I'm back from my trip up to Fergus Falls. It was a really good conference, a bit hairy at times, and the drive up was AWFUL! Between the snow, rain, ice, and black ice on the roads, I was a nervous wreck. A supposed three-hour trip ended up taking me four and a half hours.

I was excited to get home, but as soon as I got here last night I became really depressed. It is out of character for me--depression is SO teenager, in my case--so I didn't remember how to deal with it. I think I was going through some of the usual loneliness stuff. I was really hoping that I would have an e-mail waiting for me from one of the two guys I had contacted through the dating service... but no luck. I'll have to move on to something else. Even though both guys had the potential to be complete and total duds, I was so excited by the prospect of dating again. I am so bad at being single.

I think I was most depressed by the fact that I came home and there was nobody who was really waiting for me, and only a few people knew that I had been gone at all. This has nothing to do with anybody else, and everything to do with my inability to stay unattached. Or maybe I just need to get used to it. I've said it a million times, but... I was in one serious relationship or another for the past FIVE years, so I have forgotten what it's like to be on my own.

In other news, I have an Australian guy coming to visit for the weekend. He is working with my dad and staying at my parents' house, and while they're gone this weekend he decided to drive up here and see the sites of grand ol' Minneapolis. It should be fun, although I'm scrambling for ideas on how to entertain the guy! At least I know the bar is low--the only city he has visited in the U.S. so far is La Crosse, Wisconsin!!! It should be fairly easy to wow him.

Oh yeah, I also had my first critique session with my writing group. They had a lot of great feedback, and (most importantly) they really liked the first chapter that I had submitted! I need to keep my momentum going and start work on Chapter 2. I find now that I think about the story all the time, which is excellent because it makes me feel like a "true writer." There's some quote about how you're a writer if you wake up and the first thing you think about is writing, and that's were I am right now. Yay.