No sooner did I settle back in Rochester than I hit the highway again. After a 12-hour road trip with my friend Nenna, I'm snuggled cozily in bed at my parents' house in Thief River Falls.
(The drive to TRF isn't usually a 12-hour trip. But seeing as our mantra was, "We have all day!", we took full advantage. Stops for bathroom breaks, pizza parlors, the cabin, a friend's house, and a photo opp with Paul Bunyan and Babe stretched the schedule.)
So what am I doing away from home again without my husband and kiddos? This weekend marks my 20-year high school reunion. To mark the occasion, I've been taking little walks down memory lane. Here are a few tidbits.
In 1990:
...a gallon of gas cost $1.34. In 1990, I was driving a cream-colored Chevette with fenders held together with bungee cords. And I only had to put in $5 of gas a week.
...Milli Vanilli was exposed! Lip synchers! This broke my heart, as my friend Lynn and I spent more time than I'd like to admit practicing Milli Vanilli's dance moves in front of the TV to their videos. ("Girl you know it's true...")
... the movie Dances With Wolves was released. I went to Dances in Bemidji during my freshman year at BSU. I sobbed so hard that my friend Cathy asked if I wanted to leave early. (I didn't.)
... Vanilla Ice sings "Ice, Ice Baby." A group of my friends made a special trip down to Minneapolis just to watch the Ice-man at club First Ave. I didn't go, but secretly wish I had.
...the first known World Wide Web page is written. I won't have an e-mail address (j1j2koski@earthlink.net) for another six years.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
What Is this Phenonemon Called?
Well, I'm back from Vermont safe-and-sound -- sufficiently cooled and pooled after my 11-day VCFA residency. But the weirdest thing is happening to me. I'm seeing my MFA friends e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.
Does this happen to you?
This morning at Dunn Bros., as I scrawled out next week's column, I heard one of the graduate assistants talking to her friend in the couch next to me. When I glanced her way, I realized the "grad assistant" had aged about 10 years over the weekend and cut her hair short. Also, she lives in Chicago.
At the pool on Friday afternoon, I saw one of the people from my workshop walking to the cabana in her flowered one-piece suit. Even though she's in Boston.
And at the Farmer's Market yesterday? I caught a glimpse of two faculty members and one of my dorm roomies. Wisconsin, Washington, New York.
It seems to be some kind of initiation of re-entry. After each of my four residencies, I've jerked my head in the direction of someone who isn't who I think they should be. Maybe it's my mind's way of connecting these two disparate worlds I love. Or maybe I'm jet lagged.
Whatever the reason, it's been nice to revisit VCFA -- if even in error -- for a few minutes these last couple of days. Though I miss my family tremendously while in Vermont, the opportunity to focus solely on school (no laundry, no errands, no cooking) is a luxury.
But now it's on to real world, back to balancing family and work with packet deadlines and writing exercises. Bring it on.
Does this happen to you?
This morning at Dunn Bros., as I scrawled out next week's column, I heard one of the graduate assistants talking to her friend in the couch next to me. When I glanced her way, I realized the "grad assistant" had aged about 10 years over the weekend and cut her hair short. Also, she lives in Chicago.
At the pool on Friday afternoon, I saw one of the people from my workshop walking to the cabana in her flowered one-piece suit. Even though she's in Boston.
And at the Farmer's Market yesterday? I caught a glimpse of two faculty members and one of my dorm roomies. Wisconsin, Washington, New York.
It seems to be some kind of initiation of re-entry. After each of my four residencies, I've jerked my head in the direction of someone who isn't who I think they should be. Maybe it's my mind's way of connecting these two disparate worlds I love. Or maybe I'm jet lagged.
Whatever the reason, it's been nice to revisit VCFA -- if even in error -- for a few minutes these last couple of days. Though I miss my family tremendously while in Vermont, the opportunity to focus solely on school (no laundry, no errands, no cooking) is a luxury.
But now it's on to real world, back to balancing family and work with packet deadlines and writing exercises. Bring it on.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Graduation Day
Well, it's not MY graduation -- but it is graduation day at VCFA. The summer class had a lovely grad ceremony today, followed by an outdoor reception. Here are some pics:
The photos above are in College Hall's chapel -- a beautiful, though not air-conditioned, room.
Hanging with another "student" outside College Hall after the ceremony.
My friend and roomie, Sara, and her daughter at the reception. Sara's a new graduate!
This is my vantage point for much of the residency. My bag, my water bottle, my knees.
The photos above are in College Hall's chapel -- a beautiful, though not air-conditioned, room.
Hanging with another "student" outside College Hall after the ceremony.
My friend and roomie, Sara, and her daughter at the reception. Sara's a new graduate!
This is my vantage point for much of the residency. My bag, my water bottle, my knees.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Playing Tourist
Though I've spent more than 40 days in Montpelier over the last couple of years, I'd never made it down to the state capitol building until today. (Of course, I chose the 90-plus degree afternoon to take an hour walk!)
Man. This is really a beautiful town. Here are some pics I shot today:
Man. This is really a beautiful town. Here are some pics I shot today:
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Literary Bliss
If you don't count the spotty Internet access and lack of air conditioning (and I don't), life is great in Vermont. I've spent the last seven days attending lectures and readings and workshops and hanging out with other writers. I suppose in some -- and probably many -- circles, this would be considered geeky. But all I can say is: Life is good.
The campus here is beautiful and seeped with history, and Montpelier is the quintessential New England town. Since the campus actually sits up on a hill, I try to squeeze in time every couple days to venture down, down, down the hill and into town, where there are several bookshops, a fantastic old library and some cool restaurants. Every time I'm here, I wish I could take my family and all my friends along to experience Vermont and VCFA with me.
To my great excitement, I landed my first choice advisor for the coming semester. I'll be working with Sara Mansfield Taber, who has done a great deal of writing and teaching. She's actually my workshop leader during this residency, as well, and I've been impressed by her feedback and insight. I think it's going to be a fabulous final semester for me.
Final semester -- wow. I'm constantly reminded that I'm almost done here at VCFA. In six months, which will undoubtedly fly by, I'll have finished my MFA and will be back for my graduation residency. As hard as it is to be away from my family and "real life" during the residencies... this really is a fantastic experience.
The campus here is beautiful and seeped with history, and Montpelier is the quintessential New England town. Since the campus actually sits up on a hill, I try to squeeze in time every couple days to venture down, down, down the hill and into town, where there are several bookshops, a fantastic old library and some cool restaurants. Every time I'm here, I wish I could take my family and all my friends along to experience Vermont and VCFA with me.
To my great excitement, I landed my first choice advisor for the coming semester. I'll be working with Sara Mansfield Taber, who has done a great deal of writing and teaching. She's actually my workshop leader during this residency, as well, and I've been impressed by her feedback and insight. I think it's going to be a fabulous final semester for me.
Final semester -- wow. I'm constantly reminded that I'm almost done here at VCFA. In six months, which will undoubtedly fly by, I'll have finished my MFA and will be back for my graduation residency. As hard as it is to be away from my family and "real life" during the residencies... this really is a fantastic experience.
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