You know when you’re paddling in the sea with your trousers rolled up to your knees and then you see a huge wave approaching so you turn and run the other way but it starts to catch you up and slaps your legs with a huge wet spray that’s kind of exhilarating except you don’t really want to get any wetter so you keep running and kind of jumping and laughing and probably going ”argh!” a bit and the wave keeps chasing you so you just keep going till it runs out of energy and you land on a heap in the sand?
Phew!
That was me last week. It was a really busy, exciting, exhausting week that I saw coming but still didn’t really prepare myself for – I just ran and jumped went with it. I landed on Sunday evening very soggy and with a definite sense of ‘phew’ mixed with ‘yay!’
Why? Well Monday was the first day after the Easter holidays so I was in full-on ‘catch up with everything I’ve let slip for the past two weeks!’ mode which included housework and blogging and trying to write something for CampNaNo. There were also emails flying back and forth between Sophie and me as we were planning our #THISislearning campaign. At one point I was drying my hair and designing a blog badge on my laptop while simultaneously pretending to be a ‘mummy lion’ to my three-year-old. It was that sort of day. I also had to pack for…
Tuesday when I set off to my parents’ house in Yorkshire with my three-year-old (leaving his big brothers at home with my husband). I visited my grandparents and did more campaign planning while also trying to organise everything for…
Wednesday when I set off for London leaving my three-year-old with my parents. Unfortunately, at the station (and with no time to turn round) I realised I’d left my phone at my parent’s house. TWO DAYS IN LONDON WITH NO PHONE! But it was ok because I’d brought my laptop… although OH NO – I’D FORGOTTEN THE CHARGER! An inauspicious start but it was ok, I got there (campaign planning all the way on the train) and found my way to the business conference I was going to. Thank goodness my mum had given me her London street map despite my saying ‘oh it’s fine, I can just use google maps’ … not without your smart phone you can’t you fool! It was a really good event and very networky which was great in many ways but networking completely exhausts me!
Luckily, a tonic was on the way in the form of the very lovely Alice from The Filling Glass who I went out for a meal with in the evening. Alice and I have never met before although we’ve been following each other’s blogs since last summer. I had a hunch we would get on well, and we really did. We had lots in common, even our matching blue ‘mummy coats’! I’m hoping we manage another meet up – maybe a whole #WhatImWriting meet up – later in the year.
Then Thursday was a big day – my first experience of the London Book Fair! This is an amazing event where loads of publishers, book sellers, authors, distributors, wholesalers, agents and, well, anyone who’s interested in books in any way, all gathers under one roof. There was so much to take in! You’ll have to forgive the poor quality of the photo below – remember how I said I’d forgotten my phone? I spent much of my London trip really missing the ability to take photos (Alice took the one above) then shortly before I left the Book Fair I thought, ‘ooh hang on, my laptop has a camera… I mean, it doesn’t have a viewing window or anything, but I could use ‘photo booth’ in selfie mode…’ so I stood on the balcony, placed my laptop on a rail, pointed it away from me (looked a like a weirdo) and TA DA!
Proof I was there! I have to admit, after talking non-stop on Wednesday I spent Thursday just absorbing information and not networking at all. This was possibly a missed opportunity but there was only so much I could do. I went to lots of writing seminars and wandered round looking at lots of books and feeling a mixture of contentment and overwhelm. I’ll write more about what I learned in a separate post soon.
I also continued the campaign planning with Sophie in the gaps between seminars, although by this time my laptop battery was seriously depleted. I took the train back to my parents’ house on Thursday night and on the way, with 1% of battery remaining (and surrounded by business men, laptops and sandwiches on a hugely crowded train), I finally finished and hit ‘publish’ on my #THISislearning launch post. Another ‘phew’ moment.
On Friday morning I was happily reunited with my son (who’d had an awesome time with my parents) and we made our way back up north and home just in time to pick my older boys up from school. I then solo-parented my way through the weekend as my husband had gone away shortly before I got back! By yesterday night I was ready to collapse in a heap, so spent the evening with a glass of wine and my laptop catching up with blog commenting.
So that was my wave-dodging week – my feet are soggy and sandy but I’m drying them and dusting them off for the week ahead. I can see more waves coming my way!
Wow what a week indeed LBF sounds amazing and your This is learning campaign is fab xx
Wow what an incredible week- you must be exhausted and exhilarated! So many achievements! Brilliant
That is one crazy busy week! Sounds like you’ve had an amazing time though

Sara | mumturnedmom recently posted…Outdoors: Snow Painting …in April
Thank you so much for sharing your week of journeys and visits with #ThePrompt! Wonderful to have you, as always x
Sara | mumturnedmom recently posted…The Prompt 111
What a week indeed Maddy. It’s so good to be busy and productive and achieve stuff (yes I’m aware of too many commas in that sentence); yet it’s so good to chill with laptop and a decaff (in my case – so rock n roll!). Sometimes my weeks go like this and I’m rather soggy at the end

Carol Cameleon recently posted…Win a bracelet from DeeBee jewellery ~ review and giveaway
Wow, super busy and all done without a smart phone… I get scared if I go downstairs without mine! Think of all those steps you’ve missed! Looking forward to hearing more about all you got up to.
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What a crazy week, I was exhausted and didn’t do half of what you did! It was so lovely to meet you last week, I’m glad we managed it, and I really hope we meet again soon. Look forward to hearing more about the book fair too. Xx
Alice @ The Filling Glass recently posted…Pondering feedback: Part 2
Blimey, Maddy, what a week. Well done with all your hard work on the campaign. And sign me up for a What I’m Writing meet up later in the year!
Rebecca Ann Smith recently posted…I love grammar, but I don’t love the SATs
Absolutely insane week Maddy, but as always you aced it! Love that you were getting ready whilst also being a mummy lion
multi tasking at its very best! So gutted to have missed you this time, but HELL YEAH to another WIW meet soon xxx
I think your title says it all. The book fair is overwhelming. I went a few years ago and felt a bit lost really. Mind you, they were only just starting to include authors and the whole think felt a bit more aimed at booksellers.
Nicola Young recently posted…My middle grade manuscript
That is a very crazy week! It all sounds very constructive though. Well done you on dealing with the phone situation – I would have been in complete panic mode!! Thanks for hosting #WhatImWriting
Verily Victoria Vocalises recently posted…For the Love of Blogging – Day 19 of National Poetry Writing Month #NaPoWriMo
That sounded like a really productive week, and really interesting where you talked about LBF. I’d love to read more about the Fair so will look out for your posts. Also London – though thrilling is a bit draining, I always like going but I also love coming home to a far less crowded Devon. Managing without a phone away from home is impressive!
Do you know strangely enough I know exactly how you feel right now! I am however super impressed that you managed the whole #THISislearning launch whilst trekking across the country sans phone. Good work
Definitely up for another #WhatImWriting meeting very soon xx
Sophie Lovett recently posted…A writing recovery plan
Oh my goodness that was quite a week – sounds like you fitted a huge amount in and love the sound of the London Book Fair

Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love) recently posted…#366daysofgratitude – Week 16
What an amazing week, and I have to admit I did an audible gasp at the thought of being in London for 2 days with no phone!! Not sure how you do it all and remain sane – in awe!
#thePrompt
Such a busy week! Always a nice feeling when you can finally relax after feeling like you’ve been running around non-stop! x #ThePrompt
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Phew!
I’m tired just reading all that. Will look out for your review of the London Book Fair. Must try and go next year
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