This happens to tie in with a recent blog homework @missy @rambo Do you have any upcoming travel plans?
YES! This coming Wednesday actually, I can't believe it's creeped up on me so quickly! I've hit the, holy fuck you have a lot to get through before you go stage. Yesterday I did 45 assessments of my students at Sydney College of the Arts with my supervisor, got a fresh haircut and then went to work at the cafe. No worries! So now I'm taking a deep breath and moving one day at a time. While we take a breath in, can I just say it's also only 3 months until my new set comes out, Sunshine Daydream shot by @coolicio is in MR! Ok, breathing out..
So the 1st stop on the itinerary is Colorado, USA to visit family, my immediate family, and then over the 4th of July holiday allllllllllll of my family are catching up in Estes Park for a family reunion. Cousins, Auntys, Uncles, kids galore. I spent the 1st 18 years of my life in Denver, I really love the mountains & I miss the beauty of the entire state, I can't wait to get there. What I'm NOT excited about is the massive flight from Australia, but it's worth it. It's been about 4 years since I've been to Colorado, the struggle will be surrounded by legal weed after I've made it to nearly 13 months (over a year?!) without smoking. Will be a test of willpower that's for sure. My older brother and his family I'm really looking forward to seeing. He is so special to me, we got along like a house on fire growing up, we're both Taurus' and always looked after each other. Also he taught me life skills: tying my shoes, how to whistle, and how to jam peas into your cheeks and excuse yourself from the dinner table and then spit them into toilet paper and flush them down the toilet 🤣 We never used to fight and were basically on the same team, as growing up my Mother was extremely psychotic and emotionally abusive, so we had to stick together to make it through. My Dad is an absolute saint and I'm not sure how he's survived the whole thing to be honest, I had to move to a completely different hemisphere to get away from her. Visiting everyone else in the family is a joy, but our relationship is strained, even though I'm going on 2 1/2 years of weekly therapy to recover. This will be the 1st time I've been sober around her since I was 13 years old. Also I feel like I have a great big bag of skills to keep centered with and calm. Daily meditation is my saviour, but send me your strength, I want to enjoy this visit!
It's kind of touristy but I REALLY want to go to the Stanley Hotel while we're in Estes, because well, redrum. And lots of hikes and enjoying nature in summer is on the cards. I have ten million best friends I want to visit too, but you get spread so thin on these short visits it will almost be easier to have a party and get everyone in one location. Maybe that's the go??
After the reunion, I'm heading up to Seattle to drive further North to Pilchuck Glass School. This place is dear to my heart, as I've been going here on and off for 20 years now, it's an international summer school specialising in Glass art, and they offer courses in a variety of techniques. I've been there on staff, as a student and as a teaching assistant. The entire reason I moved to Australia to do an undergraduate arts degree was due to the Aussies I met at this place one summer. It's a magical place. This time however, I thank my lucky stars, because I was awarded a full scholarship to take a sculpting class, and I'm SO FUCKING EXCITED!! Being a student here is the best because they house you, feed you and you get to learn amazing things on a huge tree farm overlooking Puget Sound.
You actually blow glass in here!! Yesssssss
One of the little tree houses..
It's seriously my home away from home and some of the best friends in the entire universe I have met here. ❤️
When I get back the 25th of July I'm hitting the ground running. I'm super lucky, I'll be teaching glassblowing for 6 weeks at the Canberra School of Art, literally starting the day after I land, jet lagged and all. This is the school I did my undergrad degree and it's such an honor to be returning as a staff member, even if it is a short stint! Then the following week I start back with my weekly 4 hour commute up to Sydney teaching glassblowing at Sydney College of the Arts for the rest of the year. Also inbetweeen is the Cafe I work at and the whole domestic thing running a household with 2 kids. I got this 💪🏻
