Summer of Learning

It has been quite a summer this year.  I took part in so many new events and activities.  It truly has been a Summer of Learning for me.  

At the end of June, I was honored to walk in the Pride March with friends as part of the SAGE group.  SAGE supports aging LGBTQ elders.  The LGBTQ community often ages alone.  We are more likely to not have children, close family, or partners to help care for us as we age.  SAGE works to support our elders through a variety of programs that include housing, care giving, and other needed resources.

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.