So I had intended to blog while on the trip. Perhaps it would have been possible on a longer journey–one in which we had some periods of down time before moving on to the next set of amazing sights and sites.
But, as with other such trips–the ones that are about engaging with the world, rather than about getting away from it all and relaxing–I found that given my druthers, a journal of fragmentary notes, impressions, and disorganized jottings was what I found most comfortable. Anything more organized would have taken a considerable effort after a long day of highly engaged sightseeing.
It’s a good reminder, really. I know I could have come up with some content for blog posts, if that were the sole aim. But I soon began to realize that I need time to process. I felt as though any reflections that arose from my immediate reactions would likely be improved by taking a bit of time to mull over what I’d seen–letting it simmer and develop a fuller, richer flavour.
So, while I do have a small chunk of pages in my journal–handwritten–I soon abandoned any notion of trying to pull those into full-fledged posts while on the go. Instead, I chose to allow the experiences to sit, and stew, and brew.
I will return to some of the things we saw, over the weeks and months to come–the 17 thousand year old cave paintings; the magnificent walled cities and fortresses of the Cathars; the masterworks of art and architecture; the beauty and power of a night in the desert, sleeping amid the vast sand dunes of Erg Chebbi in the Moroccan Sahara, under a canopy of stars.
Stay tuned…
Lorinda J. Taylor said:
Welcome back! Sounds like you had a great time and I’ll be looking forward to your new posts! I just published another book – you can get information on my blogs if you’re interested.
Kat said:
Thanks, Lorinda! Congratulations on your new release! I tried commenting on your blog, but first it posted under the wrong username. I then tried commenting under the wordpress account, but got an error. At any rate, I just wanted to say, great stuff and congrats!
Lorinda J. Taylor said:
I got your comment on my blog. I’m irritated with Blogger – its system for commenting seems full of glitches. Anyway, I know you bought Termite Queen and haven’t had time to read it yet, but I hope you’ll keep my Ki’sho’ba Huge-Head series in mind, because I know you’re interested in myth and legends. The first volume is now in paperback and on Kindle.
Kat said:
I definitely will keep it in mind for future reading. Articling has begun–very interesting, but there’s *such* a learning curve. *sigh*
Lorinda J. Taylor said:
Oh, I just discovered! You’re also that other name on my blog! You’ve got an alias!
Kat said:
Yes! Anduril Elessar–that’s me! That was my old blogger blog and profile name. I guess it defaults to that when I comment, but I can switch it to wordpress…
Lorinda J. Taylor said:
I didn’t know what “articling” was, but I looked it up. So you sort of apprentice for a year. Wow. If it’s true there’s no rest for the wicked, prospective lawyers must be pretty wicked! ;=)
Kat said:
Heh. Well, we’re certainly a motely crew, at any rate! I didn’t realise they didn’t have articling down south! But yes, up here, there’s the study component (law school and bar exams) and the practical component (articling under a supervising lawyer) before we can be licensed to practice law. A very good thing indeed, as one doesn’t really learn how to practice law in law school! I’d be totally lost without the kind of mentorship we get during our articling!