Some years ago I stumbled on a blog post entitled simply Bolivia. This has nothing whatsoever to do with Bolivia, and is perhaps the smartest and clearest writing on the subject I've ever read. (To steal from Grant Morrison, the post contains the active ingredient METAPHOR; if you are allergic to METAPHOR, please consult a doctor before reading.)
From there I poked around and started following Havi's blog, which was a mix of insightful and amusing, with a theme of kindness-to-self that I badly needed (still do, really). Every so often she'd talk about these ... retreats, workshops, somethings. Rallies. They sounded neat and useful, and I developed a vague desire to go to one and see what it was all about. They were also pricey and highly speculative, and not something I could justify setting aside either time or money for.
Until last April, when for reasons that are not entirely clear to me she had a brief big sale on Rally pricing. And I said "eh, the timing looks decent for the one next May, why not." So next Tuesday, as a precursor to the Big May East Coast Trip I'm taking the train down to Portland for a Rally (Rally!).
I have just about zero idea what to expect. Ideally this will revitalise my spirit, restore my focus and motivation to pre-2012 levels, grant me new insights into the workings of my mind, and sustain me indefinitely. Or I'd be quite happy with just "knocking out a story or two."
Whatever it is, it's a New Experience. (And, most likely, a pilgrimage to Powell's one evening.)
From there I poked around and started following Havi's blog, which was a mix of insightful and amusing, with a theme of kindness-to-self that I badly needed (still do, really). Every so often she'd talk about these ... retreats, workshops, somethings. Rallies. They sounded neat and useful, and I developed a vague desire to go to one and see what it was all about. They were also pricey and highly speculative, and not something I could justify setting aside either time or money for.
Until last April, when for reasons that are not entirely clear to me she had a brief big sale on Rally pricing. And I said "eh, the timing looks decent for the one next May, why not." So next Tuesday, as a precursor to the Big May East Coast Trip I'm taking the train down to Portland for a Rally (Rally!).
I have just about zero idea what to expect. Ideally this will revitalise my spirit, restore my focus and motivation to pre-2012 levels, grant me new insights into the workings of my mind, and sustain me indefinitely. Or I'd be quite happy with just "knocking out a story or two."
Whatever it is, it's a New Experience. (And, most likely, a pilgrimage to Powell's one evening.)