I’m back! We went away for two weeks, a road trip to Yellowstone with stops along the way. If you follow me on instagram you already saw some pictures, but I will share more over the next week or two with you.

I wasn’t sure if this was a trip we should take, but I’m so glad we did. I know I’m not alone in this, but I really needed a break, and I really needed to get out of the house and away. Louie and I decided the risks from COVID could be lowered through careful stops, masks, and social distancing, and that our mental help really needed a break. We all have varying degrees of deciding what is right, and what is risky, and what is acceptable. We set up a plan and ground rules for ourselves.

Our plan was the same as driving to Chautauqua and back in the weeks prior: trying to stop only at larger truck stops or rest areas for bathrooms, trying to avoid touching things as much as possible, wearing masks at all times inside and when too close to other people outside. This means we did not eat out at any restaurants except for a few occasions when the outdoor seating was responsibly distanced and we felt comfortable with that. We did takeout a few times, did find ourselves in a crowded grocery store once (though everybody was masked, thank you Montana state law), and the only time we were inside without masks was brushing our teeth at the campgrounds and in a couple of private hotel rooms.

I think it worked out. I don’t know, maybe we will both come down with COVID in the next week, but we felt like did our best, and that we made it work. We always had the plan that we could bail and drive home if needed, and we brought our passports, just in case somehow things got super awful while we were gone and we needed to attempt to flee the country (ridiculous of course, since nobody would likely take us in as refugees since we have been so awful in our own country to refugees).

So I’m back, and today I’m back to work and catching up on everything that I missed out on. Which there is quite a lot, so many emails, a little job application which ended up requiring cajoling a few colleagues for recommendations (if I get the job, it’s part time and I’ll tell you later, but either way is okay with me). I had a few computer and Ipad issues already today, and made a delicious eggplant and pickled beet sandwich for lunch.

I’m working on a lot of ideas right now and I really ought to practice a bit because I am quite out of shape! I have a few teaching seminars I’m attending this week and next, though nothing as intense or personal as the ones earlier this summer. My main idea is that I am going to work on putting together a more methodical “curriculum” of my own personal teaching ideas, from beginning and then so on, rather than just pulling things together as I go. Maybe if I have a real methodical approach my students will be better served…I also just want to take some time to really study and analyze what I’m doing that is working and what isn’t, and also to figure out how to add in some other music outside of the traditional Suzuki canon, to represent more diverse voices. It occurred to me that I am sort of at a midpoint of my career and now is an excellent time to do some reflection about how to proceed further. I’ve got so much material on hand but really should streamline my methods rather than being so flung out.

In any case, how are you? I feel far less stressed and much more relaxed than before. It was really nice not checking the news as often, though I do like to stay a bit in the loop…I’m letting myself relax because, there’s nothing I can do other than vote right now. And donate to good causes and try to work as hard as I can. So I’ll be getting things done, making music, and hopefully continuing to enjoy some weekends…