Archives for November 2012

Yesterday results of a University of Melbourne study into NAPLAN made headline news.  Many parents (and teachers) were indignant about the reports which showed “significant concerns about the ‘unintended side effects’ of NAPLAN, including teaching to the test, a reduction in time devoted to other subjects and a negative impact on student health and staff morale.”

“Almost half of teachers said they held practice NAPLAN tests at least once a week for five months before the tests every May.”

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(actually if you want to read this you need to hop on over to iVillage – do it, I know you want to)

If there is anyone left that reads my blog (it’s been a while – sorry I have been very busy over here) they will know that I am not the kind of person that sleeps with strangers. Well it’s been a while since I last did but recently I was given occasion to go back and even my husband approved, actually he was the one pushing me to do it.

An amazing opportunity came up for me at work to do a famil to Maurituis (for those of you who aren’t with the travel talk a famil is NOT a family in fact it’s the opposite – it means you go somewhere without your family to famiiarise yourself with a destination).   I had said no to countless other famils because a)  I am a control freak and I thought I needed routine and b) there is no b) I am just stubborn.

Anyway I had been having a pretty hard year and feeling on the edge of snapping so I decided to take this opportunity and sleep with strangers. 4 of them.

Before you start judging me let me explain that I didn’t technically sleep with them, although we slept at the same time in the same place. On a plane bound for Mauritius. Because what else do you do on a plane? Seriously? If you aren’t sleeping you’re definitely trying to …

To me sleep is one of the most intimate and personal functions that our bodies perform. Something that I have difficult doing because a)  I am a control freak and b) there is no b) I am just stubborn,  so I guess it was a fitting way to start a journey with strangers  – in the deep end.

And now that I have woken up on the other side I cannot tell you just how much I recommend it (and then spending a week with the strangers afterwards – sort of like afterplay)

• I learned that I can actually communicate without the internet. I know it sounds so archaic but I did it and it was awesome.  In fact I am thinking I may do it again some time.

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• I realised that I (along with a lot of help from Mr Pencil) have done a spectacular job of bringing up Little Pencil. He is strong, he is resilient, he is independent and he does not need me to be present in every minute of his life.  He’s perfect.

• It opened my eyes to some of the interesting, amazing and talented people out there that I don’t get to meet because a) I am a control freak and I hate being away from routine and b) there is no b) I am just stubborn.

• I released a bit of the past. Some of the fear.  I was just me. No expectations of being anything else. Not the Sharpest Pencil, not a wife, not a mother, not even a perceived version of Lana. No one knew me, I could just be the real me.

• It made me want to write again. Just write and write and write. It made me realise how lucky I am to have the job I have and this blog as well!

• And it made me younger. A very astute companion told me that I looked younger at the end of the trip than I had at the start.  I think that might have been meant as a compliment

If that’s what sleeping with strangers can do for you – I think I’m going to be needing some protection!

PS The real story of my travels will be up on iVillage shortly and my life as a travel writer will have begun.

PPS To me the analogy of sleeping with strangers and air travel is really obvious. It’s not even an analogy – it’s what happens on a plane – people sleep and they are surrounded by strangers. I fear some people may not get it so I am offering this explanation.  You’re welcome