For me, lj is like a place to write postcards to your friends. If there is too much text in one entry, I admit that I don't read them as much as it hurts my eyes. I like lj cuts. Mostly I just skim over your fieldwork entries and read the rest. But IM or email is definitely more direct for me. But I have some friends for whom LJ is the best way to get a hold of them. *shrug*

That and I've been incredibly busy with school - I just don't read everything my friends post. But just know that I'm thinking about you and am looking forward to seeing you when you get back to the States.