Back from the other side of the world

Sorry to have disappeared so abruptly a month ago. I wasn't sure I wanted to announce to the whole wide world that the house was going to be empty for weeks. I have been on something as exclusive in the academic world as a several weeks long vacation. To South America - a continent I have always dreamed about visiting. I have let myself completely forget about half-finished manuscripts, productivity requirements, competition, administrative duties and people management of all sorts for four weeks, and it was amazing. Just letting go of it all for a while, taking in new experiences and thinking about something else for a while was much needed and seriously refreshing. I'm so happy I did this - despite the guilty-feeling for claiming my right to take vacation days at another time of the year when I'm doing fieldwork all summer and the stressing about everything that wouldn't get done if I took time of.

BUT obviously travelling a new continent, experiencing a new culture, crossing spectacular landscapes and enjoying the late summer in the other hemisphere, while winter has barely ended here, was a lot more fun than coming back into the office. Having a lot of free time also allowed for a lot of thinking about serious stuff like life and career and where it is all heading and at the moment I can't say I'm particularly excited about my job and the way it completely dominates my life. Thanks a an extraordinary stroke of luck we booked tickets back home so that they almost coincided with Easter break, when everything is shut down for days, and hopefully a few days at home will leave me with a bit more of perspective.

I will be back with South America pics and stories from the road one of the next days. Thanks for not giving up on me completely. I can see that I have still had a few visitors while I was away. Thanks for stopping by.