Hello! I've been absent from blogging for the last year and some odd months (aside from grad school, hehe), so I figured I'd get back into it. In addition to writing my first post back to the world of recreational and therapeutic blogging, I clearly need to change the title of this blog because I am in...YEAR THREE!!!
I relied on this blog to vent, process, and connect during an eye-opening first year. As you may have read, my job turned from a nightmare to a dream job. Last year, I had another chance to correct my first-year mistakes. I took up endurance training, passed the time of Chris' deployment with marathon training and further building the music program, and learned and grew plenty along the way. Sometime in that space I applied for grad school, got two great offers, and decided to return to IC. This summer, I enjoyed being back in the classroom and got plenty of great new ideas for this coming year.
I implemented what I learned and was stunned by the positive results. I'm finding that my students are more engaged, happier, and much more successful. I'm way less frustrated, I feel like they are really learning and appreciating music, and I leave work quite early every day without a mountain of work waiting for my return. Our new assistant director (a good friend) has been amazing, and between the two of us, it's a pretty sweet gig. No place is without its quirks, but I'm very happy....and therein lies my problem - I'm stuck. I'm certainly not claiming that I have got this music teacher thing down, nor that I don't have work to do, or don't have things to improve. I've got plenty of the prior, so let me be clear: I don't feel totally captivated and inspired like I've felt when I studied or taught music in the past. The challenge, the subject matter, and the struggles used to keep a fire burning in me. I'd have to pry myself away from work because I just enjoyed it so frickin' much. Even though the early struggles were great, finding a solution was ten times more rewarding. Work was an addition that became my identity.
Somewhere along the way, I've become much better at my work-life balance. Being home early is GREAT and I usually finish my lesson planning on Friday afternoons so I leave for the weekend home-free. Chris and I have been having a great time trying as many new things as we can, and life has been very good, and very comfortable. Many people would kill for this, but it bothers me. I also don't have many non-work activities going on these days. I gave many of them up to train for races, and with Chris' deployment around the corner, I don't want to miss out on precious time with him. Perhaps I need to return to them when he heads back overseas - I'm sure the improv and community band will do me well!
Being the problem-solver that I am, I'm going to attempt to brainstorm some fixes. PLEASE feel free to chime in, offering any advice that you might have!
Potential solutions: discover what DOES ignite me and do more of that. Right now, that includes planning unique concerts that leave the audience amazed and the students excited. I could do a chamber music concert, a general music concert, or a school drama production - all things I haven't done that I'd like to try.
Train for a bigger race - half Ironman, anyone?
Read voraciously.
Become a Pinterest queen.
Pick up tennis again.
Take time to get in touch with myself - what are all the things I've wanted to do in Hawaii? I have a year left, so it's time to get crackin'.
At this point, it's worth mentioning that Chris and I are on our way out. He's talking about orders with the appropriate parties, and I'm going along for the ride. I've always wanted to do my Ph.D, so a very realistic option for our next location is for me to be a full-time Ph.D student. I'll still have six months to kill between our arrival and my final summer of grad school, so I need to decide if I want to seek a long-term sub position, take random sub jobs, or do something totally different. Lingering in the back of my mind is the thought that life is rolling along very quickly, and it wouldn't hurt to explore other options - is this really what I want to do? It was for a long time, but with a lack of inspiration, is it time to move on, or just a slump? Advice is appreciated! Until next time...!
Showing posts with label routine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label routine. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Aloha, NY!
For the record, the title of this post is shamelessly stolen from the Hawaiian Airlines promotion for their brand new nonstop service from HNL to JFK, which just started this week. Lucky me, I was on the inaugural HNL-bound flight! It was by far the best flight of my life! Aloha spirit was everywhere, from the ticketing counter to the touchdown in Honolulu. I enjoyed two free meals, plenty of Hawaiian Sun pass-o-guava juice, and super service on behalf of the awesome flight crew. It was a smooth ten-hour flight! I look forward to telling my kids and grand kids one day that I flew the first Hawaiian Airlines nonstop flight to Honolulu from JFK. The only problem was that because I wanted to stay awake and enjoy the experience, I was (and still am) super jet lagged. I woke up at 4am today, and then crashed for a few more hours after making some guacamole for breakfast (shout-out to my ladies in 18.07.JIVE!). So, my schedule has been screwed up, and I'm only starting to finish unpacking, getting a routine, etc. I'm still in lazy-bum mode. I DID, however, pick up the schedule for the public pool hours, inquire with a local meditation center, and am looking forward to attending a yoga class this weekend. Gonna check out the local bike shop as well to see if I can find a bike that is suitable for both beginning triathalon training and commuting. Yay for being a proactive adult (kind of)!
Even though I am back home, I do not feel that I am part of the real world yet. My first day of work for my summer school job (teaching an elementary glee-themed class!) is tomorrow - it's a teacher prep day. Although I've put a fair bit of work into designing the class and choosing rep, I'm really looking forward to this prep day because I feel like I've been lazy with the whole commencement-vacation-moving home shindig. My big goals are to finish my letters home, plan days 1 and 2 down to the minute, and come up with my goals for the girls this summer. I also need to make sure that logistically, the room is ready, and add a few elements of my own. My biggest concern is my piano skills, as I haven't played in a month. Thankfully, my only playing would involve playing lines with the class and chords for warm ups. Shouldn't be too bad. I suppose I better memorize and put more score study time into the music - at least enough to be totally confident for days 1 and 2. Because this class is laid back and we are only dealing with pop music (as opposed to a lengthy band piece), I only have to stay a few days ahead of them memorization-wise. I do want to have my 6-week curriculum mapped out by the end of day 2 or so, once I am a little more familiar with the incoming skill and experience.
The next topic I wanted to address is quality of life. To be honest, I was a little unsure if I was making the right choice by moving back home to Hawaii. Above all, I just want to be happy, push myself musically and professionally, and thrive. I thought that maybe staying on the mainland would allow more opportunities for growth, but the job I accepted is so unique and involves so many components that I will get experience in a way that I would not get anywhere else. It's hard when you get invited to a second-round interview for a very prestigious school to turn it down and not have any doubts. However, I figured that I would get the best experience, feel the most comfortable to hone my skills, and hopefully be happiest if I came home. I'm still not sure if my prediction will come true, but I must say that I'm already happier than I expected to be. Here are just a few things I'm thankful for. I honestly forgot (and missed!) how nice the people are here.
The man at the post office is one of the most genuinely happy and helpful people I've ever encountered.
Everyone smiles and says hi walking down the street. Ok, not EVERYBODY, but most people. It's quite the change from NYC!
DF and I had a super fun first date in 5 months, the longest we've been apart. This semester apart was truly challenging, but just having the pleasure of spending a few hours with him again rejuvenated my faith in us and my love for him.
I'm sitting at the local Starbucks (duhhh, where else did you think I would be?!) and everyone is so nice! I hope that I get to know the baristas here as well as I got to know the ones on the Commons! Also, did I mention that there is yet another Starbucks in our town, and it is located exactly one (1) walking block away from the school I'll be teaching at? I will be spending a lot of time there.
The guy at the public park who helped me get a copy of the hours for the pool was, yet again, super friendly.
It's so great to see friends and family again.
Sun!! It came out today, finally!! I definitely need to go for a swim later.
Paradise tax is rampant; my recent purchase at the new whole foods in town broke the bank, and it was only lunch/snacks! However, if I can figure out how to live on a budget (I'm confident I can!), I think the quality of life here will be worth it. I'm also excited and ready to build a routine that involves meditation, exercise, and healthy eating and sleeping habits. I kind of let all of that slip over the past few weeks, as I've been on vacation. Well, vacation is over, and I would like to build upon the healthy habits I developed during my time in Ithaca.
It's funny - I was ready to return home and be insanely depressed by how much I missed school, and immediately wonder if I made the right decision. However, so far, so good. I might be in the honeymoon stage with Hawaii, but if my expectations were turned upside down, I'm hopeful things will continue to be enjoyable and only get better. Now, time to do some work, eat some lunch, and practice some horn. I'll leave you, friends, with a quote I've been contemplating. I used to feel way more mature than my peers, but as I began to approach commencement, I felt so young, and less mature and more scared than ever. I spent much of my time at Ithaca feeling like I needed to get out of there and get on with my life in the real world. When that dream started to become reality, I suddenly began to feel like I had not spent enough time going out, sewing my wild oats, and generally acting my age. I tried my best to carpe diem and YOLO my way through my last semester, and it was worth it. I guess I just graduated with the fear that I had more "being young" to do before I was ready to commit myself to anything, anyone, or anywhere. It's something I'll continue to grapple with, but I'm hoping to find a balance between living with and respecting others, fulfilling my responsibilities as an artist-educator, and being 21. After all, I AM young, and my days being young are not over. Tonight, we are young. I guess I'll just have to figure out how that ties in with being a grown up. This quote by Julius Gordon helps. Enjoy.
"Maturity implies otherness... The art of living is the art of living with."
DA
Even though I am back home, I do not feel that I am part of the real world yet. My first day of work for my summer school job (teaching an elementary glee-themed class!) is tomorrow - it's a teacher prep day. Although I've put a fair bit of work into designing the class and choosing rep, I'm really looking forward to this prep day because I feel like I've been lazy with the whole commencement-vacation-moving home shindig. My big goals are to finish my letters home, plan days 1 and 2 down to the minute, and come up with my goals for the girls this summer. I also need to make sure that logistically, the room is ready, and add a few elements of my own. My biggest concern is my piano skills, as I haven't played in a month. Thankfully, my only playing would involve playing lines with the class and chords for warm ups. Shouldn't be too bad. I suppose I better memorize and put more score study time into the music - at least enough to be totally confident for days 1 and 2. Because this class is laid back and we are only dealing with pop music (as opposed to a lengthy band piece), I only have to stay a few days ahead of them memorization-wise. I do want to have my 6-week curriculum mapped out by the end of day 2 or so, once I am a little more familiar with the incoming skill and experience.
The next topic I wanted to address is quality of life. To be honest, I was a little unsure if I was making the right choice by moving back home to Hawaii. Above all, I just want to be happy, push myself musically and professionally, and thrive. I thought that maybe staying on the mainland would allow more opportunities for growth, but the job I accepted is so unique and involves so many components that I will get experience in a way that I would not get anywhere else. It's hard when you get invited to a second-round interview for a very prestigious school to turn it down and not have any doubts. However, I figured that I would get the best experience, feel the most comfortable to hone my skills, and hopefully be happiest if I came home. I'm still not sure if my prediction will come true, but I must say that I'm already happier than I expected to be. Here are just a few things I'm thankful for. I honestly forgot (and missed!) how nice the people are here.
The man at the post office is one of the most genuinely happy and helpful people I've ever encountered.
Everyone smiles and says hi walking down the street. Ok, not EVERYBODY, but most people. It's quite the change from NYC!
DF and I had a super fun first date in 5 months, the longest we've been apart. This semester apart was truly challenging, but just having the pleasure of spending a few hours with him again rejuvenated my faith in us and my love for him.
I'm sitting at the local Starbucks (duhhh, where else did you think I would be?!) and everyone is so nice! I hope that I get to know the baristas here as well as I got to know the ones on the Commons! Also, did I mention that there is yet another Starbucks in our town, and it is located exactly one (1) walking block away from the school I'll be teaching at? I will be spending a lot of time there.
The guy at the public park who helped me get a copy of the hours for the pool was, yet again, super friendly.
It's so great to see friends and family again.
Sun!! It came out today, finally!! I definitely need to go for a swim later.
Paradise tax is rampant; my recent purchase at the new whole foods in town broke the bank, and it was only lunch/snacks! However, if I can figure out how to live on a budget (I'm confident I can!), I think the quality of life here will be worth it. I'm also excited and ready to build a routine that involves meditation, exercise, and healthy eating and sleeping habits. I kind of let all of that slip over the past few weeks, as I've been on vacation. Well, vacation is over, and I would like to build upon the healthy habits I developed during my time in Ithaca.
It's funny - I was ready to return home and be insanely depressed by how much I missed school, and immediately wonder if I made the right decision. However, so far, so good. I might be in the honeymoon stage with Hawaii, but if my expectations were turned upside down, I'm hopeful things will continue to be enjoyable and only get better. Now, time to do some work, eat some lunch, and practice some horn. I'll leave you, friends, with a quote I've been contemplating. I used to feel way more mature than my peers, but as I began to approach commencement, I felt so young, and less mature and more scared than ever. I spent much of my time at Ithaca feeling like I needed to get out of there and get on with my life in the real world. When that dream started to become reality, I suddenly began to feel like I had not spent enough time going out, sewing my wild oats, and generally acting my age. I tried my best to carpe diem and YOLO my way through my last semester, and it was worth it. I guess I just graduated with the fear that I had more "being young" to do before I was ready to commit myself to anything, anyone, or anywhere. It's something I'll continue to grapple with, but I'm hoping to find a balance between living with and respecting others, fulfilling my responsibilities as an artist-educator, and being 21. After all, I AM young, and my days being young are not over. Tonight, we are young. I guess I'll just have to figure out how that ties in with being a grown up. This quote by Julius Gordon helps. Enjoy.
"Maturity implies otherness... The art of living is the art of living with."
DA
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