My stay at Civitella Ranieri provided me with the opportunity to incorporate a new element into my literary praxis: rest. Oftentimes my young literary career has been defined by working in an unsustainable way—long hours, trying to meet too many deadlines at once, and never taking the time to enjoy small moments of life. Being here, though, allowed me to step back from the breakneck speed of literary production and to rest and reflect on better ways of telling and sharing stories. Working in a rural setting also provided me with a stimulating aural and visual environment that was quite different from the one in which I work at home in Windhoek, Namibia. The birds, the insects, the barking dogs, the occasional car, the rain and the mist, the rare chill, the heat, the humidity—everything immersed me in a different way of life that I will remember for many years to come and, hopefully, infuse into a story or two.