Work/Life Balance

When it comes down to it, one of the main reasons I left my job/flat/life in London was to have time to put my energies into lots of projects, not just the ones paying the bills.

Today has been a perfect illustration of what I’ve gained, represented by the pistachio cupcake you see above.

It’s true that I’m busy here in Melbourne (too busy to blog twice last week – sorry!) but mostly I have things organised so that I have a couple of half days a week to go on expeditions, or catch up on my blog, or sit in the park and read a book or try out a new café and sample its famed pistachio cupcakes.

Today I spoke to Cormac and Gillian in Toronto, went to the bank, caught up on blogging, ate a cupcake, bought a couple of presents, went to the post office (I find something deeply satisfying about putting parcels in the post, makes me feel a bit like a midwife, is that very odd?) marked assignments, made arrangements for two site visits for my students, read email and went to the library. It’s hard to say where the work stops and the fun starts and, really, I think that’s the point.

It’s not exactly a revelation (though perhaps it has been to me) but the ideas don’t come by sitting in an office, staring at my computer screen and hoping for the best. The ideas come when I’m walking through the park or window-shopping or munching on one of these. Yummy.

PS the cupcake was at Café Vue, 430 Little Collins St.