What the Doctor Ordered...

Allow for me to apologize again for my almost complete lack of posting during the summer months.  Again, most of it can be attributed to the crappy wifi connection at camp.  The rest, unfortunately, must be attributed to my laziness and preoccupation with other things.

I will give you a quick list of highlights from my summer at Buck's Rock:

• I made lots of art.
• I participated in an 8 mi. road race.
• I got really drunk and cut my toe open at '80's prom (no campers allowed, don't worry.)
• I performed with my co-counsellor and my camper at a chamber music recital.
• I finally finished the book I'd been working on for 6 mos.
• I started writing a series of short stories.
• I got to reconnect with lots of good people and meet lots of new ones!

This list merely touches on the events that made this summer an unforgettable one.  At this point, I have to give a shout out to all of the people that helped make it so enjoyable.

However, after spending the vast majority of my spring surrounded by my lovely Asheville friends, followed by a 2.5 week road trip with my friend Cathryn, followed by two months surrounded by campers and co-workers, two of whom came home with me for a week after camp, after which I spent a week back in Asheville to celebrate Miguel's and my respective birthdays (the return of Sunday Funday!), I finally came home to some much needed R&R and peace and quiet.

One of my main objectives over the last few days has been to find a job somewhere in the Upper Valley, in the hopes of saving some money before the imminent "rest of my life" begins.

That being said, I am actually a big fan of unemployment.

Sure, if I went unemployed for too long, I would absolutely go insane, but, for now, as the title of my post suggests, it is "...just what the doctor ordered."

I have found in the last few days that not having a set schedule allows for one to really and truly focus on themselves and the way that they want to live their life.

As for me, true to character, I've been going to bed early and waking up early (with plenty of time to enjoy my day).  I have been doing lots of walking and running in addition to the usual yoga that I practice.  I have been cooking lots of yummy and healthy, home-cooked meals and, subsequently, eating those meals.  I've been spending long overdue time with my dog and my parents. I've started watching Arrested Development (late to the game, I know, but goddamn, that is a funny fuckin' show) and started a new book, Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion (so far, highly recommended).

I think the thing that I have noticed most in my (hopefully) brief stint at unemployment, is how much having that extra time allows you to appreciate things.

For years, I have claimed that my attention span does not allow for me to start a new television series, that I can't invest myself in it enough.  The same goes for reading, while I've always known that I enjoy reading, I find that my mind tends to drift to all of the other things that I could (and probably should) be doing instead.  However, in the past few days I have done both of these things, and I've had the time to actually enjoy them.  Perhaps there's an argument for intellectual stimulation somewhere in there?

Even while practising yoga, easily one of my favorite activities, I often find my mind wandering to the other things going on in my life, kind of defeating the purpose of the very important "clear your mind" aspect of the practice.  However, while practising in my front yard yesterday, I found that I was, in fact, able to clear my mind.

Blah, blah, blah, cheesy, I know.

Now, instead of giving you more arguments for unemployment, I am going to go make pesto with my Mom and prepare for a job interview (hypocrite, much?)

But, that whole unemployment thing.... If you get a chance, give it a shot.