Ann Benjamin's Blog, page 288

Weirdest Place I’ve Woken Up. #30stays

Two posts today as I’m so many days behind on this thing.  Anyway, great question!  I had to really think about this one…and I have a toss up of answers:

1.  A beyond random NYU dorm room during the summer after my sophomore year of college.  A friend and I went up to visit another friend who was interning in New York that summer and ended up at someone’s place.  I couldn’t even tell you how the entire night transpired.  I do remember that the dorms were infinitely better than the ones I had lived in at UGA.

2. Waking up in a hotel airport is always a bit surreal.  I am a TERRIBLE PERSON to be around if I have not slept.  We weren’t planning on it, but for the sake of my sanity I was on the floor practically sobbing with exhaustion we booked in at Incehon’s in airport hotel and I passed out for 4 hours or so.  I awoke feeling somewhat human again.

Place I Regret not Going to. #30stays

While I haven’t been yet, I’ve almost (twice!) been to Nepal and not made it.  One was for an Eid trip and the other was last year when rain showed up in the forecast and we opted for Copenhagen instead.  The thing is, I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Nepal, I can’t wait until I actually make it there.  I already know where I’m going to stay.  I also can’t wait to try this zipline!

Holiday selfie. #30stays

Technically, this isn’t a selfie because I didn’t take it, but I still like this obligatory pic of me floating in the Dead Sea!

Jordan, 2008.

Musings on editing.

I already know the answer to this question, but I’ve been considering this writer problem for a few months.

Room 702 has been out for awhile.  I know there are editing errors.  I’ve been debating sending out to be professionally copyedited.  I know the solution – find a good editor, pay them for their services, and upload an updated and corrected version of the book.  What is stopping me?  How many mediocre reviews will it take to get me to this point?  Why do I want to not bother with 702 but DO want to have my next book edited?  Why am I so (expletive) lazy?  Ugh.  I know, I know, this is my choice, I’m just another self-published wannabe, but sometimes I wish things would be a touch easier.

The cartoon cat is me. All the damn time.

 

Most exciting holiday. #30stays

This is an easy one – South Africa for World Cup 2010!  As a first trip to a country, it could not have gone better.  We went first to Cape Town (where we went up Table Mountain, met up with friends, watched Portugal destroy North Korea and stayed at one of my favorite hotels ever), then to the bush for 5 days of safari (including getting charged by an elephant, the coldest night of my life, a few private drives, tracking some lionesses and watching them devour a warthog among other highlights) before ending in Johannesburg to watch Brazil v. Chile.  All in all, it was an incredible experience.  We both enjoyed our time in the country so much it was a no brainer to go back in 2012 for a friend’s wedding and South Africa is once again on our short list for holiday travel this year.

My favorite picture from the trip, taken by my husband.

Favorite travel buddy. #30stays

That’s easy – it’s Hubs!  I love going new places with him.  Even though he’s been to Manila for work, I’m so excited to join him there in a few weeks.  Then, we’re both going somewhere we’ve never been before – Boracay!  I cannot wait.  To date he’s been to the Philippines, Saudi and Scotland without me (all for work) and I traveled to Lebanon without him.  We want to hit all seven continents – only two to go!

The Trip That Changed My Life.

I’ve been fortunate to be on some amazing trips in my various journeys.  The one that had the biggest impact on my life was when I was 19 – I went to Thailand and Malaysia with my friend Josh.  The reason it changed things so drastically for me was the echo it had with my parents.  So, I’m not a parent and don’t planning on becoming one.  I have no idea what it is to let a child go out into the world, but you can imagine my parents were none to happy with me coming home and announcing I was going halfway around the world with someone they had never met.  I dug in.  Threats were made about pulling my financial support, but I kept firm.  Two weeks before I turned 20, I took off for Thaliand (by way of Korea).  The trip was equal parts fun and crazy – I got sunburned, I sunbathed topless, I met cute Irish boys, I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pad thai and kimchi fell in love with banana pancakes.  I drove a moped after learning how to start and drive it in under five minutes (in busy traffic).   I climbed waterfalls.  This was before internet (really).  I can’t even remember how I let my family know I was safely in Thailand.

I have pictures of the trip – but they are home in the States and I am here in the Emirates.

I returned as someone who wanted to see the world – and have been trying to do so ever since!  It wouldn’t be my last trip with Josh, nor would it be my last trip to Thailand.

Stuff I Love: Author Cameos.

I would imagine most authors have one day dreamed of seeing their characters brought to life (either on television or for film).  And perhaps, these same authors, like myself, have taken it another step and imagined what role they would have.  Thus, here are some recent author cameos I’ve loved (and one slightly older one).  There something so perfectly meta about entering the fictional space which you created!

John Green in the airport with his character Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars.

Diana Gabaldon as a stuffy citizen in Outlander.

 

And from True Blood, Charlaine Harris at the bar.

As for me – I’ve always though I would be perfectly cast as a homeroom teacher for any of my YA books.  As for Room 702, I think I’d like to be something like featured background – maybe someone working at the hotel.

30 stays challenge.

Clearly, I’ve been in a bit of a funk about my life regularly posting on this blog so it seemed time to switch things up be even lazier. The below challenge popped up on my twitter feed over the weekend and I thought, ‘Perfect!’

First trip outside my own country?

I’m not sure if the Caribbean (a Disney cruise) counts – which I say because I didn’t need a passport.  To me, ‘outside my own country’ implies recognition of actually going to another country – hence, mine is the United Kingdom!  I was 19 and it was my sister’s senior spring break trip.  I went with my Mom and sister to London and Paris.  It was cold, it rained and one of the thing I remember most is the Offspring Americana album being promoted in all the Tube/Metro stations.  Looking back, it’s silly how little I knew about travel – but you have to start somewhere!

 

 

Darn it.

Looking ahead to new television series… Forever follows Dr. Henry Morgan (the affable Ioan Gruffudd), a gifted and highly intelligent medical examiner who happens to be immortal. He has died plenty of times — he dies in the opening of the pilot — but always returns inexplicably naked and inexplicably in a body of water. The immortality itself is inexplicable; he has no idea why he can’t die or if he ever will. Part of why he studies the dead is to try and figure out his own mystery. It is, oddly enough, not a very intriguing mystery.

No one has original ideas any more, do they? The concept of this show is reallllllllllllllllly similar to my Fates project. I will definitely be tuning in.