Well, after a long silence, the writer returns. I realized the other day that I haven't written anything creative since March. That is a very long time. Too long.
But as I was thinking about this, I also realized that in the last year I have written over 50 pages of personal reflection on teaching and faith and community. That's no small feat, when you think about it. In the process, I've learned quite a bit about myself, and also changed a lot as a result. While it might seem self-centered, I think it's almost more important. Maybe all my non-creative writing in the last months is giving me a firm foundation for some work ahead of me. Maybe it's just supposed to give me that window into myself. I'm not really sure yet.
I had some pretty interesting experiences this week. On Friday night I went and watched Dirty Dancing with some friends at Pioneer Square. We brought a picnic and there was free popcorn, so all in all it was a fabulous night. Corey is planning a similar event at our apartments this weekend. Then on Saturday night we had a barbeque out on the bluff, overlooking the Willamette River. The sunset was killer, and the trains on the railway bridge looked like postcards. On Sunday I went to my first ever Latin mass. It was possibly one of the most beautiful and spiritual experiences I've had in a long time. I learned how to read chant notation and was also impressed with how much I could understand with my Spanish major and two years of Latin. It was very solemn and very holy, and while I don't think that I could go to that type of service every week, it was a real experience of God for me.
It's hard to believe that there are only two weeks left of summer classes. This summer has gone by so fast, probably because I've been so busy. I went home and saw Philly and D.C., came back to Portland, spent weekends in Olympia, Yakima, and Boston, wrote a larg portion of my research and submitted it to the IRB, and did lots and lots of schoolwork. I've also been getting used to my new community... let's just say that the honeymoon period is over. I'm having to work a lot harder this year than I did last year. I live with a lot of really strong personalities.
Still planning on camping in Glacier next month! I am PSYCHED.
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It's great that you could get a lot out of the mass. It would have been a shame if you had the opportunity for such an intense experience and lost some of it because you couldn't understand what was being said.
I like the busy & fast-paced work that came with summer classes. Also I liked feeling like I was accomplishing things and not sitting around being a bum.
When I started keeping a journal all those years ago I just wanted to have a record of things I had done in my life. But eventually it became more of an outlet for my thoughts/feelings more than a datebook. I think I understand myself and probably the people around me better because I spend as much time as I do writing about how the world affects me. You're probably going through the same kind of thing it sounds like, I think this will actually make your creative writing stronger because you'll be better at expressing how characters feel & such. Or else I may just be full of it *shrug*
You're turning into quite the traveler aren't you? I'm soo happy!!
If you're still looking for people to camp in Glacier I'm still interested.
P.S. You should visit Ireland before you die, it is one of the most amazing places EVER
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