Another year, another MMM

I've been seeing the odd Me Made May declaration on the interwebs and thought, "Isn't that funny, since May is so far away….".  Then I realized it isn't.  Time really gets away from you sometimes.  So, here we go:  

'I, Vicki of Another Sewing Scientist, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '14. I will to wear a handmade garment or accessory each day for the duration of May 2014'

Because I'll be travelling for parts of MMMay2014, as I was for MMMay 2012, it will involve a bit more planning than last year.  Last year was more slapdash, with a few skipped days here and there when things weren't clean. (Hey who's counting?)  Actually, come to think of it, travelling makes things easier, because you expect to pack 5 outfits and wear them over and over when travelling, don't you?   Good enough excuse to plan a trip every May, I say.  

Me Made May 2012

(insert photo collage of MMMay2013 

whenever I can be arsed to go back to my old, 

almost-dead laptop and put the photos 

together…..)

Speaking of getting older, I should say that I've reached my imaginary half-way point in life today by turning 44 years old.  Sounds crazy, I know, but ever since I can remember, I'd always imagined that I would live to be 88.  No reason; just an arbitrary "old age" I decided upon when I started to understand mortality.  

I've done a hell of a lot in 44 years:  I've travelled in 30 countries on 5 continents, I've spent 18 years on my formal education (and I'm probably not finished yet), I've made 2 new humans for the planet (sorry / not sorry), I've managed to find a partner that hasn't strangled me over the last 20+ years, I've made a lot of friends and kept most, and I like to think that I've helped a lot of people in a lot of ways.  

So what do I have planned for year 45 out of 88?  

Sewing-wise:  #Nylon2014 is the next big plan.  I'm deep in the planning-is-almost-as-good-as-the-trip phase.  So much to cram into 6 days!  Viking exhibit at the British Museum and couture wedding dresses at V&A!  London bloggers!  Andrew Scott at the Royal Court!  The Man Outside Sainsburys!  And I'm trying not to frantically sew new things before then, but don't hold me to it.

Science-wise:  I'll have to miss my annual parasitology conference this year, because it falls right at the beginning of my trip to London, but if all goes well, I'll have some interesting data to present at another conference sometime this year.  I'm coming to the end of my current B&MGates grant, so we are frantically trying to put together proposals to continue our research.  The eternal state of being in academia, I'm afraid.  I've been very lucky to work with such fascinating people in Canada, the US, Botswana and South Africa, and I hope I can continue to do so…..I've yet to make that big breakthrough discovery that we all imagine we'll make when we first get into a research career.  Maybe I never will.  But I have the next 44 years to try.

Cheers!