Give your feet a chance, they'll do all the thinking

Some days I am so restless I want to just start walking in any direction and keep on going. It's not like I'm depressed or that I dislike my life, I just get bored. I want adventure and novelty. New things are so frightening that it always makes coming home again that much more comforting.

But it's okay. Travels are afoot. Next week I get to go all the way to Reno for a conference. Aren't you jealous? I don't care much for the whole cheesy gambling town thing - save the kitsch factor - and I have about a 24-hour threshold for it. Lucky for me, that's just about how long I'll be there. I opted not to participated in said conference except to chair a panel, which basically means that I'm the one who introduces people and moderates any conversation following. This will be my first conference for which I won't lose sleep or spend the entire time there in my room, frantically trying to finish my presentation before I go on, and hoping that the hotel has some means by which I can print it out in time.

In November, I get to head to San Antonio to see Laura! I've never been there and even though it's Texas, I dig seeing new places and comforting faces. I'm happy for Laura that she made a positive move for herself and her son and got out of a bad situation here, but I miss her terribly. DU feels so perfectly dull as if a layer of color has been removed from all things there.

The one thing I have to look forward to in the coming weeks, however, is my trip to the UK. I am giddy as a school girl about this, even though I cannot afford it, shouldn't put it on credit as I've done, and feel tremendously guilty about leaving Jamison and Sami behind again. Perhaps not "tremendously." I have been waiting my whole life to have the freedom to go when and where I choose and I'm not going to talk myself out of it. Sami's a kid and hasn't earned the right to travel abroad yet (unless I had much more money than I do currently), and I do feel bad leaving Jamison behind - mostly because I'd love to share these experiences with him - but I also can't change the fact that he can't go.

This year I'm visiting Scotland and it's just about all I can do to concentrate on anything else during the day. I am sure I'll eventually have to pay dearly for skipping so much work and family time, but it will also be worth it. At the end of things, I'd rather have fond memories and close relationships than things and money. I don't care if that's responsible or not.