Remember me?

I used to write this blog almost every day … but then my appearances became less and less frequent.  There were occasional apologies, promises to do better, but you only have to look at the Archives to see that I have been a bad correspondent lately: 9 entries in April, 0 (so far) in May.

Because I love diagrams, I drew one to represent my changing circumstances:

When I started this blog I was fresh off a month spent sun-baking and wine-drinking in Greece.  Apart from a mildly traumatic journey with The Adorable Nephew (plus Panda) from Greece to France, my life as a Universal Aunt and honorary au-pair was very relaxing.  Plenty of time to take photos, come up with hints, write the blog.

After France I went to Cape Town.  Sure, there was some work involved, but I had lots of half days and holidays to soak up the heat and colours of the city and have my gob smacked by the beauty and wonder of Africa.  And, of course, plenty of time to blog about all the new experience.

After that it was back to Dublin.  Here I occupied myself being a Home Town Tourist.  The day job was writing a book, but let’s face it, that still meant plenty of time sitting around in my jammies researching and blogging.  (I’ve discovered that bookwriting is about 65% procrastination, 35% furious activity.) 

In June 2010 I left Dublin to explore the Far East.  Lots of blog inspiration there.  And even when I got to Australia, my re-entry to the world of gainful employment was gentle: as a curator and part-time lecturer, I still had free time to explore and photograph and write.

And then in January everything changed.  I went back to pre-Lady Traveller levels of busyness.  I missed Hints to Lady Travellers, but blogging was at the bottom of a to-do list of scarifying proportions.

But now, now – hurrah! – a great many of the things on that list have been crossed off.  I don’t want to raise false hopes, but I think you may be hearing more from me.  SOON.