As usual, it has taken me the better part of the summer to get to a mental place where I feel like I have enough creative energy to write. Like cooking, and baking, and photography, I miss writing when I don't do it. But like physical exercise, which I also miss, it requires energy. I find both my mental and physical processes to be similar. First, I need some down time free from obligations, stress, and exhaustion. Then, I need some time to think about doing it. I often spend weeks thinking about running before I begin again. This summer I've been thinking in blog posts and status updates, but it's taken until today for me to find the spark to actually start typing. I'm trying to figure out what the spark is so that I can harness it for future use. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm starting to triangulate the pieces. It seems to be part artistic inspiration, part socialization, and part time alone.
For those of you who don't know, this summer has deviated far from what we expected. We thought we'd leave June behind with a bang--me in an intense summer grad class and J prepping for two new courses. We'd hit July ready for a break, but also feeling ready to head back prepared in September. There was talk of a cross-country road trip, one that we've both been wanting to take for a long time. There were dreams of a "staycation" in which we were tourists in our own city, for all too frequently do we neglect to take advantage of the cool things our home has to offer. And there were visions of the ever-illusive relaxation. Days spent at parks or beaches, reading, taking pictures, sailing with friends. Oh yeah, and we thought we might plan the wedding we're having in 138 days. (OMG, J, did you know it was so soon?) But none of those things happened. Instead, on June 29, the first day of my grad class and the second day of "summer vacation," everything changed. It's a long story not worth retelling, so we'll just leave it at landlords in NYC are insane and:
And so began our apartment hunt. July, divided into thirds was first devoted to finding an apartment. After viewing hundreds of apartments and pounding out miles, we found one. Naturally, not one that was vacant as so many were, and so began the second third...the waiting. We couldn't really pack because we still had to live in our place for three more weeks. We couldn't afford to travel anymore since all of our money was forked over in a broker's fee--NYC friends, you know how much that hurts. So we tried to be as productive as possible pre-move: clearing out stuff we could donate or throw away, planning a little for the wedding (we nailed down a band, invitations, and a florist, so there was some success), and trying to knock out the Brooklyn bucket list since we were expatriating our borough in favor of a move to Queens. (We did well, including farewell drinks at the corner watering hole,
Italian treats from Esposito and Caputo's,
and trying the new Hay Rosie ice cream shop where we ate two flights of ice cream. Ice cream flights - genius! And for the record, fennel ice cream is delicious!)
Bucket list completed (except for necessary visits to some of my favorite bakeries for wedding cake tasting), we were on our way to our new home.
The last third of July was all about the packing. For people who have over 50 moves between them, and who had only lived in 800 square feet for only 3 years, WOW, do we have a lot of stuff. J pined for the days when moving meant packing his car and hitting the road. I just wanted to hit the road. Alas, the 31st arrived and we headed out to our new 'hood. As moves go, it was a good one in that nothing was broken or stolen, our movers did not commit extortion by holding our stuff on the truck while they demanded more money, and we did not spend any nights homeless. But we were still yet to put it all back together.
So here we are, August 11, my back-to-school nightmares have begun and we're unpacking. Don't get me wrong. We're mostly done. There has been major progress--shelves hung, furniture assembled, air conditioners installed. But there is more to do and now J has joined me in wanting to just run away.
We love our new apartment. We're enjoying getting to know our new neighborhood and meeting our new neighbors. (In fact, the first picture in this post was taken on a walk with our new friend, M.) But now, with a marathon school year on the horizon (oh yes, I'm taking more grad classes this fall, J still has those two new classes to prep, and I have a new class as well,) we need a vacation more than ever. Remember, there is a wedding in December! Since there is still school work to do, among many other things, we opted for a one day mini-vacation upstate where the air smells different, where the pace is slower, where I feel at ease.
Below are a few pictures from Storm King Art Center and a shot of my dad and me, because every trip upstate includes a surprise visit with my Pops.
Three Legged Buddha
I don't know the name of this one, but I totally think it's a Star Wars guy going into battle in an episode of The Jetsons.
The Mermaid
This one was super-cool. It waved symmetrically from this angle. From the other side the two poles looked as though they were intertwined. They moved like sea creatures dancing.
This is my favorite photo of the day. I love the three little girls contemplating the sculpture. I also love that the sculpture looks like a playground.
I hadn't been to Storm King in about 25 years, but I remembered this piece. I still think it's awesome.
A little bit of Greece in New York
Pops
So here's to hoping our new home, which has both happy and sunny in its address, brings us the peace and joy to be creative. (And that maybe we can sneak in a few days for some R&R before school starts again!)
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