Relocated (at least physically)

I'm back in Canada now. It's amazing; I feel as though I'm here for a two week vacation as I was back in April 2010. I'm sure reality will set in but as of yet, it hasn't.

Coming back to Canada was both a wonderful and sad experience. I never realised how deep the connections I made 'in the field' were until it was time for me to leave. In addition to the genuine life-long friends that I made, the people I met through my research made me realise how my time there affected them. I blame them for 180 Euro surcharge on my suitcases for my return flight, which charged for all the excess weight and baggage. They were wonderful at providing me resource material and Dutch paraphernalia so that "I wouldn't forget them or the Netherlands". Well people, I couldn't if I tried.

Although this blog was originally developed as a field blog, it will now follow my adventures as a thesis writing PhD student in Canada. I will at times include posts from the last couple of months when I was a bit too caught up in life to write (my apologies!). It will also resume its proper role as a field blog when I return to Rotterdam in May 2011. You heard me correctly, I'm returning for about 3 weeks in order to face the music. By facing the music, I mean that I will be giving a very short presentation in Dutch (be still my racing, palpitating heart...speaking Dutch still makes me extremely nervous as I'm sure it will do for many years to come) concerning what I've learned throughout my year in Rotterdam Noord. This is a time where people who participated or who would like to participate in my research can tell me what they think about my ideas and conclusions. I expect to hear a mix of "that's nice but have you thought of this point?" "Wow, I've never thought of it in that way before, I think you're right/wrong/confused/crazy etc." - I expect to hear many different things, many of which will end up, in some form, in my thesis. We'll see how it all works out, but that's the plan anyway.

For now, I sit on my living room floor typing at the computer (we're still in need of some furniture) physically being in Canada and mentally being somewhere half way across the Atlantic.