Right now, I’m sitting at my desk with work tabs open and deadlines quietly tapping me on the shoulder. But where is my brain? Somewhere between Auckland International Terminal and Poznań, Poland; floating high above the clouds, sketchbook in hand and mind racing through checklists.
I'm heading to the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Poznań this August, and my excitement is already borderline unmanageable. I've devoured every blog post and YouTube video about sketching, packing hacks, surviving long-haul flights, and things to do in Poznań beyond the symposium itself. I even made a list of things to sketch while in transit (yes, airport gates and the backs of economy seats are on the list). I’ve watched past symposium correspondents’ recaps twice... okay, some of them three times.
I think I might be peaking too early.
Part of me is starting to worry that I’m too excited. Like, if I’m already this giddy, how will I cope with the sheer thrill of actually being there? Will I explode? (Highly likely. Please stand back: cue splatter.)
To add a layer of difficulty, I’m on the tail end of a rough Covid recovery. Energy is low, motivation lower, and my usual ability to power through is more of a polite suggestion than a core attribute.
So what do you do when your mind is 12 weeks ahead and your body’s still catching up from last week?
I don’t want to wish the time away. These weeks before the trip are part of the adventure too — the planning, the dreaming, the butterflies and we both know it’ll all be over before I even know it.
So if I’m a little distracted is that okay? The countdown will shift to departure soon enough, and will I be ready — with my sketchbooks, my carryon, and a personal GPS that has already memorised the trek between my accommodation and the Urban Sketchers Symposium venue!