I'm Alive!

Hello Blogging World!

Remember how I said yon probably won't hear from me for 5 months because I started grad school? Well, it's been 4, but all the same, I'm back, momentary, for an update, then it will probably be another 4-5 months until you hear from me again.


So, let's review...


- I started grad school and completed my first semester with above a 4.0 (because A+ equals a 4.3 or some silliness like that)

- I preformed in a mainstage show that opened the season in September with the band People Get Ready - It was awesome! Plus I got to bang on a wheelbarrow with a drumstick (they only let me have one drumstick) which Daddy would have thought was so cool!

- I choreographed a piece in the grad show ... it was alright. I may expand upon it for a full length show in an art gallery at some point. For now, that piece need to rest.

- One of my favorite classes we had was where improv musicians came in and we all improv danced to them - there was an incredible energy that could be felt in the room. We also danced to Burning Ring of Fire  which was randomly wonderful.

- I was asked to photograph an immersive dance theatre performance, which was incredibly flattering when I look at the talented photographers I was asked with. The most amazing part, is they will be part of a documentary and presented at a national conference this summer (ahhhhh!)

- I got a cat.

- I've learned a lot about myself which I was expecting having done this grad school thing before, but it wasn't the stuff I thought I would learn. I won't bore you with the details.

- I went to Seattle and it was the most amazing and timely mini-vacation I've ever taken. It will likely be repeated.

- I discovered journal articles my grandfather wrote as far back as the 50s which were just unreal to read. Some of his statements are just timeless. I thought he only wrote about death and grief so it was a pleasant surprise to see his writings on the philosophy of education and on educators I am also studying. Gramma asked me to cite one of his articles in my papers ... one day I will try, but this semester it was more about fast and efficient survival.

- I met AMAZING people! I feel so lucky to work, dance, and simply be around all whom I have met and got to know better in the last few months.

- I got a job teaching yoga and zumba at a fitness center. And I'm going to quit said job at fitness center because I think I will be much happier in a small, local studio setting than a gym.


I think that sums up the past few months...I feel like I'm missing things...I left out the not so positive stuff (I reframed all that junk in the "I've learned a lot about myself" sentence). I've also had a great number of other opportunities crop up this semester but won't happen until spring or summer. I'll share those as they occur ... or perhaps more in this list fashion again.

Princeton and I curled up on the couch.

Oh, I'm in Maine right now and will be for another 48 hours or so, so I will post about my memorable stay here (i.e. no power, frigid temperatures).

Until then, Happy New Year everybody!!

Thanks for reading!

- Molly

Two Years In AZ

Hello Reader,

Two years ago today I took a one-way flight from Maine to Arizona.

Life sure looks different these days compared to when I moved out here.

New job, new apartment, started school, got a cat, and I've changed a lot while carving out this new life.

I never would have guessed that this is where I would be - and I mean "where" in all ways, shapes, and forms. But, no regrets. I am happy and content with all that has happened in the past two years. I have met so many incredible people and had amazing opportunities since moving out here.

Yet, I feel like that's just the tip of the iceberg for what this place has to offer me. I don't think I would have consciously chosen to move to AZ, but this happenstance approach has really been working for me.

Thanks for reading!

- M

Lame Yoga Epiphany

Hello Reader,

Yoga tonight was awesome. I think I finally worked my way into whatever I am holding in my right hip, not sure what it was but damn those emotions flowed.

I found it quite difficult to make my way out of corpse pose tonight ...

... but when I finally started moving again, I had the oddest thought...

"I live here."

My inner monologue was like, "duh, Molly."

I was almost in tears as I came to a seated position to end the practice over the realization that I live here.

Clearly, it meant more then just live here (it's been almost two years, obviously I am aware I live here.) I think more specifically, it is that I have a life here. I am carving out a niche and I am in complete control. I do what I want when I want because I know what I need. Sounds rather self-centered, but I think it is more self-centering which is allowing me to become who I am.

That being said, I have carved a very full life for me here, perhaps to full??

Oh well, I'm happy.

I live here :-)

Thanks for reading,

- M

Post Yoga Thoughts on Letting Go

Hello Reader,

I have had yet another yoga epiphany, more of a mini one this time around I guess. I can't quite articulate what came from it, but I know something did.

This one came from focusing on my breath. I noticed I forcibly exhale, when instead, I should simply let go of it.

So, I took this and applied it immediately to letting go in the poses, which lead to some pretty deep hip openers, and hip openers lead to mega emotions. I'm not exactly sure what these emotions were in reaction too, especially since humans hold old emotions in the hips, but it felt good to let them go.

I've been noting where in my body I feel tension lately - it probably comes with the dance territory - and it certainly feels a tad-bit crunchy all over. Now I will focus more on letting go of that tension, not forcing it out. There's a lot more relief that comes with letting go than with forcing something out.

Thanks for indulging my mini yoga epiphany!

- M

Buh bye summer ... Hello dance degree!

Hello Reader,

So, summer is over and on Thursday I will be starting my MFA Dance classes! I have been waiting years to be able to say this! I cannot wait for classes to start! I got my first textbook! (Notice that the title isn't entirely in English ... and I paid for it in Euros ... so that's a first)

I've been preparing for the start of the semester for the past few weeks by soaking up as much quiet, relaxation time as possible. I thought of trying to accomplish my "Summer To Do List" but that was a giant fail, oh well. Regarding the work world semester prep it is well underway (supposedly done?), and welcome week festivities have been happening all weekend.

I took a little hike up "A" Mountain this morning (which is a small-ish mountain located practically on campus) and was surprised to find the large amount of people doing the same at 6:30 a.m. - I'm assuming they were families of new students who were banished from the move in process by their newly independent, entitled college children.

Soon the "A" will be painted white and then gold again by the thousands of new students to represent a new beginning. It's tradition to have all new students hike up the mountain to paint it in triple digit temperatures (and an unofficial tradition to have a few dozen student sent to the ER each year with heat stroke or dehydration. Welcome to the college in the desert). 

I attended my first orientation as a grad student this past Thursday ... not gonna lie, it was rough, and looooong. I prefer to just drop my students off at these "info sessions" and leave. I don't think there was anything that happened in those 4 hours that could not have been accomplished in a few brief emails or online video. Speaking of videos, we had to watch this one and then were promptly given the "what it means to be a Sun Devil" speech ... so that was an experience ...

I was having a slight twinge of dread with the idea of start of the semester craziness happening. I didn't think I was ready for the 73,000 students to return to this campus, but then  I looked out my office window  last week to see a group of film students shooting their senior capstone film - and no, classes haven't started, and no, they weren't doing it for credit, they were doing it simply because that is where their passion lies. It was a perfect reminder of why I am in education and the performing arts. Seeing students in action doing what they love makes me very happy. And knowing that I'm going to get to be apart of the  academic art scene now makes me even happier!

I'm gonna be a grad student again!!!!

(You probably won't hear from me for at least 5 months)

Dance MFA! Woo!

Thanks for reading!

- M

Yoga/Life Philosophy

Hello Reader,

I have - yet, again - a late night, post yoga blog post to share with you. I'll try to keep this one brief.

This thought began to develop while I was trying to tune out the Miley Cyrus music the instructor had chosen for tonight's practice. She had some really great song choices, however, Miley was a low point. 

Anyways, I found tonight's practice somewhat disjointed and I decided to analyze why I felt that way while bouncing from ridged pose to ridged pose.

The focus was on the poses - getting to them, holding them briefly, and then on to the next. There was little discussion of how to get from one to another, why this pose is what it is, or proper alignment for safety purposes (can you tell I've taught yoga and had a supervisor who stressed the importance of safety in ones practice?) When I whittled down this unease I had with the flow of the class, it was simple; there was no attention paid to the transitions or the journey of the practice. The transitions from pose to pose in yoga is where the real work comes in, it's where you grow and deepen your yoga practice. She did not allow any of that to happen in her class. Skipping that journey is cheating yourself out of developing as a yogi and reaching your full potential.

So let's take the above paragraph and apply that to life.

I was looking specifically at my life since it is the one I'm living and can easily apply this to. The theme to my past few month has been change, I'll lump transitions into that too, and that was what struck me as missing from tonight's class. I feel quite strongly that a whole-heck-of-a-lot of personal growth, and self development has accompanied all of life's happenings. I think people need to take things slow in times of change to harness the power that transitions give us to learn. I don't see many benefits from just jumping from one thing to the next. It's like what I said above, "Skipping that journey is cheating yourself out of developing as a yogi and reaching your full potential" except replace "yogi" with "person."

In yoga, I believe the instructor is there to offer guidance in the practice specifically in allowing space for smooth transitions from one pose to another. Now, I know this is not exactly how life always works but hopefully there has been someone along the way giving each of us the resources and strength to get through transitions even if the journey is a difficult solo experience. This way you know when to breathe through a situation, muscle your way out of a challenging change, dig deeper for the inner strength you need to float through the next step, or simply surrender to things you can't control. I think these are all lessons worth carrying off the yoga mat.

...

So much for being brief, huh? Oh , well.  Sorry!

Thanks for reading!

- M

Post-Yoga Thought List: Contentment & Rainbows

Hello Reader,

Per usual, I haven't been keeping up with this blog (I've hit the ground running since returning to AZ), I still have a new job and a new apartment and a vacation to Maine to discuss and document with more photos than truly necessary, however, I have some thoughts I want to get out before bed.

I've noticed that my epiphanies these days seem to be poignantly marked with yoga sessions ... perhaps it's the deep hip openers, that last monkey pose is what seemed to open a flood of thoughts tonight ... and the time before that it was pigeon pose ... anyways ...

I am quite content with the life I have carved out for myself. I have felt this growing contentment form for a while now and sometime between my Maine vacation and the trip back here it has been affirmed somehow. This may sound silly, but I think it has something to do with rainbows.

When I first flew out to AZ for my interview, I noticed a rainbow as we started out final descent. I thought it was odd to see a rainbow in the desert - my understanding was the conditions out here weren't conducive - but I took is a a good sign - I don't know why, I don't really associate rainbows with anything other than Kermit and the Rainbow Connection, but I thought it was a good sign that perhaps this job interview would work out well for me.

And it did. Obviously. I'm here.

Ever since my move west, I think things have really fallen into place. I'm not saying it has been easy or that I haven't had some major challenges to get through (growing pains included), but everything feels quite right where it is now.

Now all this may just be a culmination of massive amounts of change in the past few months, coupled with some books that rattled me in a good way, on top of plenty of time to think in quiet spaces and process with loved ones, however, there was something about my travel from AZ to ME and back to AZ this time.

It all felt different.

I think what it comes down to is I truly feel like AZ is home too. This thought bubbled up in my mind as we were circling the airport in a thunderstorm before landing in Pheonix (apparently hip-openers and final descents really make me think). I am still very sad to leave Maine each time - I rarely make it through take-off with out a few tears - but I was and still am quite excited to return to life in AZ.

As we landed we did a 360-turn on our way to the gate we saw a dust storm coming in over Camelback Mountain, an epic sunset silhouetting the city, the palm trees, and the mountains, and two rainbows (one was a double). The rainbows were a gentle reminder of my first flight here and how I interpreted them as a good sign. I took them in the same way this time and felt that contentment really solidify.

I also really enjoyed that I traveled with the sun that day, watching it rise in Maine and set in Arizona. There was something super satisfying and wicked cool about being able to say that.

Well, it's late, I hope you were able to follow my disjointed yoga, rainbows, being content thought process. I am off to dig my bed out from under four loads of laundry ...

Thanks for reading!

- M

In a nutshell ...

Hello Reader!

We have a lot of catching up to do - and it's late and I am exhausted, so I'm going to make this quick.

First and foremost ...

I LEAVE FOR MAINE IN 5 DAYS!!!! 

And thank goodness because it is hot out here.  Even the locals are complaining, which, I think, validates my complaints too. Check out the temps below from here to Winthrop ... 50 degree differences ... note the 93 degree image was taking at 6:21 a.m...I will be very crispy when I return to Maine ...

And in other news, I moved. This is the last major change I am aware of for now (*knock on wood*). The place is a work-in-progress and I will share a more detailed post when I have a little more free time.

 

Side note: I think it looks a little bit like Maine from my living room ... the 115 degree temperatures suggest otherwise, however, I enjoy the trees and birds hanging out over my balcony. 

 I also realized I haven't posted since I started the new job. This will be another future post when I have free time. It's a temporary office for now anyways, so maybe when I really settle in I'll update you about that too.

Anyways, right now my focus is on vacation in Maine and setting up the apartment as best as I can before I leave. I'll be bringing some southwest flavors back east with me. I can't wait!!

 

OH! And I need to add eat at Harvest Moon Deli and Seadog to my to do at home list. I don't know how I forgot those!

Thanks for reading!

- M

One month countdown to Vacationland!

I'm coming home in a month!!!! Let the count down begin!

I CAN'T WAIT!

I've started my to do in Maine list! It looks a lot like last years ... with a few adjustments ...

Vacationland To Do List (in no particular order)
Places to Visit, Things to do:
1. Tubby's Ice Cream (at least a few times, and I owe a fellow blogger an ice cream cone!)
2. Gifford's Ice Cream
3. The coast, probably Rockland 
4. Orono/Bangor area for shenanigans with my BFF
5. Ampersand for reals this time
6. Woodmans (I've got to try the giant flirtini)
7. Monmouth Theatre
8. Slates Bakery, and maybe the restaurant but definitely the bakery
9. Acadia National Park
10. Yoga class(es) in Bangor (and Portland too perhaps??)
11. UMaine campus, perhaps run in to some of my favorite Black Bears
12. See lots of friends
13. Celebrate my new job and acceptance into the MFA program with family and friends (or friends who are more like family)
14. Dance with friends!
15. Eat a lot (Including, but not all at once: lobster, blueberries (and blueberry coffee), whoppie pies, maple syrup (on waffles made by Mum), other comfort food made by Mum, and other things made with things from Maine ... OH, and at this food truck I've heard rumor of)
16. Actually write that children's book with Mum
17. Take LOTS of picture - I did it last year and I know I can and will do it again!
18. Photo shoot with this blogger!
19. Sit by the lake every single chance I get!
20. Relax (doubt this will happen, but I felt I needed a 20th item)


What do you think?? 20 items in 10 days, that's doable, right? Do you think I am missing anything??

Thanks for reading!

- M

Summer To Do List

Hello Reader,

I don't really function without a to do list of some sort in my life at all times. Are you this way?

Well, I decided to make a massive summer to do list to fully embrace this summer before grad school kicks in on top of the job in August. I'm trying to seize the last few months of a semi-flexible schedule and the best way I know how is by listing it all out.

It's a lot of micro projects here and there, lots of writing, and organizing especially.  Nothing wildly exciting. Writing a to do list for my trip to Maine is a to do item on my summer to do list...which may be pushing the to do list thing to far to have a to do list within a to do list, but I don't care.

This reminds me of the days my BFF and I would make a master summer calendar and literally plan what we were going to do when for each summer vacation day. Sadly, those real vacation days are gone, but there's still plenty to do.

Thanks for reading!

- M

N.Y.C ... what is it about you?

Hello Reader,

I traveled to NYC and back this weekend - what a whirlwind!

It was everything I needed it to be; a vacation, a change of scenery, a change of pace, and energizing!

And now for a photo recap!

It rained! I don't remember the last rainy day we had out here, let-alone the last time I saw rain.
 

It was also sweater weather the whole weekend in my opinion. (Yes, I know, I've lost the tough Mainer in me. I am such a wimp once the temperature drops below 70). I did not pack adequate warm clothing and I feel lucky to have not caught a cold from being cold and wet all day. (It was 97 degrees when I left Phoenix and 46 when I got into NYC).

Randomly stumbled upon a lego exhibition in the middle of Times Square. There were some amazing and massive lego structures. My favorite was Yoda with his "NY I <3" shirt.

I didn't do as much as I wanted in NYC, but I certainly did enough...

... Highlights were definitely the jazz class at Broadway Dance Center and the aerial vinyasa class (The instructor was hysterical, she makes up names for poses, one she called, "Oh Shitasana" because you are standing and swinging on the hammock and all you can think is "oh, shit"). Also, there's something about taking a jazz class in NYC that seems so perfect (great instructor there too who encouraged us to take our "slutty time" on a few of the hips swivels in the choreography).

OH, and how could I forget, Rock of Ages on Broadway! Definitely another highlight! Such a fun show! Between the 80s music, lots of neon spandex, the classic 80s jazz dance moves, and spot on comedic timing of the cast, it's bound to be nothing but a good time! (Corny reference to opening song). And, per usual, added the musical's key chain to my collection.

And then, of course, there was delicious food including; Cupcakes (surprised? Didn't think so), bagels, pizza, cheesecake, savory breakfast at a cute lil' bistro and a sampling of some Irish Pubs.

I should also mention that another huge highlight on my brief trip was meeting up with friends who live and work in the city! It was amazing! It felt like I was home while on vacation when I was with them. It had been months to years since I saw them so catching up was very necessary and absolutely delightful.

All in all, my spontaneous trip to NYC (center of the universe) was just right in so many ways. And while I did not enjoy being at the Newark airport at 4 a.m., watching the sun rise over the NYC skyline while sipping my morning coffee was a pretty damn good way to close out my time back east.

Thanks for reading!

- M

Last Week as an Advisor

Hello Reader,

I've alluded to changes happening and sharing as they came, so here's the next big one ... a new job!

I am officially no longer an academic advisor. Starting this week I am an Academic Services Coordinator for the School of Film, Dance, and Theatre! Craziness!

I've done my fair share of reflecting over the past week and the primary thought is how surreal it is that I am changing jobs. I moved out here for the academic advisor position, I thought I'd stick around for a few years then move on to San Diego, or San Francisco, or Seattle. I never, never, thought I would be moving on to another job at this institution, let-alone within a performing arts school, while I'm pursuing my MFA in Dance ... unreal, yet wonderfully perfect.

 

This office and the role I played will always have a special place in my heart. It is the sole reason I am here, and I feel a great loyalty because of it. I've learned so much about myself both personally and professionally and the extreme diversity that exists in this vast community. I've had conversations with students and colleagues who have had incredible journeys full of challenges and hardships that have lead them to where we have met.

... on the flip side of that, I've also had plenty of conversations that make me worry about the future of the world....

For example: 

Me: So, why did you make this appointment today?
Student: I need to sign up for fall classes.
Me: ... do you know you've been disqualified from the university?
Student: No, what does that mean?
Me: It means that you are no longer allowed to attend the university.
Student: But I signed a lease for an apartment next year!

But then there are the cuter ones such as:

Me: So, what are we talking about today?
Student: Omigod, I'm just so stressed out and I just need to, like, figure out life.
Me: OK...well, we only have 20 minutes.
Student: That should be enough time.

And two classic moments from my final advising appointment. I should also mention, this student is a senior:

Student: So, I need to retake a class because I didn't do very well in it, and now I'm off-track because of my GPA, so I thought retaking the course would help my GPA and then I'd be back on-track for graduation, but I'm not sure if I can retake the course this fall because I don't know if I'm in 15 or 16 credits, I think it's 16 so then that means I can't retake the course without your permission for an override, right? So, I figured maybe I can take the course this summer, but if I'm in 15 credits then I can take it this fall, so I'm here to figure out when I can take it. So, I guess, what I want to know is, do I need your permission to take another class?

Me: You don't know how many credits your taking this fall?

Student: (laughing) No.

 

...Same appointment, I was explaining a course he was taking this fall, when I highlighted it on the screen...

Student: I got a 2.0 in that class?!

Me: ... no, that's how many credits you've enrolled in it for ... 

I'm going to miss these conversations, however, I'm sure I will continue to have plenty of great student stories in my new role as well.

Bye, office. It's been real.

Thanks for reading.

- M

Road trip!

Hello Reader,


This past week I traveled to Tucson with some colleagues to present at and attend a conference. I realize that this trip was just a warm up for my trip to NYC, now I am really, really ready to head to NYC.

While Tucson may have just been a teaser trip for the Big Apple, it was certainly a great change of scenery and broke up the mundane daily routine I operate on. Most of my time was spent at the conference but when we got out of breakout sessions and the hotel room, I was able to snap some pictures - food is, as always, well represented ... check them out below!

Good morning, Tucson!

German Chocolate Cupcake Whoopie Pie from B-Line ... amazing ... I shouldn't have eaten it in one sitting all by myself, but I did!

The conference was next to the University of Arizona campus (ASU's biggest rival) and in the distance you can see U of A's A Mountain that Sun Devil's will try to paint gold during rival football games.

There was a lovely sitting area dedicated to women on the U of A campus with these tiles covered in quotes ... I got a little carried away in there with all the picture, I really liked the area!

And some more pictures from campus ...

We discovered a delicious frozen yogurt place (I think it was called Parlor ... Their tag line was "We'll never ask your weight" which was true because it's $3 for a small froyo cup regardless of how much goodness you cram into it.) Anyways, I got nutella and prickly pear froyo and it was very, very satisfying.

For my readers who are unfamiliar with the desert fruit called prickly pear (except when followed by the word "margarita" - you know who you are) below is a picture I took at the Desert Botanical Garden of a prickly pear cactus ... and that is what you are consuming.

Thanks for reading!

- M