TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE - The Wandering Wades

TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE - The Wandering Wades

ROOTS

Dear readers, A man can make a routine out of anything, even change. So it’s gone for me and my wife over the past two years. We’ve lived in our 144-square foot travel trailer (Betty) since September of 2017, when we began letting Hurricane Harvey refugees live in our condo for free (thanks to AirBnB for allowing us that opportunity). In October of that year, we set sail in Betty on a road trip, traveling from coast to coast and border to border (we spent some time in Mexico, but not Canada. Next time, ay?).

We became so accustomed to change, to the freedom of the road, the lack of responsibility, that the thought of moving back into a house has us freaking out. But, ready or not, on Sept. 1 we are officially retiring from RV life and setting up shop at our house in South Austin (Club 1804).

We were so scared to start our adventure, and now we’re even more afraid of seeing it end. We discovered so much about ourselves on the road. We got into some great habits of meditating, staying mindful, moving slow, and just being content. I’m terrified we’re already moving away from those things now that we’re back in Austin. Traffic, social obligations, cell service, the news-- there’s a lot of bullshit to wade through in order to find that inner-peace that was so accessible while camping off-grid in the desert, or hiking up a mountain, or exploring a national forest.

We’re going from reading by candlelight, to reading a two-hundred dollar electricity bill. We’re going from eating organic grapefruits picked in an orchard, to planning an entire day around a trip to the grocery store because there are approximately 12.4 billion people in Austin (half of them are on the roadways, the other half are already at the grocery store).

But one thing that hasn’t changed is the writing. A blank page looks the same no matter where I am, and my energy to create is as strong as it has been in a long while. So, while I may not be thrilled about having to walk down a flight of stairs to get from my office to the kitchen, I am excited to have a dedicated space to work in, and pumped to begin writing my third manuscript for Blackstone Publishing.

I’ll try to check-in once a week on this blog, and once a month via newsletter. If you haven’t signed up for that, do it! You’ll get updates on the publishing process, book recommendations for each month, an upcoming events calendar, and more.

Until then, go read something,

James

James Wade lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and daughter. He is the author of River, Sing Out and All Things Left Wild, a winner of the prestigious MPIBA Reading the West Award for Debut Fiction, and a recipient of the Spur Award for Best Historical Novel from the Western Writers of America. His forthcoming novel Beasts of the Earth will be released 10/11/22 from Blackstone Publishing.