RTW: Rewarding yourself

Each week, YA Highway hosts Road Trip Wednesday, a blog carnival in which YA Highwayers discuss a topic on their blogs and invite readers to do the same. This week's RTW topic is:

How do you reward yourself when you meet your writing goals?

For small goals, I don't really reward myself. I don't like counting my chickens before they hatch, so I feel like I'm not done until I'm done, you know?
For bigger goals, such as finishing a draft or a particularly difficult scene, I reward myself with time off from writing. I find that taking some time off allows me to return more appreciative and clear-headed.

After I sent MAGGIE out to betas last November, I took all of December and January off, and I loved it. It gave me time to enjoy the holidays, take care of some household projects that had been piling up, watch a little TV, and have fun with some of my hobbies (I paint, draw, scrapbook, bake, and do a few other creative things when the mood strikes me).

As far as rewards for if I get published... I've always wanted to get my teeth professionally whitened. Then again, the dentist says I don't need it, and I have very sensitive teeth, so it might not be good for my enamel, cold sensitivity, etc. Realistically, I probably wouldn't actually have it done. Maybe I'll just invest in the more expensive Crest White Strips. I've used the cheaper ones before, and they do work!

Another thing I'd do if I had the pleasure of receiving a publishing advance is to buy personalized Honor and Remember flags for the families of the men who died in action while serving with my brother. It's very important that our military families, especially those who've lost loved ones in service, know their sacrifices and their pain are not forgotten.

If I received a big fat advance, I'd love to take a monthlong backpacking tour across Europe with Bear. That, or take my whole family on vacation somewhere fun.

How do you reward your writing successes? How would you reward yourself if your book sold? Play along and tell us!

Dreams do come true, part I

I am an anglophile.

I've always been fascinated by England, even in elementary school when we learned about Jamestown, Colonial America, and the Revolutionary War.

When I was 12, Diana, Princess of Wales, died, and I was swept up in the pageantry of the British Royals, the drama surrounding her death, and the complex, flawed, compassionate person that she was.

When I was 13, I read THE BABYSITTERS CLUB SUPER SPECIAL #15: BABYSITTERS' EUROPEAN VACATION, in which Kristy et al, go to London and Paris. It was then that I decided:

One day I would go to London.

It became one of my biggest dreams, right up there with (maybe even a little higher than) writing a novel.

I am happy to announce that last month, my dream came true. On August 24, Bear and I landed in London for an 8 day vacation.

The 8 days we spent in England (plus 3 days traveling) are too much to blog about in one post, so keep an eye out for several other posts this week.

Our flight to London was a 23 hour exercise in sleep deprivation, with connecting flights (and 5 hour layovers) in New York and Helsinki, Finland. It was worth it, though, because on the flight from New York to Helsinki, we witnessed a sunset over New England:

The Northern Lights just south of Greenland (another dream come true):

Not the best picture, but there was so little light, it was hard to get a good shot!

And, only 5 hours after sunset, the sunrise over Iceland:

Tomorrow: Hyde Park, Harrods, pizza, and Stonehenge!