This Is My Secret: The Blog and Website of Writer Kristin Cashore

I've just gotten home and am going through my mail. It's a day for unpacking, organizing, trying to remember and reinstate my routines, and figuring out which way is up. I like days like this. They're cozy and slow, and I don't put a lot of pressure on myself. Especially since I handed in a draft right before I left, I have the added pleasure of deciding what I'm writing next. This thing that I probably should work on, or that thing that's knocking on my door, begging to be worked on? And, now that Arctic Trip Prep is no longer my biggest extracurricular activity, I finally get to dive into some other projects that have been on hold. You know your life has opened up a little when you're actually looking forward to tasks like choosing new health insurance now that you're married, and figuring out whether you need to keep paying for long-term disability insurance. Sigh. This morning, I find myself spending some time with my favorite piece of mail -- the

Dear Readers, Just wanted to report that I'm back in Oslo, after 2+ spectacular weeks of sailing around the western and northwestern coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, in the tall ship Antigua, with a group of wonderful artists, guides, and crew. I have many, many pictures to post and stories to tell, but I'm not home yet, and it'll be a few days until I get organized. Here are a couple just to start things off :o). I can't wait to share more! xo, Kristin Kim Mirus , one of my sailing companions and an extraordinary weaver, took this photo. That's Antigua in the background. And I took this panorama with my iPhone... it makes the ship look very bendy :o). Click to embiggen.