On a very typical Saturday morning in my new neighborhood in Brooklyn, I was out early to meet with friends and shop for fun things to grill at our picnic in the park.  It was a beautiful morning, not too hot, sun shining brightly, a cool breeze - everything to make for a great day.  And then I turned on 17th St to head down to the grocery store...

Lo and behold!  A street filled with kid-constructed contraptions for coasting downhill!  A soap box derby was being prepared.  I could not have been happier to see these young people working on a team with a crew of friends and family to help with last minute construction.  Kids whizzing down the street to get the fastest time.  There were smiles on everyone's face, especially mine.

The varied designs were whimsical and created by the young drivers.  The parts were spare with tires from kid bikes and trikes and from luggage and skates, all co-opted for long ride downhill.  I watched young people explaining their designs with pride, using power tools with skill, and asking their peers for help and about their own creations.

It was my first and South Slope's 10th Annual Soap Box Derby that made this day special.  Organizations like Koko NYC make these events possible.  Experiences like this need to happen more in our schools, not only during the summer!  How do we get students out of the building, surround them with spare parts and tools, and provide a mission to create something from nothing that never existed before they imagined it was possible?  

Get outside, explore your inherent curiosity and creativity, and Make.  

Do you have spare parts for events like this?  Do you want to be part of events like this?  Are you a grown-up kid that also wants to build a soap-box racer?  Do you have space for parts and storage?  I'd love to hear about and explore ideas.

I was happy to see young Makers Do It Together in a friendly, fun competition.  Yes, Yes! to the sign - All Power to the Imagination!

Following this, I went into manic moving mode.  I have relocated my life to Brooklyn.  I learned a lot about what is important in my life during packing.  It was quite the purge.  But I also realized how dearly I held to my heart certain items from my past.  It was a time to revisit my journey to and in New York City and as an educator.  

Really interesting to me, though, was my experience with the moving company.  First, I learned that I will never move myself from one home to another without using movers.  These guys were impressive in their efficiency in moving my life to another borough.  I watched the foreman use boxes in ways I never would have thought to help move odd items and breakable glass table tops.  I was amazed at how little I think about cardboard as a versatile maker product.  

Shortly after my move, I was able to host my first real gathering of friends, including my wonder friend Beatriz, who was visiting from Oakland.  This was soon followed by a gathering in Brooklyn to celebrate the union of my friend toni and her new husband.  I learned how much I enjoy the company of others, both at my home and in my new neighborhood.  These interactions were severely lacking, for years, at my old home in East Harlem.

The highlight of my Summer of Learning, though, was my trip to Amsterdam.  Experiencing new cultures and traveling the world is a new part of my life.  I had every intention of trying to meet up with an educator while in Amsterdam to learn about their school system, but I arrived at my hotel and realized it was Gay Pride Week in Amsterdam.  I decided to embrace my vacation and ignored anything work-related.  

I had morning coffee and pastry by a canal each day.  I spent time in the afternoons on themes of science or culture.  I walked the city and enjoyed everything.  A random shop asked me to come in for a free facial - why not?  I walked by a random restaurant playing good music - I loved the food.  The bartender helped me find a great beer cafe with a new favorite IPA.  I walked a museum for 3 hours, and found I liked still life paintings, especially banquets.  But I was really surprised how much I loved monkey statues and a devious look from Cupid.

Amsterdam helped me to learn a lot about how I appreciate art and the things that help me to relax.  I can't wait to go back and visit the Jopen IPA factory in Haarlem, among other places to visit.