A New Stage

I'm back from the conference. I got back late Sunday night and have spent the last few days resting (somehow I seem to have caught a cold), remembering what it's like to be home (snuggling with husband :), and... preparing my application materials to get my Masters from Temple University.

Masters?! You may be asking where that came from. To some extent, I'm asking too. But, this feels very right. In the week before the conference, I was considering it. But, going to the conference really clarified it. I feel that being in an atmosphere of learning, exchanging ideas with others, and forming relationship with others who are broadening their work will add an element that I've been sorely lacking here in Gainesville. Happily, this program is long-distance, so while I will need to fly to Philly twice a semester, I can do this while we're here in Gainesville.

So, the conference was good. I was able to connect with people in a way that I'm unable to in Gainesville, simply because I don't have any local colleagues. That experience showed me a lot about what I need in my life, and what I need to do to be more satisfied professionally.

I didn't get a whole lot of knitting done. These conferences go at light-speed and I rarely have time to sleep, let alone knit. However, I did knit a fair amount on the plane. I had some nice comments from people sitting near me, which is always fun.

Cool needle

In the process of packing my knitting supplies, I came across a pair of really cool needles. My Aunt Julie made me a needle case a number of years ago (before I was really addicted). In the case, she passed along some old needles for me as well. One pair stuck out the top with the number "9" on them. I NEVER believed them. They were way too thin to be size 9s. However, when I took them out, I found that the tips are size 9s, and then they taper (almost like circular needles, except no join. I didn't expect this, but was interested to find that this actually helps the knitting process. I don't have to keep pulling the completed knitting on the right side in order to make more room for the new knitting. It naturally moved by itself. Cool! The needles say they are called "Inox". Heard of em?

The comfort of knitting

I'm feeling pretty tired today. I've been working hard job-wise, and also preparing for my trip this weekend. I leave for Kansas City early Thursday morning and get back in the wee hours Sunday night. Happily, I'll be seeing some friends there at a professional conference. I mostly go to these conferences to see colleagues from up north who inspire me in my work. I'm expectantly awaiting some good-feelin' inspiration and connection with other professionals.

I've hardly knit at all this week, which is pretty surprising. Whenever I think of knitting, I get very mental about what projects I'm bringing on the plane, what I should check, how much yarn I need, etc.

And then I ask myself WHY in the world I'm stressing myself out about my knitting. I think the reason is that when I travel, I have difficulty feeling any sense of control about my environment. I have a fairly strict diet and can't find the food I need. I'm chemically sensitive and have reactions to my hotel room. I have a wonderful relationship with my husband, but he's not with me :( And so, all in all, even if the trip itself is truly wonderful (and I expect it to be rewarding, don't get me wrong), I still feel the need to grasp for comfort.

Knitting = Comfort

I feel the need to have the perfect knitting for my trip as an attempt to provide the comfort, security, and normalization that I crave on these trips. Maybe those beautiful colors will provide a sense of warmth under the airport's florescent lighting. Maybe the texture of that bamboo yarn will soothe my nerves. Maybe that fuzzy wool will calm my digestion.

So, I'll be bringing my Simple Knitted Bodice, a half-finished Opal sock, a surprise sock, another surprise gift, and some extra sock yarn (just in case). That should hold me... If not, I can take a cab half an hour to the yarn store in town (yes, I looked it up).

In the meantime, here is a picture of the gorgeous...GORGEOUS handspun yarn Steff gave me (she did the spinning and Navajo-plied it). I'm so touched by the gift, and am lucky to be able to look at this yarn each day. Thanks Steff.

Where've I been?

I saw this on someone's blog and thought it would be fun to check out. I decided not to fill in states that I've driven through but have no real memory or experience from. For example, I've been in an Alaska airport a few times on our way back and forth to Taiwan, but that doesn't count. I've driven through Louisiana, etc., but again- no real memory. But, I'm fairly well pleased with my national travel on the whole.

David and have done a lot of traveling in the last 5 years. That was a big goal of mine as a teenager. Before we moved to Gainesville, the longest we lived in one place was 10 months. Being in Gainesville for almost 15 months now is a biggie. It's a different experience to be in one place for more than one passing of seasons. I'm settling into things in a way that I never could have with our prior pattern. Now if we could just keep up on throwing away our junk regularly the way we used to...



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