As a lifelong learner, educator and academic at heart, Back-to-School will always be an exciting concept for me. Living based in a temperate climate like I do in Cologne, Germany, as soon as I feel the first chill in the air and sight a colored leaf or Back-to-School sale, I feel a surge of energy, […]
Summer Pause was in full effect in Cologne, we celebrated a family wedding, I got sick, then recovered just in time for Back-to-School.
July was joyous as well as jammed for me this year, with lots of teaching, creating, family news both “good” and “bad,” queerness (Cologne Pride, the Trocks), political theatre, and summer outdoorsiness between storms.
Summertime is time to reflect on the month of June, quarter two, and the first half of the year.
Having prepared to fly in April and cruised to California for cousin, aunt, and uncle time at the end of the month, the first few days of May we spent showing Ela this lovely West Coast city, eating fish tacos and Mexican food, walking on beaches and piers, at the world famous zoo, through vintage and army surplus stores.
The first part of my month was focused on teaching, coaching, and creating. In the later part of April preparations intensified for a trip home to the US, California and Hawai’i specifically, entailing international travel, packing, and lots of work for both of us as self-employed/freelancers.
It all paid off, as I learned and connected through the work I did, and we had a magical time flying carryon-only to San Diego, visiting with family and touristing there. In this post I’ll share much of what I did and made, then in May’s reflection upcoming, more details of the trip to San Diego and Kailua-Kona.
So very springy! In Cologne, Germany where I am located, there were early-spring flowers all around, with changeable, moody weather. What can be very energetic and productive and also very challenging time of change for many.
Celebrating International Women’s Day with two festive events kicked off my month, which continued with planning upcoming travel adventures including a weekend getaway we reveled in at the end of the month and US visit this spring.
Having already published a general reflection on 2023 to the blog, A Beautiful Year of Slow Creation and Growth, here I’m recording impressions from my year in books, films, series, songs, and a variety of media inputs. Of course not all were stellar, but it can be fun to look back at the influence my viewing, listening, and reading has in my creative and personal life!
It’s just incredible the access we have to endless information in this day and age, to endless information. I try not to get overwhelmed by all the options, but focus on a mix of what I enjoy and expanding my exposure and perspective.
As a teaching artist, media such as music and video are key to my practice, and I also appreciate how cultural knowledge connects us socially in society.
In February things tend to get rolling for the year and 2024 was no different, as I taught and coached online, regular classes in schools and studios as well as additionally substitute teaching for colleagues on vacation.
Working on exercises and technique for a ballet exam coming up, as well as foundational work for centre, turns, and jumps with my adult students. Choreography sketches for Alphabet Superset continued to be a creative focus, and we took part in a lot of socializing for Karneval and other events.
Having enjoyed tracking twenty-three (and more) key actions in my Bullet Journal collections in 2023, I decided to keep it going this year with twenty-four 24’s in 2024!
Arranged according to my 8 major focus areas; Read, Write, Create, Practice, Serve, Connect, Sustain, and Adventure; in this way I get a somewhat holistic picture of my intentions and goals for the year. I focus on actions I can take, then see what results occur. Then I reflect, recommit or change direction, and carry on creating!
