This is my first time writing for over a week, the only break i’ve taken from the blog in two years. Two weeks in America have been filled with new experiences and wonderful memories: riding an airboat through the Everglades, driving down to Key West, helicopter through the Grand Canyon and spending a day at Disney among them.
Every moment was special, removed from my everyday reality. They were special in themselves as moments of experience, but special also in how they broadened and changed my perspective. I’ve done more new things in the last two weeks than i’ve done in the last two years, and new experiences change you.
I’ve reflected a lot on how writing has changed me, how i’ve learnt from the community that’s formed around the blog and how it’s moved from being at the periphery of my learning to the centre of it. Whilst i missed writing everyday, i also valued the chance to step totally away from things: technology binds us together, but also makes it hard to escape. It’s good to put it down now and then and just spend time in the company of friends.
So today it’s back to reality, catching up on correspondence and projects, but also looking forward to this evening when i can finish up my scrapbook, because narrating the experience is just as important for holidays as it is for work. A chance to reflect on memories and capture the moments to keep. So tomorrow will be back to normal service, but for today, i’ve still got one foot in the sunshine, one step outside reality.
julianstodd
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