The jetsetting life and putting an end to that

I'm gonna put it out there - I co0uld never be a rockstar. Why? Well aside from not being able to read music nor play an instrument (though I learned the drums for a bit but didn't have a silencing kit so felt sorry for my neighbours and stopped practicing), the thing about rockstars is that they tour. A lot.

My point is that on January 16th I left England and after about 36 hours in transit, I got home to Australia. It was awesome to be home. It was warm since it was summertime, and my family was there, and my doggies were there and the cats were around but they didn't really seem to have realised I'd been gone.

And the night after I got home a bunch of friends turned up on my doorstep for a surprise homecoming party!
Wonderful, sneaky sneaky stuff.

However I was home for 10 days before I flew out again, and I was only JUST getting into a sleeping pattern of 10pm or later, waking up at 6am or later. Most nights my eyes were half closed by 6pm and brain disengaged by 8, and I was awake again between 2am and 4am.

SO. I am now BACK back in Australia, after spending 5 days in New York with my big sister. I went to the Winter Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators conference which was held at the super-swish and ladida Hyatt Hotel, and my sister came for the experience.

It was fantabulous and I got a lot out of it. But getting sick just before the seven hour flight followed by fourteen hour flight then one hour flight then two hour drive? Kill me now.

So I could never be a rockstar. I never want to do a long haul flight again. I mean, I WILL, but JEEZ.

The conference was great, I got to spend lots of time hanging out as well as talking biz with my agent Jill, making some new writing buds and seeing some old writing buds. Well, by old I mean ones I made at the Summer conference in LA.

There were lots of interesting sessions at the conference, my favourites of which were Libba Bray's keynote speech - she was just as hilarious as I thought she'd be, and even more insightful - and Eddie Gamarra of the Gotham Group who spoke about Film, TV & New Media and believe me, the man KNOWS his stuff. Unfortunately for me, it turns out I was either concentrating too hard all morning both mornings, or I was jetlagged (I feel like I'll be jetlagged the rest of my life. I didn't even believe in jetlag until I got back from England) and found myself close to snoring a couple of times in the sessions that were run in the afternoons. Oops. Rude bloody Australians, eh.

Anyhoo, home now. I'm moving into my new place sometime next week so I have some packing to do. You know, after unpacking from England and New York I need to pack. And then in two weeks I start my new University course, a Bachelor of Writing & Publishing. That sounds a good fit for me, don't you think? :)

Plus I have an exciting new project to work on!

Hitting the ground running, I think it's called.

Ciao for now,

Sairz