I Went On Vacation And Now I Want A Different Life
By: Shannon Ashley
Tags: Lifestyle, Writing, Work, Life, Parenting

Last night, I returned home from a couple of nights away in Atlanta. I gave myself a mini vacation at a 5-star hotel away from everyone and everything.

Well, mostly everyone. I initially planned to spend time with a poly man I've been dating casually for a couple of years but that didn't happen.

This was the first real break I've taken from writing in a year. I wrote nothing on Sunday, and nothing on Monday. Didn't check my stats. Didn't respond to comments or emails.

Two days probably doesn't sound like much, but I've also been writing less over the past couple of weeks to better accommodate for my daughter's birthday. So for me, I've felt a huge difference.

My mini vacation was indulgent. I took baths. And watched TV. Ordered room service and got my nails done.

On Sunday, I gave myself a spa day, and in the lounge area I came across this book called, "The Power of Off." After my spa services, I immediately went back to my room and ordered the book from Amazon--that's how much it resonated with me.

Now I want a different life.

Don't get me wrong--I still want to write. I just want some balance at the same time. I want to write online without being attached to my mobile devices. Can I even do that?

I can't help but feel like there's an unwritten rule in writing that I must be available at all times to the people who reach out to me and my work, but the reality is that I can't do that. That kind of connection to technology isn't healthy for me, and it doesn't make me a better writer.

I want a real life.

Being the single mom of a young child means I spend a lot of time at home. Especially since I work online. And a lot of people knock that, as if I'm intentionally living some fake life.

This life is far from fake, but there's more to living too. There's more to life than work. Taking a few days off made me realize how much I want to take more time out with my daughter.

A mother-daughter Atlanta vacation sounds pretty great right now.

I still love writing.

Writing less has actually been hard. I feel more calm and unflappable when I write every day. Definitely more emotional when I don't.

I returned from my trip with lots of different things to write about, along with a new writing goal--finding balance. I still have the same writing problems as always. Perhaps the same writing problems as you. Finding time. Knowing how to focus when you've got 10 exciting ideas at once.

After a year of writing, my work is changing again.

When I first began writing last year, my goal was to earn money to support my daughter. I dreamed about quitting my job. It turned out much better than expected, and I wound up earning more money than ever before.

With higher earnings, however, came the pressure to produce better and better results. And that was a little too much for me.

My goal as a writer has now changed into finding balance. I want to write about that. Single motherhood, writing from home, working online, maintaining healthy relationships--all of these things cry out for balance. And I want to become a go-to writer who tackles those things.