A book signing, a cemetery tour under the full moon, and feeling grateful...

Moonrise over the James River, Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia

There’s a popular perception about professors and summer. The story goes something like this: when classes end, we pack away our notes, grab a good book, and spend the next few months soaking up the sun, traveling, or enjoying leisurely mornings with endless cups of coffee.

While that might be true for some, my summer has looked very different. The weeks leading up to the fall semester have been some of my busiest and most rewarding. This summer I have spent my time working and as a volunteer where I connect with my community, and push creative projects forward, work that fuels both my writing and my teaching.

This past weekend was a perfect snapshot of my summer. On Saturday morning, I had a book signing at the Richmond Public Library. The turnout was incredible, and I was reminded once again that my best-selling venues happen to be two places steeped in history and meaning: the library and the cemetery. Both are spaces where stories are preserved, just in different ways.

After signing books, catching up with friends, and meeting new readers, I grabbed lunch with a friend before preparing for my evening Full Moon cemetery tour. This was no ordinary night. We gathered under the Sturgeon Moon in Aquarius, an air sign that speaks to communication, shared visions, and building bridges between past and future. I always try to start each Full Moon tour with a fresh perspective, and this time I even threw in a dad joke which, I must say, landed surprisingly well. It was a reel-y good joke!

We had around 65 attendees that night. Over the course of the three Full Moon tours I have led this summer, we have raised 2,875 dollars for the Friends of Hollywood Cemetery. That money goes directly toward preserving this historic site and ensuring that its stories and beauty remain for generations to come.

After the tour, a few new friends invited me out to a diner. I said yes. That is not my usual post-event routine since I am often home well before midnight, but this time I stayed out until 1 a.m. and it was worth every minute. The good conversations, laughter, and sense of connection cannot be scheduled into a calendar. Okay, it can, and I used to have a spontaneity sticker for my planner, but you know what I mean. 

On Sunday, I ventured into new territory with my first visit to the Oddities and Curiosities Expo. I had never attended before since taxidermy has never been my thing, as I like my goth a little less literal, but I am so glad I went. The creativity on display was inspiring, and I left with my hands full of art. 

Every tour I lead, every conversation I have, and every new experience I step into adds something to my toolkit as an educator. History comes alive when you have walked the ground where it happened. Storytelling deepens when you have stood under the moonlight sharing it with others. Creativity expands when you are open to unexpected inspiration.

For me, summer is not downtime. It is an investment in the work I will be doing all year long. When the semester begins, I will bring these experiences, stories, and renewed energy into my classroom. My students do not just get lectures, they get a richer and more connected view of the world because I have been out there engaging with it.

So yes, the sun is shining, and somewhere in a cemetery, there is a lounge chair with my name on it. For now, I am busy, and I would not have it any other way.