Behind the Scenes

Last week was an absolute full circle moment for me. I’m still pinching myself that I was able to have my first signing at Barnes & Noble in Rehoboth Beach (the setting of Summer Triangle.) Meeting so many of you there was such a joy. Without question, cultivating a connection with readers has been the best part of my author journey. Yet I also found the experience of hand-selling my book particularly surreal in the coastal town where I’d spent many countless summer days daydreaming and sketching stories in my head. My inner six-year-old, with soggy pigtails and her nose in a book, would’ve been stunned. And I’m right there with her. If I’d written my experience as a story, I would’ve found it too serendipitous to be believable.

I’ve had Mark Twain’s timeworn adage ringing in my ears this week: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”

Thank you to everyone who chatted with me, bought my book, and opened my eyes to a bit of magic last Saturday. I’m grateful to have connected with you.

And also? I’m (selfishly) thrilled to have had an excuse to go to the beach with my people in October. If you’re inclined to take a break and travel to your favorite beach (or lake or mountain or desert) in a quieter stretch, I’d encourage you to do so. Today, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite reasons to sneak off for a jaunt in the off-season.

When I talk with people who love an off-season trip to the beach, inevitably, the first thing they’ll mention is the lack of crowds. There’s a logistical ease to the beach in ‘ber months. Lines disappear for coveted restaurants. Traffic glides. Prices plummet. There’s no need to plant an umbrella on a beach like a flag on the moon, as you’re virtually guaranteed a prime spot in the sand.

While this uber-adult perspective resonates with me, I also find that I notice my natural surroundings more in autumn. Sea oats turn russet-gold, studded with scrappy yellow buds. Marsh tones mimic the slow burn of autumn leaves, an entire landscape lashed with amber color. And I can’t forget the ocean. With less people huddled by its edges, the ocean reveals its personality. From mirror-calm to a climbing, gnashing, threatening beast, it is what is. We always know where we stand with the ocean, but never more so than in those seasons when we leave it alone.

I notice the people around me more in the off-season, too. I’ve always been a people-watcher. (I think every writer luxuriates in this habit, right?) But in colder months, a beach town will shed its touristy outer-layer and locals (always the lifeblood of the place) really shine. During my recent trip to Rehoboth Beach, I was privy to a beach wedding - and to the hush encircling the ceremony as beachgoers stopped to watch. There were harvest festivals and art walks. There was, of all things, a greyhound convention. During my signing, the most well-behaved greyhound (regal and civilized and impeccably groomed) strolled through the store. He didn’t knock one book off of a table. (I wanted to adopt him - and also, for his human to come train my dog.)

Of course, I was also able to meet more locals through my signing event. Their stories reminded me that locals give a town its scaffolding. While a summer vacation offers a highlight reel, an off-season visit gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into daily life on the coast. There’s more time to linger and to connect with the interesting individuals who call a vacation destination ‘home’.

As with any escape, I also valued the opportunity to take a break from reality. Most of my weekends are saturated with activity: youth sports and birthday parties, chores and work, exercise and the snooze button. If I rest on the weekend, I have to ignore the nagging voice within which points to the more productive thing I could be doing. Our calendars are designed to support a summer reprieve from our daily routines, but what about the rest of the year?

An off-season trip reminds us that we need rest, play, and connection year-round. My family joined me for our Rehoboth Beach sojourn, and everyone remarked that it was so nice to take a break. Despite the laundry awaiting me on Monday, I came home energized and refreshed from our blitz of a weekend. I know everyone else felt the same way.

We went to the beach with our fingers crossed that, despite the heady book signing bustle, we might breathe a bit easier there. And we while we did, we gained even more than that. Little did we know that we would pocket the peace of the place, that its relaxed pace would follow us home. We’re already in talks to return - and maybe we’ll opt to look past the peak season next time. Maybe you will, too.