Hey cHEwY gum gums!

So I’ve just come back from my first interstate trip in 6 months. I had 2 days at Radford College, speaking to the Junior School kids, so I turned it into a mini-vacation/promo trip.

First thing I did was hit the bookstores around Canberra. From the big-chain stores like Dymocks and Harry Hartogs to beloved indie darlings like PaperChain in Manuka, it was nice to chat to booksellers and see how they’re going.

Then I squeezed in all the perks of a work trip, going for a jog, went to a movie, ate a few burgers and caught up with an old friend. I couldn’t play too many games because I spent my evenings working on What About Thao, which is due next Tuesday….eeeek! But I still managed to tune into a CBCA Northern Suburbs Zoom Meeting, where I got to hear Oz Children’s Laureate, Ursula Dubosarsky speak about her trials of being a Laureate from home. She’s still as passionate as ever in getting kids to join their local libraries.

All in all, this still feels like a novelty. This time last year, I would have travelled up and down the East Coast, tired and ragged, but running on adrenaline rushing from one place to another. Now, there is a deep appreciation of the little things that I miss. As well as the thrill of engaging with kids face to face. It was my 5th in-person school visit since March, so I was rusty but once I got into the swing of things, it was all banana smoothies.

It looks like my October and November will be jam-packed, a reversal of my usual schedule. It’s a blessing in disguise because I appreciated the extra time I had to work on What About Thao.

Last evening, I enjoyed a lovely drive back home on the Hume Highway, gazing at the magnificent view of the Southern Highlands in the distance. If I ever took this for granted, I don’t think I will now.

O.W