I remember seeing the email and thinking this has to be a joke. I was so shocked I closed my computer and didn’t read the email until days later. I was invited to a Writing Residence at Rosemary’s House in Nikiti, Greece. First I was afraid it was a scam. I sat up all night googling reviews and searching instagram. When I told my husband the first thing he said was, “You’re going!” But I was scared. I was going to do something I had never done before, with people I don’t know, to a place I’d never heard of. I kept going through pro’s and con’s. I knew if it was good it was going to be great, but we couldn’t afford it. I lost my job the month before and did not need to be spending that amount of money. I kept thinking what if I’m making a mistake? But then I thought what if the greatest mistake is not going. I would regret it and always look back at the what if’s. 2 weeks later I was on a flight from BHM to ATL, ATL to AMS, AMS to ATH, ATH to SKG, and an 1.5 hour ride to Nikiti. When I walked through the automatic doors of the airport and they opened to reveal Mount Chortiatis, tears welled in my eyes. I knew I made the right decision. The group of people I found were a healing to my soul. We thought the same things, experienced the same things, and felt the same way. We had no idea where we were going but knew it’s where we needed to be. The most special part was my cohort led by the kindest, most gentle, and giving author Deesha Philyaw. I can’t explain what she poured into me. It wasn’t just about the writing. It was everything I needed to hear to bring me back to believing in me. What she taught me about writing changed me. I came home from that trip so inspired that I wrote around 30,000 words in 2 weeks. It gave me the ability to look at my manuscript with fresh eyes and focus on making it more human. Creating.a connection like the one I made with Sayu, Tracy, Darrian, Kamilah, Lesley, and Koritha. And last, but not least, Deesha. I didn’t have to explain being a Black woman, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a writer full of imposter syndrome. They got me, they taught me, and they healed me. The entire trip was surreal. The surroundings were so beautiful and lush. It was paradise in every way possible. I kept asking myself “Is this real?” It was indeed real and I will forever treasure the knowledge and friends I gained on that far away trip to a little town in Nikiti, that changed my life.
