Now back in the UK. Both visits were a lot of fun, and it was great to visit Berkeley for the first time – a lovely campus and great walks in the hills behind it – and Tucson again for the first time in years. Tucson was not as hot as it can be, which was also much appreciated.

The talk at Berkeley drew a good sized audience. Lots of good questions and discussions over a beer on the department balcony overlooking the bay and over dinner later. The seminar the previous day was also really good – six very smart graduate students with good questions and criticisms and their own very interesting projects. We discussed the ‘Land, Terrain, Territory’ paper, and Neil Brenner and my piece on Lefebvre and territory. A few other informal meetings; great to see Michael Dear again, and to meet people outside geography like Nancy Peluso and Donald Moore. Many thanks to Jake Kosek for organising the visit, and Teo Ballvé for arranging the seminar.

The University of Arizona visit was great too. More organised meetings over coffee, lunch or dinner with graduate students and faculty, and lots of interesting conversations. I was really impressed by the quality of the students and their great projects. The talk was also very well attended and a good discussion – quite different from the one at Berkeley despite almost exactly the same talk from me – afterwards. Thanks to Sallie Marston and JP Jones for arranging and hosting my visit.

On the Saturday I was taken down to the border by Geoff  Boyce and Jeremy Slack who are two grad students who work on issues there and across into Mexico. Very interesting and may post more about that at some point. Thanks Geoff and Jeremy for your time and insight.