On a sunny fall day, I rushed out after work, grabbed my pre-packed bags, and headed for the car.

I was heading out on a road trip. Alone.

It's hard to remember the last time I did something like this. It's even harder to remember the last time I traveled so lightly.

Jimmy John's in hand, I headed for the freeway. It was a three hour drive and I had the Hamilton soundtrack downloaded - it would get me almost all of the way there.

Why was I headed for the C'Mon Inn in Northern Minnesota alone on a Friday night?

I'd been published!

During this past year, I've been devoting a lot of time to submitting pieces to different journals. This has resulted in what felt like hundreds of rejection emails that had popped up as I was walking to get Little L from the bus stop or standing in line at the grocery store. And also, apparently, a publication in the The Talking Stick! Two of my poems and one piece of creative nonfiction were being published. There was a book release party, and I was going.

This would be my first book release party, but it could have been my second. See, exactly six years earlier, my poem, "The Way We Move," had been not only published in this same journal, but actually won first prize! The day I got that call, I was dumbstruck - I thought for sure it was a prank. Although I was pregnant and would have a newborn in September 2017, I was determined to make it to the reading anyway.

By the time September 2017 came around, I couldn't figure out a way to make a three-hour drive (each way!) work. Would Axel and Little L come with? What about her feeding schedule? Would we stop on the way? Would we stay overnight?

In the end, Axel suggested I go alone, but I was too nervous to leave little Little L. I didn't let the day pass without marking its importance - I went out for an almond croissant and cold press at the Farmer's Market and returned with my newly-pedicured toes to read my poem to Axel, Little L, and my brother David and his partner Ami, who had come over so that Axel could clean up papers while they hung out with Little L (a gift to me).

I remember holding Little L up in the air after I read the poem, my brother laughing that it looked like a move from the Lion King.

On this day, six years later, David was again helping out with picking Little L up from school and getting her to soccer. Gamma and Gampa would host her at their house afterwards. Axel was out of town. It was me, on my own, headed to the reading.

I have to admit: I was very nervous, and not just because of the reading. The anxiety I'd felt over the idea of being three hours away from her when she was just a baby wasn't far from my mind. I was worried about all of the logistics; I was worried about my long drive. I was going to come home right after the reading on Saturday - I was worried she'd be sad with both of her parents gone in different locations.

When I pulled into the C'Mon Inn and gathered my snack wrappers and La Croix cans, I breathed a sigh of relief at having made it to my destination. I sent a selfie to Gamma to show Little L and checked in and went up to my hotel room.

That's when it dawned on me that I could do whatever I wanted for the rest of the evening.

This turned out to be a swim in the pool and dip in the hot tub, followed by snacking in bed while watching the WNBA playoffs.

The next morning I got up at 6:30, was one of the first people at the complimentary breakfast, and set out on my way to the writers' party.

After some winding roads that had me only slightly perplexed, I came to the site of the workshop and release party. I went in, found a seat in back, grabbed some water, and spent the next few hours working on my writing and listening to others' writing.

By the time the time came to read aloud, I was grateful that I only had to read one piece. I picked a piece about meeting my mom friend Veronica that talked about that new-mom loneliness/desperation, which seemed appropriate, given that in a way, this was my redemption trip.

You don't always get a second chance, but this time I did, and even though I was nervous, I'm happy to say I took it. All was fine upon my return, although Little L was about to start playing Legos at 7PM when I walked in, no PJs in sight. She was happy to see me, but I think she was having more fun under her uncle's rules.

Thanks to everyone who insisted that I take the trip and helped to make it logistically possible. And thanks even more to The Talking Stick for another acceptance letter.