“People Update: Bohemian Gypsy Gazelle Maryanne Pope”

3 minute read

“We do not take a trip; a trip takes us.”

John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

Hello again Lossul.com readers!

At the very end of my first interview with Elliot, I mentioned I was to embark on a 3-month road trip through the Western States with my dog, Sadie.

In January 2018, we did just that…and wow, what a journey! We drove south from Vancouver Island, British Columbia down the pacific coast, through Washington, Oregon and California all the way to San Diego. We then drove through Arizona, Utah, Nevada and back home again through Oregon and Washington.

We stayed at a combination of VRBO’s (Vacation Rental By Owner) and motels, often staying at one place for a week at a time so we could explore the local area plus that way I could continue to write & work while on the road…have laptop will travel.

It was the trip of a lifetime and I am so glad I did it!

Here are few favourite photos from the trip:

Sunset at Cannon Beach, Oregon

Sea Lion Caves near Florence, Oregon

Mystical Sunset at Oceanside, California

Sunrise at Grand Canyon, Arizona

Zion National Park, Utah

Snowy morning sunrise at Bryce Canyon, Utah

Road Trip Warriors: Maryanne & Sadie the Retriever

After returning to Vancouver Island in April 2018, Sadie and I continued the gypsy life in Western Canada for another year (but our stay in any given place was longer…often up to 3 months).

Truth be told, I would have kept our caravan on the road indefinitely… but the Universe had other plans. Sadie injured her shoulder during a 3-month stay in Alberta (my home province) and after a prolonged period of recovery, I realized it might be time to set down roots.

Two weeks later, I’d bought a house in Parksville on Vancouver Island (two hours north of Victoria) and a new CRV. So, of course, you know what that means? More road trips! Now we just have a home of our own to return to.

My new Honda CRV

Creatively, I would have to say the Bohemian writer lifestyle paid off in spades. Not that I finished a major writing project (let alone sold one) over the past 18 months. But being – and staying – uprooted seemed to have freed up all sorts of creative insights for my work.

In hindsight, I think I had become rather stagnant in my previous home (in Sidney, also on Vancouver Island). In fact, my home in Sidney had become more of a chain around my neck (a very noisy chain, thanks to neighbors and a busy road) than a sacred space in which to write, reflect and rest.

“Let your home be your mast and not your anchor.”

Kahlil Gibran

My other big news is that my book A Widow’s Awakening (self-published in 2008) was picked up by a publisher (BHC Press) and was released as a novel in September 2018.

I love the new cover!

For further details (including a list of on-line retailers), please visit BHC Press.

I hope the past 18 months have been good to you, as well. If you are feeling rather stuck – creatively, financially, purpose-wise, etc – I encourage you to make some sort of change. It needn’t be big…sometimes the smallest tweak can lead you to a vastly different outcome.

“Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all.”

Helen Keller

Take care, thanks for reading and all the best!

P.S. If you are interested in reading my weekly inspirational blog, please click here to subscribe.

P.P.S. Shortly after writing this update, my beautiful Sadie passed away. My heart is broken but I cannot stay sad for long…we shared so many fun times! 

Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening, the playwright of Saviour and the screenwriter of God’s Country. Maryanne is CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. To receive Maryanne’s monthly e-zine, The Watering Hole, here is the link to subscribe.

Related articles:

#9 Maryanne Pope “A Widow’s Awakening”

#12 Michele Miles Gardiner “Craving Normal”

You Are Not Alone

What’s Stopping You From Starting?

The Unfamiliar Familiar Path

Share this post: