Last Weekend at Home

Happy Fourth of July!

Having just returned from a little trip to Florida with my family, I am enjoying my last weekend at home before I depart for the big trip. It occurred to me that last weekends at home are going to become a theme because when I return, I will only have one weekend at home before moving back to PC.

I've got just about everything I need for my trip, and I am beginning to pack in earnest and take care of a few last minute details like getting a new watch battery and a dentist appointment. I sent an e-mail off to my host Jessica yesterday with a few last minute questions and to confirm some details. She's also on vacation, so hopefully I'll hear back from her soon.

Since I last wrote, I've been in contact with a few of the people who work at the Catholic Chaplaincy at the University of Sydney, especially its director, Daniel Hill, who I think might also be a doctoral student there. He asked me to speak as part of a lunch time lecture series that they have at the university. Speakers give an "outside the textbook" perspective on some topic of interest/importance/relevance. I am not yet sure of the exact content of my talk, but I am excited to work on it and plan it. It's going to be on August 11th, so I'm sure I'll talk a little bit about here it before then. I am really looking forward to this experience.

In other news, I'm the only Smith Fellow still in the States, and its making me sort of impatient to leave. I've been reading about all the great work the other ladies have been doing, and I'd like to get out there, too!