We’re planning another of our yearly vacations (even though my new job does not offer paid vacations). Going to be at Surfside Beach in September, so naturally I’m wishing it was already August…

Since there are only four of us going this year, we’ve decided to rent a condo rather than a house. It’ll be a tighter fit, but still relaxing and fun. The condo has a pool, so this time we’ll be able to swim no matter what the tides look like. The only downside is that there’s no elevator, but we don’t have that much stuff to schlep up the stairs so we should be OK.

There’s just something about a week at the beach that rejuvenates your creativity. I’ve never been certain if it’s the salt air, the constant breeze, or the soft shushing of the surf hitting the sand. Or maybe it’s just the chance to sit on the porch with nothing you absolutely have to do.

Not having a paid vacation isn’t fun, of course, but I think I can squeak by with only three paychecks that month. I do have some savings put by and I plan to put a good bit of the cost on my credit card, which is currently paid off in full. That should make them happy and I’ll have more time to pay for everything. And who knows? Maybe I’ll have a more permanent job by then that does have paid vacation!

I’m off on another vacation to somewhere I’ve never been – this time it’s Denver. I find travel stimulates my creativity, especially when I’m doing things like riding a steam train and visiting a historic house museum.

Even if you can’t afford to go to Denver (or South Carolina if you already live in Denver), you can take a little time to yourself to recharge your mental batteries.

Try a weekend at a local hotel if you can’t travel far. Or even a “Spa Day” where you pamper yourself would work fine. The idea is to get away from it all for a little while. Shut off the daily worries and stresses and let your brain unwind.

I’ll post some photos of my journey on the photo pages.

What do you do to unwind and recharge your batteries?

We now have three named hurricanes headed for the Americas at once. This is an unprecedented occurrence and could well be a major disaster for the US as well as our neighboring countries to the south and southeast.

I’ve mostly recovered from my unexpected illnesses, but am now worried for Florida, Texas, and the Caribbean islands.

If you live anywhere in the pathway of one of these hurricanes, please evacuate. Climate change means these storms are not going to be fooling around – you’re not going to be able to “ride it out” the way people used to. These are larger, fiercer storms than those of even a decade ago, and it’s only going to get worse as our climate continues to warm.

We’re headed for the coast ourselves in a week, for a well-earned vacation and some creativity re-booting. There’s nothing like a week at the beach for stimulating the old noggin for me. We’re all watching the weather though, hoping another hurricane won’t form this quickly and follow Irma and Jose.

You’ve probably figured out that I’ve finally scheduled a vacation. Yep, getting a bit burned out at the day job, so it’s time to recharge those creative batteries so I can get back to working 12-hour days and writing before bed. Sometimes even I wonder how I do it …

Of course, before you leave for any vacation, there are chores:

• tidy up all the clutter that accumulates because I’d rather write than do housework
• make sure all those last-minute items find their way into the bags and boxes
• pack the rental van … it’s rather like a giant Tetris game

I’m nearly done with Book 2 … my goal for this vacation is to finish the first draft and start Edit 1

Where is your favorite recharging destination?

I feel a bit like I’m on Gilligan’s Island — we drove for 30 minutes once we left the main road before we even got to the beach part of the island, and the beach house has a TV that plays only sports, no internet at all except on your 4G devices, and only a minuscule grocery store stocked with staples.

Of course, this means that I should be able to get the rest of the damn book finished, right? This is assuming I can avoid the rest of this crazy lot who want to spend their vacation driving around looking for Walmart and WiFi signals! I shall persevere, however, despite the slight discomfort of typing on an open deck in the dewy pre-dawn, with only the gnats for company.

I’ve seen a grand total of 4 people who are not in our party so far … I think we might just come back here next year.

Getting geared up for a week’s vacation – from the day job, that is.

I’m not sure writers ever really take vacations. I’m packing the laptop, the iPad, and of course, the cellphone – all of which have writing apps on them. I’m on the final stretch of the novel, and I’m going to have it done by the end of the year … one way or another!

My idea of the ideal vacation is a comfy deck chair and my laptop. WiFi is a nice perk, but we’ll be on a barrier island with no internet hookup, so I might not be posting as often as usual. Have to see how the iPad manages.

What’s your ideal vacation – and do you take a vacation from writing?