I had a such a wonderful time on my book tour for Secrets of Adulthood. I visited fifteen cities without a single travel complication.
Every time I write a book, getting to talk with readers and listeners about it is one of my favorite things. As always, I found it so so interesting (and often surprising) to hear which “secrets” resonate most with people.
Seven random highlights, observations, and hacks from my road trip:
- Gold star to those kind people who help others stow their carry-on bags. Hoisting my bag over my head was my least favorite part of the travel process, and I so appreciated the thoughtful people who helped me.
- Airport planners, please number (or otherwise identify) the airport doors, so it’s easy to tell someone exactly where you are.
- Airline apps! It makes a huge difference to have the actual app for an airline on your phone. In fact, these days, perhaps it’s not really possible to fly without doing so?
- I love a hotel-room coffee maker. LOVE. It feels so luxurious to me. Tip: If you ask at the front desk for more coffee pods, they’ll give you as many as you want, for free.
- Have you ever wanted to give (or get) a giant presentation check? It might be expensive or tricky to create a custom check, but during a stop at a TV station, I saw a dry-erase version of the giant check. Who knew that such a thing existed? I can imagine that this $30 reusable “check” would be a fun prop for a school presentation, scout event, celebration, or fundraiser.
- In the past, when I’ve visited a city for just one night, I haven’t made any effort to see friends. It just felt too complicated. But because maintaining friendships is such a high value for a happier life, these days, I’m trying to push myself to make it work to see friends along the way. On this tour, I stayed overnight with law-school friends in Tulsa, and it was one of the highlights of my tour.
- Gratitude is an essential element of a happier life, but it can be so easy to take positive aspects of our lives for granted, and forget to feel grateful. This tour reminded me to be grateful for the fact that I live in a city with three major airports that provide so many direct flights (though, true, Newark is having some serious issues right now) as well as Amtrak and Metro-North trains—infrastructure that makes it much easier to go places. I rarely think about it, and for someone who travels frequently, it’s actually a tremendous luxury.
Many writers don’t like the travel-and-appearance part of publishing a book. I feel lucky that I enjoy it so much. Many thanks to all the readers and listeners who came to events along the way—I had a great time.
