Aussie Expats Update – Getting Ahead of the Curve & Preparing for the Storm

HAPPY FIRST 2017 Friday!!

I’m thrilled, because having James go back to work this week means that I’m over-ready to spend some time curled up with him this weekend. Like everyone, I’m looking ahead at 2017 and feeling a little weak at the knees about what’s in store. Don’t get wrong: I’m excited!! But it’s also a big year, and we have a lot planned, and like I said earlier in the week, it’s easy to let things slip away in that scenario. In early February, James and I are taking full advantage of his leave and heading off on a six-week adventure through Tennessee, Georgia, South and North Carolina, Florida, Mississipi, Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. (And if you’re tired from just reading that, imagine how we’ll be at the end of possibly-the-most-epic-road-trip-the-world-has-ever-seen).

I’m doing four busy-looking subjects in Trimester 1 of 2017 (writing ‘trimester’ always makes me feel like I’m talking about being pregnant, which can be a little unnerving). It starts on 20 February and we head off on the 11th, so it kind of does feel like there’ll be a bit of storm happening in those six weeks! Obviously, I want to enjoy our travels and spend some time driving James crazy, but I also want to ensure I keep my uni marks up and learn some fun and interesting things… So, there’ll be some on-road study happening. Right now, I’m drawing towards the end of Trimester 3 of 2016 at the moment with only two assessments left ( just have an online quiz next week and an exam the week after), and all of my coursework is finished. So I decided to try and get ahead of the curve and find some ways to make my life easier in that busy period. I’m putting together a bunch of blog posts to schedule while we’re travelling, though I’m hoping to continue with Friday update posts so we can share all of the wonderful things we’re seeing on our way around the US, the amazing food we’re eating and the adventures we’ve been on. I’m excited about the prospects of hopefully getting a lot of new ideas for travel writing stories, imagery to put into my stories and just generally new experiences to draw on in my writing—just what I need, more writing projects!

I’ve managed to write two blog posts so far today, as well as this one, so I guess that’s better than nothing and I have hopes of getting a lot more put together so I’m ready in at least one respect before we go. And I’m really excited about maximising my month off between uni sessions to do some writing, some plotting and maybe some editing of my novel. Or maybe I’ll just start a new one and leave this one to rot for a bit.

Otherwise, we’re just getting back into the groove for the new year. It’s finally snowing in Oklahoma and I’m seriously dreading the fact that we have a training session to do this afternoon in our wonderful but very, very chilly garage gym: that barbell is going to be a real finger-freezer! But the snow is kind of magical (I’m still new enough to all of this to appreciate the magic, especially from my warm desk inside).

I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful weekend and if you’re somewhere cold like us (ok, cold-ish), that you find a way to stay warm! Still feeling apprehensive about our garage training session this afternoon…

–Ana.