On Deserts and Learning
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Hello friends, This will be a short missive because I've been in Las Vegas all week, at the big Author Nation business conference and the big Reader Nation book fair. While Vegas is not my favorite place—an understatement. I actually find it very trying—I travel here to learn. I travel here to get out of that proverbial comfort zone. It is good for me to stretch myself, body, spirit, and mind. Sometimes, in order to learn, we must cast ourselves into the strange and challenging... And let me tell you, Las Vegas is very strange! Challenging, too. But past the clamor and lights of the Strip, and beyond the smoke-filled casino floors, what did I find? Camaraderie. Connection. Sparks of insight. Laughter. I studied from other authors, both those at my level and those beyond. I met readers and shared my books with them, which was truly a joy! I helped out where I could, and had many wonderful meals and fruitful conversations before escaping—like the neurodivergent introvert I am—back into my room. So, this week, what I wonder is: What helps you learn? How often do you push yourself into uncomfortable situations, re-center, watch, and listen? As I head home from the desert to rainy Oregon, I'm thinking of you. I hope that, wherever you are, you are able to learn something new. Best wishes — Thorn
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T. Thorn Coyle
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