Three nights ago, Rob and I made pasta and enjoyed the warm Ohio evening picnicking in our big new backyard. Rob had set his usual glass of bubbly water out on the table and we watched as the sun sent playful reflections and shadows out over its surface. "That would make a great picture!" I exclaimed as I ran back inside to get my camera. I had arrived in Oberlin the day before, exhausted after a three day drive from the International Music Camp, but relieved to be with Rob again and excited to begin my life afresh in this beautiful little college town. During the last leg of my trip I drove north from Columbus and passed through quaint villages and lush rolling fields just as the sun was setting. Everything was lit with the hale glow of late summer and my insides were churning with a blush of anticipation. "My new home is gorgeous!" I thought "I can't wait to explore!"
For the next year we'll be living in/caring for the home of another professor who is on sabbatical. The place is lovely. With walls covered in artwork and exotic memorabilia adorning each room, it's a space that inspires both comfort and creativity. We've been asked to be extremely careful with the wooden floors and furniture, so I've had to check my casual living habits a bit and make sure to bring a coaster with me wherever I go, but that's a small sacrifice to pay for the privilege of such nice living arrangements.
We're still unpacking a bit, so I apologize for the clutter, but here's a view of the dining room...
...the 3rd floor attic studio I've claimed for my own (check out that windowseat with a view!)...
...the spacious front porch...
...and the long wooded backyard, whose boundary stretches beyond the furthest trees pictured here...
Especially when compared to the tiny, and very noisy studio I had in Evanston, this place is paradise!
Now that I'm more or less settled in, I spend my days searching for work and slowly reintroducing my chops to the horn. I've been told that, when done right, an employment search is basically equivalent in time and energy spent to a full time job. Though I've already submitted about dozen applications, I have yet to secure an interview, but I suppose this is to be expected and I'm trying not to let the process discourage me.
In between job searches I jog upstairs for mini practice sessions. At the moment my mouthpiece still feels like a foreign object and I sound a bit like most 7th graders...but again, after a month away from the instrument this is to be expected. I've never taken so much time off from playing, but I've been told by numerous colleagues that this kind of "reboot", when approached with patience and intelligence, can actually be quite healthy. If there's anything I do have in abundance these days it's time, so now I'm just relying on my drive and eager work ethic to carry me through the slow process of growth and learning. I hope to be playing well enough in a couple weeks to feel comfortable performing publicly and, ideally, begin recruiting some private students.
Two nights ago, Rob and I went out for Thai food (which I haven't had in months) in the town of Avon, a few miles northish of Oberlin, and then capped off the evening with a sunset stroll along our new great lake...Lake Erie. Though it felt odd to be watching the sun set over a large body of water after having spent two years watching it rise over Lake Michigan's eastern profile, the experience was no less satisfying.
It's good to be here. Opportunities are on the horizon. It's only a matter of time...
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