Greetings. My name is Martha Pitzer. I had a nice preview of Lactnet in June and then went off on vacation. My husband "turned off" Lactnet but to my surprise (and his) I had over 900 messages awaiting me on his e-mail account when we returned. My husband ENCOURAGED me to reactivate my own account. I'm Adjunct faculty at Ohio State so that wasn't too difficult. Until a few years ago I taught nursing full time...I still teach occasionally - guest lectures and precepting student nurses who are interested in lactation. I am ASPO certified and teach breastfeeding with an independent group of CB educators. The past two years I became engrossed in lactation while working at university hospital. At that time my office-mate was an LC and of course I kept answering her phone calls from distraught nursing mothers. I discovered that lactation is the perfect synthesis of peds, ob, family relations & human development [my bias] as these are all areas dear to my heart. All those LACTNET messages made me feel that I know many of you already. Listening on the NET was a great source of learning and entertainment for me as I reviewed for the IBCLC exam. I treated myself by reading a few each night and I made a few contacts by regular e-mail. Now with the IBCLE exam behing me I gave myself a reward --- rejoining and getting some "current" lactnet mail. Are there any other post-exam survivors out there trying to "get back to your regular lives? That's what Kathy A. tells attendees at her seminars they should do. Right? Easier said than done. Roberta have you returned from all your travels? I enjoyed meeting you in person and your lovely daughter, at breakfast on Sunday. Tina Smillie are you there? I wish I had met and talked with you at the LACTNET meeting at ILCA. Best wishes with your private practice combining pediatrics and lactation. How I wish you were in Columbus! The end of this month we go to England & then Europe where my husband will be visiting universities. He has a 9 month sabbatical. I HOPE to make numerous health care contacts in each country. My dream is to become more involved in research related to breastfeeding. This coming year will be devoted to gathering cross-cultural information. LACTNET will be a rich resource. I'm eagerly awaiting arrival of Kathy Dettwyler and Patricia Stuart-Macadam's book on "Breastfeeding Biocultural Perspectives." Ann Kaeser in Kaufering, Germany, hello. Are you there, Ann?. I will write to you personally by e-mail. We will be in Stuttgart (October). I believe that is not too far from Kaufering. Thanks for listening. I look forward to hearing from you. Martha Pitzer, RN, PhD, CLE