Disney and Courage.

To my left is a picture of my writing room for the last week.

That's right. I took my work to Disney World and converted my fancy room at Alligator Bayou number 37 Port Orleans Riverside into a writing studio.

I would do something scary, like submit something, and then I would run away and take a boat to Disney Springs or a bus to Epcot. I structured it this way because I knew that it would be a lot more fun and productive to do all the scary stuff from Disney.

It is an exciting time in my writing life. I was just named one of the CSArtists for 2017 at the Omaha Creative Institute, for one. I'm actively submitting stories. My writing group is the best writing group I could ask for. My writer friends and I are planning a writers' retreat for April. And did I mention my writing studio was a Disney World room for five days?

Things are looking up for ol' Jen.

But with great opportunity comes great responsibility. In the last year and a half, I've learned how to conduct myself via email. I've learned how to brag without being braggadocios. I've learned how to walk through the fire and write from the heart all those things that are scary to write.

But I'm finding that as this week rolls on, even Disney can't give us all the courage we may need in the coming years.

But I also know that I'm capable of holding my own and standing up to keep walking. I am capable of advocating for myself and for my dreams. And there is no better motivation to get things done than deserving another Disney vacation.

That's what this all is for, really. Disney vacations.