Just Being One

Last year's spring break was sort of magical because it happened to fall right at the end of the semester so I managed a little trip.  This year's spring break was not magical--I still had a week of FIU left.  So, this spring break, I stayed not only in the country, but in Miami.  It was nice to just be a student for a while, to get out in the sunshine, and to... read.  And relax.  And... be.

The first (in no particular order) major event was that I began--and ended--The Hunger Games trilogy.  I think I read them all in about six days, and when I returned to school the day after finishing them (I finished at 12:30 Sunday morning), I really struggled with reality.  Like, I didn't know how to be in a world that wasn't Panem.  I was engrossed, entrenched, enmeshed... lots of en-words.  Katniss is totally bad@$$ and Peeta is just... He's amazing.

Another important spring break happening was a little trip to Fairchild Botanical Gardens with Taniya.  It ended up raining as we were on our way out, but it was still a lovely afternoon trip and walk.  Here are what amount to all the photos I took this spring break.

The art featured at Fairchild when we went was a guy who did metal flowers, Will Ryman.  There were roses (and rose petals) installed all over the garden at various points.  They were really lovely, actually, pink, yellow, and red flowers all over.  There were even red rose petals floating in one of the "lakes" at the garden, floating freely around the lake.  Pretty cool.

Here I am with a yellow rose.

Here's another one of Ryman's installations.

Beautiful.  Finally, I saw this cool little guy on one of the trees.  I've never seen a black lizard before!

A third spring break event was my friend Matt's inaugural music festival called The Vanguard Miami Festival of New Music.  It took place on UM's campus (University of Miami, people!  The other one is U OF M!) and, frankly, I needed a break from Katniss and Panem.

He played for about an hour or so, a sort of "Storytellers" scenario.  He plays sax and, obviously, composes as well.  I got there before he started, though, because I took the Metro-Rail and struggled to time it properly.  It was fine, though, because I got to see and hear some cool new music.  There was a flute piece called "Ka" that I thought was pretty cool.  I like the way that new music isn't just about notes on the page but sounds, really.  The opening and closing of valves, new ways to put breath through the instrument or make it play, like opening the piano and playing the strings inside rather than the keys, is really inspiring to me.  I tend to struggle to "think outside the box" in most situations, but these composers don't.  It's like what ee cummings did with words and punctuation in his poetry.  It's great.  Anyway, it was a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and I'm glad I went.

Another little spring break excursion was a Living Social deal Tiffany and I found a while back.  It was for appetizers and a painting session at a studio up north.  This wasn't the studio where I painted the first time, but it was a similar idea.  The event was pretty cool, totally worth the money we paid, and this is the result: new art for my bathroom.

I don't know what Tiffany did with hers.

Finally, after spring break at ILS came the end of the semester at FIU.  I had one final exam and one paper to write.  I did well on the paper, I assume, because I got an A in the class.  I also got an A in my other class, but it was certainly more hard-won.  The final exam went well also, I suppose, but it was quite an endeavor to complete.  I won't get into it because it's resolved now, but it was a week's worth of studying and stressing out.  Anyway, I feel great about so well, the best, in fact, I've done in any previous semesters.  I have the same two professors again next semester, so I'm hoping for (and will certainly work for!) a repeat performance.  Wish me luck.

Overall, through spring break and now at the end of the semester, I have really just appreciated being only ONE thing--JUST an FIU student or JUST a high school teacher.  It's like I can breathe again, enjoy free time again.  I forgot what free time is like.  I'm looking forward to only one more year of doing both!

Much love.