacific Ocean, so I figured the least I could do was update my mother on my whereabouts, perhaps comfort her with some funny stories. 

When life aboard got challenging, I immersed myself in writing the blog as a means of ‘visiting’ home. I was desperately homesick at times. My words became my bridge between utter isolation and home. 

The blog audience expanded beyond my family, and the positive feedback I received inspired me to consider writing a book. When I returned back to land for good, I began writing after work, on weekends, and late at night. I repurposed some of the material from the blog. At 50,000 words, I finally admitted to myself that I was writing a book. 

What did you hope to show through telling your story?

When I tell people about my adventure across the Pacific on a leaky boat, so many of them say, “Oh my god, I could never do that! I’m too scared!” Yeah, well, me too. I wouldn’t even swim at the beach before I got on that boat. Through my story, I hope to show readers that fear doesn’t have to be a reason to stay at home, under the covers. 

But my number one reason for writing was simple: I wanted to take readers on a vicarious adventure and give them a good time. I want to make them laugh, cry, and cringe. 

Did you originally plan to self publish your book or did you first pursue a traditional route (agents and publishing houses) and then choose to self publish?

I queried agents for six months and, after having no luck with that, I decided to self-publish. A couple of weeks after launching, I received a Twitter message from a Hollywood producer who had chanced upon an excerpt of my book. He wanted to know if the option was available. 

I, of course, thought I was being fooled by a sad loser from small town America, but I sent him a book just in case it was legit. At approximately the same time, a UK publisher also scouted my book through social media. A month after self-publishing, I received two offers: one from the UK publisher and one from the Hollywood producer for the film option. 

Armed with two offers, it took me about four days to sign with a top New York agent. She immediately pitched to the US, and three publishers wanted to take it to auction. Hyperion came in with a great pre-emptive offer and we decided to take it. Shortly after, it went to auction in Australia and sold to Penguin. The rights have also sold in Brazil, and Brilliance Audio bought the worldwide audiobook rights. 

 For those who are debating about whether or not to seek traditional publishing or self publishing, what would you tell them? 

It’s incredibly thrilling to launch a book traditionally, whereas a self-published book launch is like throwing your cat a birthday party: it feels silly and indulgent, and it’s hard to get others excited about the party. But the royalties are higher, and you have greater control and fewer frustrations. 

I’m on the fence on this one. I think both routes have incredible advantages and disadvantages, so it comes down to personal choice. If it’s really important to you to have a traditional publisher, I suggest that you exhaust all of your options with that route first. Otherwise, if you’re an aggressive marketer and you feel ready to take on the tremendous workload required to self-publish a book well, then go straight for that option. 

How did you market your book after you self published?

I sent out a lot of free copies to bloggers and influencers to get people talking about it online. I pitched to Amazon’s top reviewers to get reviews, and I was quite successful with that. I wrote to magazine editors and asked for reviews, and some big mags came back with “Yes.” I did some guest posting, and I reached out to bloggers for reviews. I ran a series on a big blog called ‘Love and Travel Week,’ and I plugged my book at the bottom of each travel/love related piece. I also did quite a bit of online networking through Twitter, Facebook groups, and sailing or travel related forums.  

I know, after reading your story, that Seismic Pictures discovered you on Twitter. This is a dream come true for many writers and it set things up for your book to be published in Australia and abroad. How did this exciting chain of events happen exactly? 

It all began with Twitter… Two weeks after I self-published, I got a Twitter message from a Hollywood producer asking if the rights had been optioned yet. Two weeks after that, he emailed me an offer to buy the film option. At about the same time, I was contacted by a UK indie publisher, who also sent through an offer to buy the book.

With two deals on the table, I emailed the agent at the top of my Dream Agents list. She read the book over a weekend and offered me representation on the Monday. We began pitching immediately, and we received interest from several US publishers. We were about to go into auction when Hyperion came in with a preemptive deal too handsome to refuse. My rock star agent negotiated it up another 50% and we signed.

Then my foreign rights agent pitched to Australian publishers. Four big publishers went to auction and the book sold to Penguin. We also sold to Brazil and to Brilliance Audio. (My head is still spinning.)

Have you heard any news from Seismic Pictures? When can we expect the movie to be out on the big screen?

The script is currently underway! However—

My dad’s a scriptwriter by profession, and time and time again I’ve seen how tough it is to get a script turned into a movie. The possibility of a film is enormously exciting, but I won’t pop the cork out of the Cristal until filming commences. 

How has your life changed since meeting Ivan and setting foot on a sailboat? 

I have a lot more adventures. I take a lot more risks. I let my intuition guide me, and I believe in myself in a way that I didn’t before. I’m drawn to nature these days. I’ve become skilled at telling my fears to shut up. I don’t read the news anymore…

These are just a few changes that come to mind, but there are many. 

How has your life changed since being published in Australia and abroad?

Everything is much the same, to be honest! My book is on the shelves, I have a vague understanding that people are reading my words right now, I get a lot of emails, I check Amazon and Goodreads for reviews on a somewhat-obsessive basis… But other than that, everything is as it was before. 

Have you had any desire to get on a sailboat again? I know it wasn't one of your passions, but has it become a passion for you now?

There is no better way to see the world than by sailboat. Once you’ve arrived to a new country by the power of the wind, it’s incredibly hard to return to any kind of regular travel. However, after two years at sea I never managed to overcome seasickness! I have a sensitive inner ear, which means I get nauseous in cars, planes, buses, and boats. It sucks. If I could cure this problem, I would sail again. 

Now that you've somewhat conquered your fear of water and sailing, what is your biggest fear today? How will you conquer it? 

Standing within 20 feet of a cliff edge makes the back of my legs crawl. I have no immediate plans to face this fear. 

With the launch of my book, I had to face my fear of public speaking. This was perhaps worse than my fear of heights, so I’m going to sit back and revel in that accomplishment for a while before taking anything else on. My adrenalin glands need a break.

What would you say to all the other "fearful" adventurers out there or the struggling writers who are about ready to throw in the towel?

To the adventurer: put one foot in front of the other and don’t stop until you get there. To the writer: put one word in front of the other and don’t stop until you get there. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Torre DeRoche is an Australian native and a self-proclained fearful adventurer. When she's not at home in Melbourne, Australia, DeRoche is at large in the world, exploring, writing, painting pictures and snapping photos as she faces her fears one terrified step at a time. She blogs at www.fearfuladventurer.com