I wasn’t planning on flying to Los Angeles this weekend, but I woke up to a congratulations email from the Science Fiction Writers of America. Last night the SFWA notified me that I won one of their 2023 Nebula Conference scholarships and three free nights at the Sheraton Park Resort in Anaheim, California.
Now, I’m the type of person who has learned to pay close attention to anything I get for free. “Say yes to winning,” my ancestors keep telling me. And I promised them I’d always listen and act when called upon, so I booked my flight this morning.
This is one of life’s little magic moments. What will happen during this journey? What will my hotel room be like? Who will I meet at this conference? How will it feel to watch the Nebula Awards in person? What kind of inspiration will I pick up along the way?
All answers will be revealed as I go. All an exciting adventure. A leap of faith.
I’ve always struggled with networking. I’m an introverted writer, after all. But I’m willing to break out of the box and try. The time has come. It’s long overdue, actually.
How ironic that this happened exactly one year after I left the west coast and moved back to Philadelphia. I mean EXACTLY. I left Seattle for the long drive back home on May 10 last year.
And now I’m flying off to L.A. Life sure is funny sometimes.