Conclusions

[osprey_archer]

I'm flying abroad on Saturday, and as a result I'm putting this journal on partial hiatus until January.

I expect I'll post occasional photos (and I have a couple of fics in the pipeline; and there's Yuletide; and I do plan to keep commenting on other people's posts), but I don't want to feel any obligation to my computer while I'm abroad.

The other is that I plan to keep a paper journal while I'm abroad, and LJ will conflict with that. A private journal doesn't need to be succinct, reasonable, or fair; LJ, at least the way I do it, needs to be all those things because it's performance art, and meant to entertain.

I think that having an audience, even such an amorphous and implied one as on LJ, changes my behavior. In some ways this is a good thing - it means I have to make my life big enough to entertain the audience - but it does have the warping effect, where I do a thing, and part of me is thinking about the thing, and another part is standing back and going "I could make a great post about this." It's like carrying around a camera: it forces me to really look, but it also forces me to pick an interesting angle instead of just absorbing.

It enforces distance, and the appropriate time for distance is after the trip - when I've seen and felt everything within my limited ability, and can begin to put it succinctly and reasonably. Attempting to create distance during rather than after just invites premature conclusions, when I think, ideally, that when one goes abroad one needs a sense of humility. One should absorb instead of locking into a single interesting angle.

So I hope everyone has a lovely autumn.

Comments

[silksieve.livejournal.com]

Hey, have a good trip, and have fun with the paper journal. There's something very satisfying about writing with a pen on paper, I find.

Bring us back the good stories!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

There is. I still write people old-fashioned paper letters, even though they're more likely to answer emails, because writing on paper takes me to my happy place.

And as for the good stories - I will try!

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

Eeee! Where are you going?!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Barcelona for a week, then York in the UK.

[troublems03.livejournal.com]

Have a wonderful trip. I will miss your updates.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Aw. I'll still update occasionally. And I'll try to have as wonderful a trip as possible.

[redskyis.livejournal.com]

You! had better not disappear until January, that's all I have to say.

(!!!)

Well, I also have this to say: Enjoy your trip!! Have fun, take pictures if you are so inclined (you'll appreciate it later, I think), enjoy yourself. Don't study TOO hard. :)

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Oh, I plan to take plenty of pictures. And I won't compleeeeetely disappear until January. My rampant desire for attention will draw me back.

I'm trying to convince myself that getting a C would not be the end of the world. I've talked myself down about the Bs, but C even flashes across my mind and I'm all "Noooooo I must never leave York! I should chain myself to my desk!"

[girl-called-sun.livejournal.com]

Hey, good luck and have a wonderful time.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Thanks! You too!

[exuberantself.livejournal.com]

I'm going to miss you hard!

Have a great time :-D

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll do my best.

[ochre54.livejournal.com]

It has been lovely reading through your filter ;)

Have an excellent time!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'll try.

[anait.livejournal.com]

I completely understand your desire to just 'be' on your adventure and soak everything up. I hope you have a wonderful time abroad with many adventures and new experiences! I'm also glad we'll still get to have you around these parts, even though it will be in a more limited capacity.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to see you're back!