Northward Migration

I'm never the most up-to-date at the best of times, but it seems that my post-thesis writer's block hasn't broken yet, and I'm getting further behind on blog posts. A fair bit has gone on since my last blog post; a month back home in NZ, catching up with sleep, family, friends, mountains (a sub-class of friends really), and running NZ champs. But that's not what I'm going to write about right now*. Because:

Surprise! I've made it to the Northern Hemisphere!

Hald-en a sec:

Yep, as of the 1st of May, I'm based in Halden. It's been a pretty terribly kept secret that once I finished my PhD, a move to Halden was on the cards. Having said that, up until the last couple of months, my proposed move sounded far more definite coming out of other people's mouths than it ever did coming out of my own!

But in the end it was a pretty straight forward decision to make. To improve further as an orienteer, there is a need to be based in Europe. When way back at the world cups in NZ, Anne Margrethe H-N first mentioned HSK to me and suggested that I might enjoy it here, I was too busy being stoked that someone so amazing was even talking to me that I didn't really take on board what she was saying. I was  then completely taken by surprise when I was invited to visit last year to have a look around and see the opportunities available. When on my visit last year I was made to feel so completely welcome and at home, I realised that Anne Margrethe was completely right. The club has world-class terrain, club-mates and coaches, but the environment is what is most important.

And then I realised that I already own red, blue and white pairs of orienteering socks. And my decision was made.

Nailed it.

So I can now proudly announce that I'm an Halden Skiklubb runner! With the class of girls currently running for the club, it's going to be damn tough work to even get close to the first team, or hold a second team spot. But that challenge is what I'm here for, and is vital to my improvement. 

Put simply: I'm here to get beaten more often in training, so I get beaten less often in competition ;-)

It's taken over 26 years, but I'm finally a 'cool chick'!

(I was going to write about 10-Mila, but I think that's pushing my writing capabilities at the moment. Soon though! Bear with me and hopefully when I do write about it, I'll manage to be coherent. "It will be Awesome!"**)

* I will write about the month in NZ in due course. And it will most likely read like a tourism ad. Partly cos I'll be homesick, and partly because NZ is amazing.
** C. Forne, 2015. Although not strictly about my next post. Or even 10-Mila.