The View from Here

I woke up this morning to see this.And this:

This was after a late night of cleaning up from a faculty gathering that we hosted until close to midnight. It was a lovely party, but we were wiped out after working to make sure that the house, yard, and decks were in tip-top Gainey shape, and sweet Dan grilling and making different cocktails for everyone (and me running up and down the steps to the kitchen a kajillion times to get what Dan needed to serve everyone…I logged 20,000 steps!). I’m one lucky gal, having a career that I love, colleagues that I enjoy being with, and a husband that so kindly gives of himself.We had medicinal Sunday morning blueberry pancakes to celebrate. Snuggling with my beastie…

This morning I begin my thirty-second year of teaching. I can’t believe how the time has flown by so quickly, the faces of the hundreds of students I have taught over the years flashing through my mind’s eye, from my first years as a green middle school band director to graduate teaching fellows, to university teaching…I have loved it all, every moment of it. Yes, I taught these students, but, oh, I have learned so much from them in return.

I told Dan that something seems different this year, I feel a different sort of excitement and confidence as this new year begins with its new students and new challenges and opportunities to face. I’m not sure why that is- getting older, perhaps?

This will be a busy fall with my new duties as Associate Chair beginning to feel more comfortable, international travel to perform at a conference in Vancouver and to judge an international clarinet competition in Bari, Italy, along with a faculty recital, playing some with the symphony, and teaching our growing clarinet studio. I love what I do- every day is different, every day teaches me something new. It all works together to bring me such joy.

Here’s to a great year of learning for my students- and for myself and my colleagues. I like to tell my students that my doctoral degree taught me how much I don’t know, and made me hungry to continue learning and growing. There is so much out there to discover, and a true teacher is always also a student. How grateful I am for it all.