Hi there, greetings from Hoffnungsthal (the Valley of Hope). I hope these lines find you all well and in good spirits. This is just a quick update from me and a little explanation why it's been quiet here on the blog (and the podcast, too).

I owe you an apology. Well, if not an apology, then at least an explanation. A few lines to shed some light on why it's been mainly silence on the various The Active Amputee channels in recent weeks and months. 

People who have been following me for some time know that I run The Active Amputee as a side hussle; a pet project of mine that I do in my spare time. And while I write the blog, publish podcasts, and  post on social media in my spare time, I try to do my best to have a regular schedule and provide quality content on a regular base. 

But the last 18 months of Covid19 lockdowns, home schooling, shifting workloads and the like have taken its toll. I must admit that I found it harder and harder to motivate myself to continue. It wasn't that I had lost the passion for this project of mine. No, not at all. Almost to the contrary. I had more and more ideas on how to develop The Active Amputee further,  provide more quality information, and add new strands to the blog and podcast. At the same time, I found it harder and harder to get into the right headspace, free up time, commit to a certain task, and get it done. I was inefficient and often not content with the results.

So in early summer I decided to take a break, refocus, go on holidays, have more quality time with the family, and recharge my batteries. And then come back a in late summer with new energy. And I think I was on the right track. The long walk in early June - 100k along the River Lahn - and our recent canoeing trip with the family were just what I needed. Time out in nature. Away from wifi signals and laptop screens. Time for myself and with the family. For talks and walks. For silence and reflection. And for new ideas and a re-kindled passion for this project. And a plan to restart the blogging and podcasting on August 1, 2021.

Unfortunately this will not happen. I will take at least an additional two weeks off. While we were on holidays we had severe floods in parts of Germany. These floods also affected the small town we live in. The little river that runs just behind our house normally had about 60 cm (two foot) or water. But in mid-July it had 405 cm (almost 13.5 foot) of water. So parts of our house got flooded. We managed to get on top of the initial mess within the first few days. We were lucky and had amazing help from family and friends. But it's now time to assess the damage and see what needs to be don. And it will take some time until  we find a new routine, get our work spaces up and running again, and return to a more productive work-flow again.

So please bear with me for a bit longer. I plan to be back with new content in mid-August. Until then, all the best.