Letter Q&A: How Do You Fill Free Time When Your Fisherman is Gone?
Photo by Bri Dwyer taken on Chris’ lobster boat near Santa Cruz Island, CA.

Hi Megan!

I am going to be honest, I have started this email seven times, and I can’t get past the first few lines. I’m sure you, as a fellow writer, fully understand the irony of this. I just get so emotionally invested that it stops the words!!! AHHHH!!!

Starting at the beginning, hi, hello, how are you??? I’m a 22 y/o writer and editor for a small tech startup, born and raised in the PNW, and this is my first year as a POCF. My boyfriend left port yesterday for his fifth commercial salmon season. He’s fishing pollock immediately after and isn’t due home until early-mid November. Maybe it just hasn’t hit me yet, but I feel very at peace with our situation, largely due to all the research I did before he left ;). But actually, I think that reading your blog helped me prepare for all these feelings, and I am happy to report that I FEEL GREAT!!!

I assume your inbox is flooded this time of year with lots of people seeking relationship advice, so hopefully, this email is a welcome departure. I am actually writing with a few career questions! I don’t know anyone in my day-to-day life who is also a writer by trade, let alone any other POCF writers. (more…)