“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.
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I felt the need to leave a comment of my own on this post so that I could thank Maryanne for taking the time out to write this update. When I first started including these ‘people’ features on the website it was always my intention that once the interview was published, that wouldn’t be the end of the relationship. Therefore it’s a pleasure to be able to publish this update today.
But that wasn’t the only reason for leaving this comment, because I also wanted to express my sadness at the loss of Sadie the Retriever, but also my joy for having felt like I’d known her, even though we’d never met. Maryanne and I have remained in touch ever since the interview was first published, and Sadie has featured heavily in our correspondence. A paw print here, a tail wag there. And I feel lucky to have had an insight on the magical relationship that Maryanne and Sadie enjoyed, and a glimpse of the adventures they shared together. Rest in peace beautiful Sadie, and whenever I see a chuck-it ball I shall think of you.
Elliot
Oh, thank you so very much for your kind words about Sadie, Elliot. I really appreciate that! She and I certainly had our share of adventures and had such a wonderful time on our 3-month road trip through the Western US. I am profoundly grateful that she was in my life for 5 years…just wish it could have been longer .
Thank you also for sharing this update with your readers!
Big hugs to you from sunny Vancouver Island & keep up the great work with Lossul.com. It is amazing to see the connections being made through your stories, blogs & interviews…that’s what it’s all about!
MA
You’re more than welcome Maryanne and it’s absolutely true…I may not have met Sadie in person, but I really felt as though I knew her. In my own little way I feel proud of that. I really hope you’re doing okay.
And thank you so much for your kind words and compliments. I love writing and I love publishing work, but the most satisfying thing of all is reader engagement and bringing amazing people, like yourself, into the Lossul.com community. To have such connections makes everything so much more worthwhile.
Elliot
Maryanne, really these photographs are very amazing and inspiring. You’ve been to some really beautiful places. Also loved all the pictures you took in Ecuador. Especially the ‘Turtles in love’…
🙂 They are cute aren’t they?! They look old and wrinkly yet so adorable.
So sorry to hear about Sadie. I hope those years of treasured memories help ease your journey. Shedding tears for you and remembering all the dogs we’ve loved. All the best. A big hug.
Katy
Thank you for your kind words Katy and thank you for continuing to support Maryanne. You’re a true star! 🙂