Where do I go after pouring my heart, soul, and wisdom out in a travel guide? Thailand! Where else? And because this writer deserves a stellar, first-class experience to soothe my aching shoulder muscles from being hunched over a computer for months and months, I’m going to spend a week at the Banyan Tree Resorts – first in Bangkok, then in Phuket. I’m thinking Thai massages, cocktails by the pool, and sultry nights where I can dine under the sparkling stars. Yes, if I have to go through hell stringing 100,000+ words together, I deserve a week in heaven.

My trip will start off with a flight from LAX on Thai Air. They have this new Premium-Economy section, and I hear it’s better than many Business-Class seats. I can’t wait to fly them. I’ll let you know how it is.

Oh, back to Banyan Tree Resorts. It is one of the best resorts on the planet! The resort has won a ton of awards including best resort in the world and best resort in Asia. I’ll be staying in a private villa with my own swimming pool in Phuket! I promise to take loads of pictures to share. I’m hoping that I can get a great shot for my book cover.

Spontaneous acts of enjoyment have not been on my “to do” list for quite a while. But now that the book is done, my shoulders feel lighter and my fingers are ready to dial long-lost friends. So, I took the opportunity to slap a celebration together, when my friend Mark Wiser came to visit from Miami. I contacted a few of my closest girlfriends and invited them over to sip champagne, eat caviar, and celebrate my completed book.

A crew of 10 friends descended on my house and we toasted to the book, to friendship, and to life. I enjoy entertaining, but most of my soirees are big ordeals with tons of people and inevitably I never get to connect with anyone. It’s like trying to drink water under a waterfall, there is just too much there to swallow. I had to take Mark to the airport just when the party was revving up and it would have been nice if the night continued a bit longer, but I guess that’s what made the event so extraordinary. Just enough friends, hors d’oeuvres, and time.