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

I'm in a New York State of Mind!

Hello Reader,

A week from today I am taking off for a jam-packed 48 hours in NYC! I am so excited! I need a getaway and this one is working out just perfectly! I haven't taken a spontaneous trip since I went to Cali post undergraduate graduation ... apparently, I catch a spontaneous travel bug pre-graduate school...

(From my summer of '09 trip to California)

NYC will be a great vacation - it will be fun to be a tourist. I think my need for a semi-impromptu trip is a sign that I truly consider AZ one of my homes now. I'm settling in and I know I will be here for at least several more years - plenty of time to get to all the places I want to. When I do travel these days the trips are well planned breaks back to home in ME ... which, to be honest, are anything but a vacation since I'm running all over the state soaking up as much Maine as I possible can from the food to the ocean and let's not forget all those amazing people back east I must spend some quality time with!

So, this NYC trip is going to be a perfect mini-vacation.

Fingers-crossed that I meet my crazy high expectations for this trip!

Oh, and prepare yourself for a slew of NYC related quotes over the next two ish weeks!

Thanks for reading!

- M