It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about my writing, and to be honest, there hasn’t been much writing happening. And its not due to lack of wanting to sit and write, it’s more that I haven’t had time. Let me explain…
In my last blog post, my monthly goal update, I wrote about an upcoming Outdoor Education Programme (OEP), which included camping, for a week with a group of Year 9 girls. We left on the 31st October, at 6.30am from school. I had to be there by 6am, on a Sunday. We returned on Friday 5th November. A week with students 24hrs each day. It was a long week.
The students were fine, a few issues, but not unexpected for this age group. I had been on previous OEPs with the same year group for the last two years, but with different students. The students are grouped into a max of 15 students, with two Outdoor Education specialists and a teacher (me). In our group we had 11 students, about a dozen had pulled out the week before. I must add here the programme ran for two weeks, half of the student cohort went in the first week and the other half in the second week. I attended the latter week, for which I am very grateful as the first week was wet and stormy, though my students who went that week, enjoyed the experience anyway.
This year the programme included two days of hiking with packs along the Bibbulmun Track in the South West region of our state. The students and staff had to carry clothing, food, tent gear, plus hygiene paraphernalia (digging and pooping in the forest). We then had two days of kayaking, which was fun. It was a good experience and the students enjoyed it as well.
The bright yellow sign with a symbol of the Wagyl that marks the Bibbulmun Track.
Unfortunately, I had some side effects from the OEP. I have an autoimmune disease, which I manage pretty well. To celebrate returning from a week hiking and kayaking, I drank a beer which stirred the inflammation in my joints. Three weeks on, and I still dealing with the health issue. I daresay the hiking and kayaking may have stirred up the inflammation and now food and beverages that my body would have been okay with, now is a problem.
So, by now you are wondering what has all this got to do with my writing? I haven’t been able to sit for long lengths to write. Working every day has limited my tolerance to sit and type. Even now, as I sit and type, my body is protesting. Good news though! I have made some progress into Book 2 in the Coin of Time series and I am hoping once the inflammation eases, I’ll be able to get back into writing more.
Thank you for your continued support and as always, I look forward to your comments and will respond.
Historical fiction novelist and a secondary teacher, Luciana Cavallaro, burnt out but not done… yet.
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