Scott M. Sargent
Author of Young Adult and Middle-Grade books.
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Fall Writing Retreat
Scott Sargent
Oct 25
1 min read
Nope. Not Ireland this time. I spent a week in a former Soviet Republic. Tbilisi, Georgia. Did some sightseeing, went up to the mountains, explored the Old Town, but also got to do a lot of writing. I finally figured out the ending to Caleb's third book, and the rest is going smoothly. I’m embarrassed to admit that I spent far too much time in Dunkin’, but honestly, they had the best wifi.
It may not have been authentic to the scenery I was putting on the page, but if I squinted past the Soviet-block housing and massive Russian squares, I sometimes caught glimpses of Emain Macha. The mix of historical styles, the old-world charm, and the occasional modern glass structure stealing focus.
Overlooking the Old Town is Mother Georgia (who, in my opinion, looks more Soviet than Georgian). There are a few really modern glass-and-steel structures, but the Peace Bridge is the most elegant.
Freedom Square features a huge statue of St. George slaying the dragon. Some typical Soviet style apartments to the far north of the city, and another reliable wifi location—I think they sold burgers too. Oddly, all the American fast-food joints had kiosks with card payments. None of them took cash or took orders over the counter.
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