To the Greatest of Days yet Lived

If I was asked to go through the memory rolodex and quantify the greatest days of my life in ascending order, it would take some serious time. Thanks to the winding road I’ve experienced a multitude of blissed out 24 hour periods. However, a few key dates instantly jump to mind like October 11, 2016. This was when my long, strange, trip began.

Those who have been with me since the beginning might remember, 2 & 1/2 years ago I set out with the intention to garnish life experience to in turn have material to write about. My goal was to become a published author.

What? Was? Some might ask, “why the past tense?” Did I call it quits? NOPE! The is, is now a was because this goal has been achieved! Through the trials and tribulations that come along with traveling I’ve probably had at least 101 reasons to quit (or not even begin in the first place.) Instead I have 101 pages of bold, honest, soul-bearing poetry to show for my time on the road. My debut work, “Diary of a Blonde Vagabond” is a 50 poem long anthology available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback. (I’m on prime y’all!) Amazon Author Rita C Serra 

This brings me to two more keys dates that are high on the life dial. April 29, 2019 I officially became a published author and April 30, 2019 I simultaneously cracked the top ten and became #1. Within 24 hours of publishing, “Diary of a Blonde Vagabond” reached #9 on Amazon’s, Best Sellers in Poetry Anthology list, sharing the top 10 ranks with Shel Siverstein and Dr. Suess. It has never felt more fitting that my grandmother gave me a copy of, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” as part of my college graduation gift.

“Diary of a Blonde Vagabond” also reached #12 on Amazon’s, Best Seller’s in Literary Diaries and Journals list and is the current #1 New Release in poetry anthologies.

 

 

 

Flabbergasted? Surreal? Shocked? I am still searching for the right word to describe my feelings about this whirlwind. Many happy tears have been shed in public. The moment after I hit submit and sent my baby into the world the walls in my apartment felt too small. I went outside, sat under the stars, and smiled like the Cheshire Cat while listening to “Vacation” by Dirty Heads on repeat.

It’s been a release, a relief, a realization, a dream achieved to know people will finally be reading my work. This has been the culmination of 2 & 1/2 years, countless edits, and a few technology-induced near mental breakdowns. A friend asked if I was nervous about publishing “Diary of a Blonde Vagabond.” My answer was yes and no. No, because I am proud of my work and feel it’s worth sharing. But on the flip side, yes because it is personal as hell. In my publishing wake I was shown a fitting quote,  “Vulnerability is not about winning or not about losing. It’s the ability to show up when you can’t control the outcome.” – Brene Brown

Curious what this anthology is all about? Well… (ripped straight from Amazon’s product description:)

Prepare to be taken on an odyssey across four continents and deep into one human’s psyche. After making the decision to throw caution to the wind and travel the world, the path to personal acceptance begins. Epic fails, lessons learned, vague tales and musical musings act as the compass directing this anthology. As the pages turn, the lens shifts focus from self-criticism to world questioning touching on topics such as morality, society, religion, mental health, philosophy and government. Crack the spine and come along for the ride.

So if you generally find my musings deserving of an A, then check out my latest contribution to the literary world:

“Diary of a Blonde Vagabond” Paperback

“Diary of a Blonde Vagabond” Kindle

Remember y’all there is no reason to believe your dreams won’t cross over from theoretical to reality. Take it from me, with hard work and dedication anything is possible if you follow your passion. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from trying.

Always good vibes,

Rita C Serra aka That Blonde Vagabond