What's this Blog of Which You Speak?

Dear Readers,

You're still here? You're that committed?

Well, thanks. And yet, I disappoint. No posting. Disappearing to the other side of the world and not even writing you a postcard--what's up with that??

I don't really know. My brain's been full.

It's true. I did go to the other side of the world for a couple of weeks. I'm an instructor for the WFTDA's Officiating Clinics, so I went to Auckland, New Zealand, and the Gold Coast in Australia to teach Non-Skating Officiating to a bunch of awesome Kiwis and Aussies. The training clinics were so much fun--I get to talk about officiating and draw on a big white board and help people become excellent. I can't wait to get to do it again during some of the U.S. clinics this summer.

I'd never been to either country before, so everything was new and exciting and on the wrong side of the road but also still in English. I ate kumara, feijoas and Lamingtons. I drank ginger beer and some local brews. I also had some amazing fish and chips.....and a not so amazing meat pie. I indulged in kangaroo and wagyu beef. I had delicious local yogurt and managed to fit some giant Easter eggs into my suitcase.

I didn't just eat though. I hiked in the bush of New Zealand and flung a huge piece of seaweed around the beach. I tooled around the streets of Auckland. I biked along the riverfront path in Brisbane. My fellow clinic instructors and I saw glowworms and did a rainforest hike in Australia. I also went up to Lady Elliot Island and petted a giant sea turtle while snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef (being able to write a sentence like that about my life is both amazingly and obnoxiously cool--thanks for indulging me).

I've been home for about two weeks now and am probably over the jet lag--been feeling wobbly at times, and I'm not sure if it's jet lag or seasonal allergies. I'm still unpacking/picking up from my bags exploding all over my office. I find random receipts, new A4 folders, international power converters, an Australian cell phone and Kit Kat Chunky3 bars everywhere I look. I'm slowly changing from international jet setter to your average slob who might soon be mistaken for a hoarder.

So, am I back to blogging full time? We'll see. I've been doing a lot of derby stuff and a lot of business/formal-type writing. My creative side needs a bit of a workout--and by "bit," I mean my creative side is probably 75 lbs. overweight and has become a borderline diabetic mouthbreather. It needs some help. I've been doing the whole weight loss thing for some time though, so I know that it's one day at a time and that baby steps are in order to make some lasting change. These last few posts are just some of those baby steps.

Will I be able to take the creative weight off? Stay tuned!

Your pal,
Jill