Summer Adventures: #’s 3, 4, & 5

It is 11am, and I am taking a breather from packing and doing odds and ends to simply lie on the couch and organize my thoughts. Today I will drive over halfway to Albany, stopping to sleep at my grandparents’ cottage (and be fed). Tomorrow I will finish the drive to Albany and move into a dorm, which will be my home for the next 3.5 weeks. This will be adventure #5 of the summer.

Adventure #1: Yoga training in Phoenix with my mom. I am now an official “RYT,” or Registered Yoga Teacher. I hope to start teaching one class a week in the fall.

Adventure #2: Wedding planning and a Pampered Chef shower for Heather in Ohio.

Adventure #3: Hanging out in Pittsburgh for June. My goal was to write and read lots and hang out with friends from the Open Door. I accomplished the hang-out part, and am sad to be leaving them for the rest of the summer. But they should be here when I return in August! The writing part didn’t so much happen: I was sick the first week, had a house guest the second, and when I started a groove during the third week, Adventure #4 interrupted.

Adventure #4: Was a spontaneous trip to Seattle to visit Heather for the weekend. We read some, talked lots, practiced yoga, and went to a bridal shower that her church threw for her. As Heather’s Maid of Honor, I relished having time to hang out with just the two of us, and then also to hang out with the groom a bit too. I’m very excited about Heather’s upcoming wedding to Clay, and it is my privilege to support them through the process. It’s an honor—which must be why the position is called “Maid of Honor.” Go figure.

Adventure #5: In Albany, I will be working with Johns Hopkins University as a TA for their Center for Talented Youth. As a support to the instructor, I’ll be working with one class of high school students for thee weeks. It’s a residency program, so I’ll be seeing the students for the better part of 9am to 9pm. Even though residency programs are a lot of work, I’m excited to be a part of this community of developing writers. We’ll be writing in my new favorite genre: creative nonfiction—the personal essay.

This does mean, however, that my time won’t be my own for the next three-plus weeks, so I’m loving sitting on the couch right now, typing whatever comes to my mind. Next stop: my little black car. See you on the road!