Australia

Australia, here I come!

Saturday is both way too soon (too much work to finish) and way too far (oh I need the break) away. But it will be here soon, so I just need to get ready. I'm drowning at work, but just one more day. If it's not done, it either comes with me or waits until I get back. I'll be working on the plane -- I do have two presentations to give the first day of the conference, and while I've been gathering materials, I've yet to have the time to start working on them. I've started another one of them, but not those two. So I have a new cable, which hopefully will let me connect into the seat and not drain the battery. Cross your fingers for me that it works!

And it's starting to look like I hit the ground running. I expect the first day to be a wash. I'll get to the university around 11a local time, I expect. If I haven't slept on the flights -- and that's my norm, sadly -- I'm going to be pretty cranky. My hope is to sleep for a bit, then grab a workout and a walk around, do some work on the presentations, and crash hard for the night. I'm hoping that the second day, 7 July, is a bit more reasonable. There's a campus gym, and I'd like to check that out. I also have at least two meetings for school -- yes, I finally got the notice that I got in! it was sent over a month ago, but I never received it -- and my advisor would like me to be in an all-day session that same day. I'd love to, but honestly, if I haven't slept in two days.... And, one of my work meetings might be shifting to this day too. Not to mention that two of the first three presentations are the next day (the third is the day after), so I'll need to connect with my cohorts at some point and prepare and rehearse.

Then the conference, and NAIDOC week. The conference is the Second Conference of the Inclusive Museum, of the Cross-Cultural Task Force, of the International Council of Museums. NAIDOC week is Australia's celebration of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, and Brisbane is the host city. The big award ceremony and ball is that week, and my friends have a table. So yes, I also have to pack a ball gown....

Then we're headed north, to Townsville, for meetings with aboriginal communities and World Heritage management areas near the Great Barrier Reef. Then north to Cairns, for meetings with the aboriginal communities in Wujal Wujal and Hopevale. Then meetings in Cairns about the State Library's Indigenous Knowledge Centers and remote and aboriginal outreach and education initiatives. Then back to Brisbane for meetings at the State Library and the Queensland Museum, and the last of the presentations.

And finally, vacation! Greg will be joining me in Brisbane, and we'll be heading to the Sunshine Coast to visit friends in Mooloolaba. Then the last couple of days in Brisbane, catching up with other friends before we start the long trek back. We'll have a day at home, then back to the office. Not fun, but worse for Greg -- I only have two days in the office before I leave for Montana and the Journeys tour of Little Bighorn. THEN, I'll be back.

All this to say, I'm so ready for the trip. For my physical and mental health, the timing is perfect. We're being reorganized again at work, things are crazy and difficult, and some distance will do me a world of good.

I'll post like I did from Vietnam -- some quick things to keep you all filled in, and more details when I get back.