Happy New (School) Year

Ever since the day I started kindergarten, I have been either a student or a teacher. As such, my life revolves around academic years as opposed to calendar years. Back when I was a child, school started the day after Labor Day and wrapped up before Memorial Day; summer break was long and lazy. But here in Gwinnett County, Georgia, school starts today--TODAY!!--and runs through the end of May, although my piano teaching year goes well into June, leaving only five or six weeks of unscheduled time. And I seem to spend most of it time tying up loose ends from the year just left behind and preparing for the one that is to follow.

I made myself a very ambitious list of goals for this year's summer break. The truth is that I didn't even come close to accomplishing them all. But I ate healthy and exercised; I made some real headway in my home, de-cluttering and deep cleaning; I feel that I am finally back on track with my writing; and I made lots of jewelry that I will be adding to my Etsy store over the next couple of weeks (more on that tomorrow.) And I had a lot of fun. I sang karaoke and went dancing; I spent time with my family; I went on a handful of first dates; I even managed to get my heart broken. 

It's true that I didn't check every item off my to-do list. But I did a lot of living in five short weeks. As a result, I feel rested and rejuvenated, ready to start the "new year." My piano is tuned, my studio is tidy, and I am really excited about seeing my students again, hearing about their summers and getting them back on track with their music making. 

Now I'm ready to go back to living without goals. I will take care of my body, my family, my home, my business, and treat my writing like a job, too. After all, I am an adult with grown-up responsibilities. But as much as possible, I am going to follow the whisperings of my heart--trusting that every day will find me exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what I need to be doing.