New York City!

Recognize this view? It's a part of Central Park often in movies!
Copyright (c) 2007 Wendee Holtcamp

Heading to New York City in the morning (or "manana" as my dad often said to me growing up) for the annual American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) conference. I decided at the last minute - last week - to go. I wanted to go when I could get the early registration discount, but decided against it. I did my taxes, and realized biz travel is very good for the tax reduction process! The last time I went was several years back (see archived posts/pics here from NYC in 2007). That time I got to visit Central Park, SoHo, Broadway, Times Square, Chinatown and Little Italy. Quite the whirlwind day. It's fun to ride the subways and everything in Manhattan is laid out so clearly but I'm not so sure I want to get around without a friend!

Lucky for me, my roommate at the conference hotel used to live in the area and she arrives 10 minutes after me at the same airport (there are 3 airports serving the NYC area. I'm going to Newark). I have to get up at 5am - yuk! My roommate and I (who I've not met yet) and I will find our way to the Roosevelt, and then I'm meeting two people - one is my dear friend Miranda Spencer (who I recently saw at the Society of Environmental Journalists conference last October and who took me around NYC back in 2007) but also a writer friend, Sharon Levy, who I have known since I very first started writing in 1995 or so but have never met in person! She is in NYC promoting her new book Once & Future Giants: What Ice Age Extinctions Tell us About the Facte of Earth's Largest Animals.

This is why I love to travel! I get to meet so many amazing writers, many of whom I only know virtually before the conference(s) I attend. Plus writers are just cool people, if I do say so myself. And then all the new editors, writers, agents to meet and information to absorb at the conference itself... whew. It should be a very fun time, and hopefully this time I won't gorge on 16 Godiva chocolates per day, since the Godiva Chocolatier is right around the corner at Grand Central Station. I'm still on the Crazy Sexy Cleanse (ie eating mostly vegan and no sugar though I cheated yesterday and had, gasp, chocolate ice cream with my daughter!) so that should help. I hope.

The conference lasts only 3 days (the last one is a half day and Friday is for members only). I have all Sunday in NYC so I may meet up with a friend, or hang out with some other writers. It should be lots of fun. The only thing I'm bummed about is that tomorrow the forecast in NYC calls for thunderstorms - not the ideal weather for walking around... We could always explore the Met, which I've never been to, but I am praying and hoping for miraculous clearing in the weather (and safe travels of course).

Have a great night and I'll see you on the other side.