In the new year, I will move to a more diverse, tolerant neighborhood than the reactionary one that I currently live in. Until then, though, the best I can do to keep my sanity - and to gain experiences that I will need in order to write my novel - will be to temporarily travel to diverse, tolerant areas.
Between Christmas and New Year's Day, I will be in the San Francisco Bay Area just for that purpose. This will be my third visit there in less than 18 months, and the sixth major trip for me this year, after having visited the likes of Seattle and Vancouver. My goal is to start reaching out and getting in touch with real-life people and communities, instead of enduring flame wars in online communities.
There will be quite a few LGBT oriented (emphasis on T) events that I will attend, as well as a Unitarian Church service. There will be tourist activities, but I will also try to kick back, relax, get lost in a San Francisco neighborhood (or the UC Berkeley campus), and just brainstorm away for my novel. I'll even allow a few hours for my newest passion - bowling. I've put together a hefty itinerary that will stretch the entire week - I'm kind of surprised myself, at how many activities I managed to come up with, in an area where I had lived in for years (and obviously exhausted all touristy activities).
I hope to come away with many wonderful experiences that will help out my novel - and also my soul, at least until I move.
