bolstering the inner palace

words and photos and incredible gratitude for 2025's beautiful beginning

Last week as the impending snow storm was traveling toward Atlanta, I was on a plane bound for the 42nd annual Key West Literary Seminar. I’d applied for a Teacher & Librarian Scholarship in June and was elated to find out in September that I got it. I was excited for this trip, but I’ve also been in survival mode for months, so I honestly didn’t really think much about it until the few days before it was here. And even then, packing my own things felt like an afterthought when I was also sorting the many necessary details for my family to take care of the kids in my absence. But when I landed in Key West and walked out of the airport, that magical travel moment happened that makes you feel like you jumped through a portal. It was 24 degrees when I left Atlanta that morning, but a few hours later, I was shedding my scarf and sweater and staring out the taxi window to watch palm trees against a blue sky.

colorful Key West, near the Southernmost point

Once I found my hotel and checked in,…