Today is the twenty-seventh day of November, Anno Domini 2011, and I’m officially done with my Nanowrimo challenge. I’m tired, my neck is stiff, the inflammation in my arm is flaring up. I ate too much, I cooked too little, and I am overall a mess. But, I am a satisfied, happy mess. This is my third Nano, and although not finishing wasn’t a possibility, I had several obstacles along the way. I was reminded time and again that freedom of writing is not granted, and that I’m addicted to it. Pax at War is 80k, 50k of them written in twenty-seven days in bursts of 3/4000 words at a time. Physical therapy, at some point four times a week, chronic pain, and other problems did their best to dampen my mood, but I sat and I wrote. Physical therapy will end, the chronic pain will lessen—or I’ll find a way to manage it, my mood will soar again, but Pax at War will be here forever to remind me that was worth suffering. I’m lucky that not only I don’t have anything disabling, but that my husband believes in what I do and let me do it. So, three days after Thanksgiving, I can repeat here what I said before family and friends: I’m grateful for my life. Now, back to writing.