I look forward to the food/cooking posts. The culinary arts have always fascinated me; and I have promised myself that one day soon I will begin my food experimentation again.

Similarly, I found that when I left the academic environment, reading and writing felt odd to me. I was not physically located in my own "space" that allowed for a sharing of the written word. Writing outside of graduate school became a dirty little pasttime that I endeavored to hide from others. Who in the "rea world" writes for the sheer joy of writing?

Not exactly the same situation as you were in, but witout MY desk, MY laptop and MY music, writing was more of an effort than ever before.