Space to Create

Jake Doe Burning Bright: Greenville, Maine: Wilson Pond. A scenic perch for writing.

Like everything with this book, my decision to embark on a five-week Jake Doe Journey just seemed to flow into place. I picked out the route and booked all the Airbnbs in a single evening.

The first half of my journey would trace a lot of Jake’s route: Boston, Albany, Green Mountains, White Mountains, and into Maine. Then the second half of my trip, I’d detour off to places Jake never visited but would have loved: Acadia National Park; Eastport, Maine; St Andrews by the Sea, New Brunswick; Prince Edward Island, Antigonish, Cape Breton, and finally three more nights on the Maine coast traveling back to Boston. Yes, I’m very fortunate to be able to make this trip. It’s a part of the country I’ve always wanted to see—and this was my chance.

I was right that I would discover lots of details that would add texture to Jake’s story, especially in Boston and at Lowell Lake, Vermont, the site of his encounter with the Abenaki people.

My time spent in those two spots was memorable—magical—as I experienced them through our hero’s eyes and was able to capture for the readers, fingers to keyboard.

What I wasn’t expecting was how incredibly conducive these travel spots I’d chosen would be to finishing up final edits on the book. I instinctively chose spots in magnificent natural settings—the peaceful Battenkill River Valley, Vermont, staring up at Mount Equinox from my front stoop; a rushing river out my back door in Gorham, New Hampshire; a marvelous, serene, long-range view of Wilson Pond out my window in Greenville, Maine; a studio apartment isolated in the woods, steps from Acadia National Park; a historic, top-floor apartment in Eastport, Maine, with panoramic views of the Pasamaquoddy Bay; and, now, a charming studio in the quaint, highly-walkable village of St. Andrews by the Sea, directly on the Bay of Fundy, in New Brunswick, Maine.

Now you may be thinking I spent a fortune on this trip, but it was only a tiny fortune, traveling off-season in April. The locals at several of my stops have apologized for the cold weather, but I’ve thanked them for their low 50s and sunny skies. I’ll be back in the Southern heat in no time.

Just like the farm back in Georgia gave me the open space to create this book, these scenic spots have given me the space—and inspiration—to complete the book with pleasure.

My pattern has been to wake up really early, after only a few hours of sleep, review and edit for two or three hours, then head out on foot or in the car for a daybreak hike or drive in the quietly beautiful, natural surroundings. I’ll return to my place and work more or maybe sleep a little more. It’s been a very productive couple of weeks of work.

And I feel like I’m the only tourist anywhere around—my kind of travel.

Note: I’ve captured a lot of photos and videos from these spots, many posted on social media. All links are available on the website.