GirlChild Press on the Road (Day 4)

We are exactly 382 miles from Los Angeles! We have stopped in Williams, AZ for the night.

We could have made it to our final destination today but we decided to do the tourist thing. Dana recommended that we visit the Acoma Sky City Pueblo in New Mexico. We took tons of pictures (if you are a Facebook friend you can go and check them out) and some footage of the land leading up to site (you are not allowed to take video of the actual space on the mesa.

I am always leery when I sign on to be a tourist, especially when I am in someone else's actual living space. There is always the possibility of someone saying or doing something stupid. The folks on the tour didn't disappointment.

Fred was a our tour guide for the 80 minute excursion. He was basically responsible for entertaining 20 adults and making sure we didn't break any traditional rules or fall off the mesa. I was surprised how many times he had to redirect grown folks. They acted like because they paid twenty bucks they could just trample all over the land and do whatever. By the end of the tour the irony of their behavior was not lost on me.

Any ol' way

The tour was fascinating. The history(the Acoma people were invaded by the Spaniards and made to accept Catholicism in very brutal ways). The ruggedness and beauty of the land (being on top of that mesa made it clear why it was called Sky City). Fred's pride in the accomplishments of his ancestors (the Pueblo Rebellion of 1680).

The minor detour was definitely worth it and driving through the desert of the Southwest is absolutely breathtaking. We ended our night at a restaurant with a singing cowboy (see end of the video) and a juicy steak.

Check out our video for the day.



Michelle
wwww.girlchildpress.com

GirlChild Press on the Road - Day 3

600 more miles closer to L.A.

We are in Albuquerque, NM tonight. The ride didn't feel as brutal today. The landscape continued to get flatter and the temperature hotter, but we wouldn't trade in this experience for anything.

Everyone kept warning us about the drive through Texas, but Oklahoma was the state that just kept on giving. I swear we drove from one end to the other. We just kept saying, "are we still in Oklahoma?" For most of the 600 miles it seemed the answer was YES! We drove through the panhandle of Texas and felt like we were in the state all of five minutes. We did get to see the "biggest cross in North America" while driving through the state. It was quite the sight.

Our day ended with dinner with the lovely Dana in the equally lovely Albuquerque, NM. Dana and I have never met but are Facebook friends. She invited us to dinner when she heard we would be passing through her neck of the woods. This was our first opportunity to sight see on this trip. Albuquerque is a city with a whole lot of personality.

We are actually a day ahead of schedule and we might slow things down a little tomorrow. Dana suggested some places we can check out and we might just hang out in Arizona a little. We'll see how we feel tomorrow.

Here is our video for the day. Don't judge us too harshly on not using sunblock...lol


Michelle
www.girlchildpress.com

Growing Up Girl in Santa Fe

I can't begin to describe my trip to Santa Fe, NM. I think if you wake up every morning to this view then you can't help but feel amazing. I definitely feel overwhelmed by all the hospitality,knowledge, and love for the written word.

PEN New Mexico invited me out to be the keynote speaker of a two day program that was inspired by the Growing Up Girl anthology! I am blown away by the idea that an entire weekend was organized to discuss and explore what it means to grow up girl and how that concept needs to appear in more young adult books.

The Friday night discussion was lively and robust. I hadn't done a reading on the book in quite a while and I was surprised how passionate I still felt about the material. There was a lot of discussion about tangible ways that we can empower and protect girls until they get to their full selves. I was really moved by the concern and energy around the topic.



The panel discussion on Saturday was equally as fulfilling. I had the opportunity to meet some really amazing young women. Tasha and Santana are two of those girls. Both are writers and are powerful forces to be reckoned with. Nobody is going to silence these young women. How wonderful it is to know you deserve to speak your truth without permission or hesitation. I am hoping to work with them on a wonderful project that hopefully will come to light in 2010.

A special thank you to Cinny Green who spearheaded this event and made me feel super welcomed. Barbara and Bill thank you for your hospitality. I really appreciate you sharing your home and view with me. I hope Judy Blume likes the book.

Next stop: NYC

Michelle
www.girlchildpress.com