Surprise post!
Agh. I hate it when this happens. I had all this great stuff to tell you, and then I sat down at a computer and it all flew out of my head. I really would love to write a book someday - in a Bill Bryson, conversational, stream of consciousness way - maybe with these posts and my website from my trip two years ago, but I worry I'll sit down to do it and won't have a thing to say!
Anyway - I've completely caught up in narrations, but they won't get posted until tonight in Wellington, so be prepared for a bunch next time you check here. I slept a full 11 hours last night, exhausted. This morning, I had breakfast, chatted with Amy for a bit (innkeeper's daughter). Amy is interested in medicine in general and herbal medicine in particular, and I showed her the VIA website, which she thought was fabulous. I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to talk longer. While we talked, I played on the floor with Frank, their short-haired, short-legged, Jack Russell terrier. He's got a cute Jack Russell face, but this little stumpy body. Still, a dog's a dog, and we had a good tussel. Amy and Frank ended up driving me into Nelson around 10:30, and I dropped my larger luggage off at this backpacker's place where I'm now e-mailing you from.
I walked a large loop around Nelson in the rain, having done all my shopping and spectating on Tuesday. I went to the grocery store to buy a bottle of water and some aloe for my sunburn. I burned very strange places on myself - the backs of my hands, the FRONT of my neck (like under my chin), and the inside of my elbows. My elbows and just below the sleeves of my tee shirt are what bother me the most, so I've taken to wandering around with my arms outstretched, pretending I walk like that all the time, and trying not to rub my shirt on my arms, nor bend my elbows. Unfortunately, one bends ones elbows all the time! To read, to drink coffee, to pick things up... I discovered, to my annoyance, that I burned some of my back where my backpack rests when I slung it over my shoulder and found it hurt tremendously! After making my purchases, I headed to a coffee shop I'd been eyeing, ordered a cafe mocha, and sat down at a window table to while away some hours. As soon as the barista brought my coffee, I rolled up my sleeves and started slathering my arms with aloe. I was trying to be subtle (who in their right mind pulls up in a coffeeshop and starts applying aloe all over their arms), but I guess I wasn't because I kept getting very strange looks from the employees, and as I sat there, sleeves rolled up to keep them from bothering me and to let the aloe dry, I did catch them twittering to themselves and taking glances at me. I match my red shirt, unfortunately. I sat in the coffeeshop for several hours, reading and laughing outloud (more weird looks) at Bill Bryson's descriptions of Australia. I've read this book before, of course, but it is all the more real to me now that I've just been to some of these places he describes.
In the meantime, I've just found out (over e-mail) that we actually got one of the grants we applied for! GO US!! So VIA will survive a while longer yet! (I'm just kidding; I'm not overly worried, but I am interested in preserving our funding streams!) Additionally, maybe it's just coincidental timing, but I've had two QSR training requests in the last two days. One was for MIT, an intro NVivo thing, easy, if they decide they really do want me to do it. That would be Feb/March if it happens. The second was for a more personalized N6 consult. Hearing Chris' voice in my head, I'm considering doing it. I had told her that NVivo I'm all good with, but I didn't think I'd ever train people in N6. She said that was dumb, that I'm fine with N6, and that I should just go do it. So that's given me some courage, and this particular inquiry working one on one with a guy who's trying to analyze his interviews and doesn't know N6 so wants help with the set-up and launch of the project might be the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet in it. But we'll see. In all likelihood, both of these will fall through, as is the way with 99.9% of the people who contact me. But it's strange that both would come within weeks of my doing the QSR train-the-trainer thing. You guys at VIA - I have SOOOOOOOOO much to tell you.
Illness update - I'm feeling much less "crook" (that would be "sick") each day. I'm not nearly so congested, even though my nose is a bit runny, and I'm not having coughing fits anymore. Can almost breathe deeply without being compelled to cough, and am not coughing nearly so frequently as before. I hope I'll be completely healed by the time I board my Auckland -> LA flight tomorrow.
And I am so glad to be coming home soon. I've reached saturation with new places and new things and exploring. I think I reached my limit when I left Brisbane last week. Everything now has taken on a sort of surreal quality to it (although maybe that's the Sudafed), and I have to keep reminding myself, "This is New Zealand. THIS is New Zealand." I have been trying hard to not count down to when I leave, to enjoy each day. But I am "full up" and ready to go home.
The rest of the day is as follows - in half an hour, I board a bus back to Picton. I'll get there at 5:15 PM. My ferry leaves Picton at 6 PM. I'll be in Wellington at 9 PM. Mary will pick me up (at least, that's the plan), I'll post my narratives, hot tub, shower, bed. Tomorrow will be a leisurely morning with lots of planes all night... And then I'll be home.
Portia - It makes more sense if you read these posts last to first instead of first to last because of the reverse chronological posting!
Robin - I can't bring you home any potent Australian wine; I'm in New Zealand now, and if you mention anything about Australia, you're likely to get shot! They have quite a rivalry.
Everyone - Keep checking your snail mail. I sent a bazillion postcards on this trip, generally more than one to each person even, so keep a look out. Dunno if my NZ ones will reach the states before I do, but all the Australian ones should.
Anyway - I've completely caught up in narrations, but they won't get posted until tonight in Wellington, so be prepared for a bunch next time you check here. I slept a full 11 hours last night, exhausted. This morning, I had breakfast, chatted with Amy for a bit (innkeeper's daughter). Amy is interested in medicine in general and herbal medicine in particular, and I showed her the VIA website, which she thought was fabulous. I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to talk longer. While we talked, I played on the floor with Frank, their short-haired, short-legged, Jack Russell terrier. He's got a cute Jack Russell face, but this little stumpy body. Still, a dog's a dog, and we had a good tussel. Amy and Frank ended up driving me into Nelson around 10:30, and I dropped my larger luggage off at this backpacker's place where I'm now e-mailing you from.
I walked a large loop around Nelson in the rain, having done all my shopping and spectating on Tuesday. I went to the grocery store to buy a bottle of water and some aloe for my sunburn. I burned very strange places on myself - the backs of my hands, the FRONT of my neck (like under my chin), and the inside of my elbows. My elbows and just below the sleeves of my tee shirt are what bother me the most, so I've taken to wandering around with my arms outstretched, pretending I walk like that all the time, and trying not to rub my shirt on my arms, nor bend my elbows. Unfortunately, one bends ones elbows all the time! To read, to drink coffee, to pick things up... I discovered, to my annoyance, that I burned some of my back where my backpack rests when I slung it over my shoulder and found it hurt tremendously! After making my purchases, I headed to a coffee shop I'd been eyeing, ordered a cafe mocha, and sat down at a window table to while away some hours. As soon as the barista brought my coffee, I rolled up my sleeves and started slathering my arms with aloe. I was trying to be subtle (who in their right mind pulls up in a coffeeshop and starts applying aloe all over their arms), but I guess I wasn't because I kept getting very strange looks from the employees, and as I sat there, sleeves rolled up to keep them from bothering me and to let the aloe dry, I did catch them twittering to themselves and taking glances at me. I match my red shirt, unfortunately. I sat in the coffeeshop for several hours, reading and laughing outloud (more weird looks) at Bill Bryson's descriptions of Australia. I've read this book before, of course, but it is all the more real to me now that I've just been to some of these places he describes.
In the meantime, I've just found out (over e-mail) that we actually got one of the grants we applied for! GO US!! So VIA will survive a while longer yet! (I'm just kidding; I'm not overly worried, but I am interested in preserving our funding streams!) Additionally, maybe it's just coincidental timing, but I've had two QSR training requests in the last two days. One was for MIT, an intro NVivo thing, easy, if they decide they really do want me to do it. That would be Feb/March if it happens. The second was for a more personalized N6 consult. Hearing Chris' voice in my head, I'm considering doing it. I had told her that NVivo I'm all good with, but I didn't think I'd ever train people in N6. She said that was dumb, that I'm fine with N6, and that I should just go do it. So that's given me some courage, and this particular inquiry working one on one with a guy who's trying to analyze his interviews and doesn't know N6 so wants help with the set-up and launch of the project might be the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet in it. But we'll see. In all likelihood, both of these will fall through, as is the way with 99.9% of the people who contact me. But it's strange that both would come within weeks of my doing the QSR train-the-trainer thing. You guys at VIA - I have SOOOOOOOOO much to tell you.
Illness update - I'm feeling much less "crook" (that would be "sick") each day. I'm not nearly so congested, even though my nose is a bit runny, and I'm not having coughing fits anymore. Can almost breathe deeply without being compelled to cough, and am not coughing nearly so frequently as before. I hope I'll be completely healed by the time I board my Auckland -> LA flight tomorrow.
And I am so glad to be coming home soon. I've reached saturation with new places and new things and exploring. I think I reached my limit when I left Brisbane last week. Everything now has taken on a sort of surreal quality to it (although maybe that's the Sudafed), and I have to keep reminding myself, "This is New Zealand. THIS is New Zealand." I have been trying hard to not count down to when I leave, to enjoy each day. But I am "full up" and ready to go home.
The rest of the day is as follows - in half an hour, I board a bus back to Picton. I'll get there at 5:15 PM. My ferry leaves Picton at 6 PM. I'll be in Wellington at 9 PM. Mary will pick me up (at least, that's the plan), I'll post my narratives, hot tub, shower, bed. Tomorrow will be a leisurely morning with lots of planes all night... And then I'll be home.
Portia - It makes more sense if you read these posts last to first instead of first to last because of the reverse chronological posting!
Robin - I can't bring you home any potent Australian wine; I'm in New Zealand now, and if you mention anything about Australia, you're likely to get shot! They have quite a rivalry.
Everyone - Keep checking your snail mail. I sent a bazillion postcards on this trip, generally more than one to each person even, so keep a look out. Dunno if my NZ ones will reach the states before I do, but all the Australian ones should.
posted by Jen at 11:52 AM
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