Life is Awesome...

Relax...relax...relax............

Summer began two months and six days ago and today is the first day that I can honestly say that I am able to relax.

Today S, my dear friend and creative partner, was discharged from the hospital and went home.  As I am writing this it was four weeks ago, almost to the minute, that I found out he had been hit by a truck and was at Maine Medical Center with life threatening injuries.  Tonight he is home.  He is safe and on the road to recovery.  This lightens my heart so very, very much.

This afternoon I completed the last bit of work on a project that began in early June and was supposed to last only six weeks, It instead went on for eleven.  It was crazy interesting work and will look awesome on a resume but was more hours and took far longer than originally anticipated.  It was a relief to bring it to a close today.

This morning I received a call from Semester at Sea letting me know that a single cabin was available if I wanted to accept it.  This means that I will have a room to myself for the journey.  Not only will I not need to worry about being paired with a far younger cabin-mate (which I really don't have an issue with but I'm quite sure that the average 19-23 year probably doesn't want to be paired with 43 year old me) but I get a bathroom all to myself (MY OWN BATHROOM!!!!!).  I also completed the last bit of online "paperwork" that needed to be done.  Other than packing for the journey and buying a few items I am ready to go.

This weekend is my bon voyage party.  I'll be gathering with friends to celebrate my upcoming journey.  There will be food, wine, music, fire, dance and a whole lot of love.  In two weeks I'll be leaving to begin a spectacular adventure and I'm no longer worried about losing my sense of home because I have an amazing community that I'll be coming back to.  This summer I have experienced that community in a way that I was either too busy or otherwise not paying attention enough to fully appreciate.  I have some really awesome and amazing people in my world.

And so while the next week is going to be busy and stressful in other ways (an apartment to sort and pack up, a moving sale to be held, a final First Friday show to put on, wrapping up things at my day job before I go on my journey...settling in Miss Pickles to her 'vacation home') the next couple of days are mine to enjoy.  I have until midday on Sunday to relax, enjoy the company of friends and just be grateful for all that is awesome in my life.

And there really is a whole lot of awesome...