I need a [blog] vacation.

the more I've thought about it the more I feel it's what I need to do.

the idea has been floating around my head for a while... trying to manage things while showing visitors around Taiwan and then traveling and trying to enjoy being back in Michigan. it's been difficult to manage. and distracting. and not what I want for this summer.

I want to be free to fully devote myself to the moment.

[because, let me tell you, there are some really great moments ahead of me this summer.]

I considered writing a bunch of posts ahead of time and scheduling them. I have plenty of material stocked up. but that amount of work requires a serious time devotion now. and I'm already in the thick of trying to spend time with family and friends while I can. and trying to devote the time I carve out away from that to work on editing my book.

this weekend I had a conversation with my friend Phyllis [or maybe it was India Banks, they sound the same to me over the phone] and as I was in the midst of telling her that it's ok to not be constantly present on her blog and that she has every right to keep her personal life private... my own words slapped me in the face.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.

when I went out for a walk [to disconnect and think] instead of focusing on the gorgeous Lake Michigan sunset in front of me I kept thinking about what I was going to do with the blog, how I was going to manage it all, and realized that I need a vacation. in fact, I haven't gone longer than a week between posts since beginning this blog over 2 years ago.

I'm going to finish out the month of June, and then take July off from blogging. I've emailed my affected sponsors and come up with a plan to handle that end of things. I still have a few posts to share before July, including my entry for the Make Waves essay contest. [which you should check out because it's being hosted by a group of amazing women with great stories to tell.] and I signed up to post in Marielle's "hello world" series about cultural experiences around the world. [which will go live while I'm on break, but you should check out the series anyway because it's already getting good.]

you might find me commenting and you will most definitely see me hanging around twitter and instagram. I may go a few weeks and not be able to stay away. I'm not making any firm promises here because, one: I don't know what will happen and two: I don't actually have to justify this break to anyone.

but I love you, my readers, and dearly. so I felt you deserved some notice. I hope you have a lovely July and fill it with memories. get outside, grill something, drive with the top down, skinny dip, fall in love [with yourself, if no one else.]

linking up with Melyssa today for another edition of the creative collective.