California Dreaming

So my stay in San Diego has been fantastic thus far... Spending time with my cousins = priceless and so enjoyable but I've also had the bonus of getting plenty of time to explore, relax, and see the sights. I've strolled through Balboa Park, eaten at the "infamous" In and Out Burger joint, soaked up tooons of art both in and out of museum settings, walked the pristine beaches of Coronado and even had a fun day of shopping.

However... Today was the cherry on top so far... Started with a *free* early morning yoga class with Katie in La Jolla, followed by a delicious upstairs patio breakfast *complete with mimosas overlooking the ocean, Contemporary Art museum, *beautiful beach time* at La Jolla with Justin and Noah (brandon and nate surfed, katie and I read and got our tan on), and ended with a night in eating delicious grilled food and watching extreme couponing (that show is incredible!).

I must say I'm completely content and tickled to my toes with my time here. Tomorrow I'll get to worship at Justin's church, and Monday I'm off to Santa Barbara to visit Ryan and Alissa! Life doesn't get much better than this my friends...

Hugs from SoCal,
Amy

DSM-EWR Departs from Des Moines July 26th at 6am

Alright everyone. My flights are booked, my visa is being processed, and the sorting/cleaning/packing is in full gear. Six weeks from tomorrow... I'm off on a new adventure to India.

But why wait six weeks? In just under an hour I'm off to the airport to visit my cousins and friends in Southern California for a long week :) (Can anybody say craziest 6 months in airports ever?)

Blessed Beyond Belief: Home from Cairo, Off to India

My art is up at Cup of Joe coffee shop on Main Street in Cedar Falls, Iowa!

I have a collection of photographs and mixed media pieces I've grouped and named my Blessed Beyond Belief: Home from Cairo, Off to India series. The pieces will be on display through July 16 (when I come snag the ones that haven't sold and try to sell them at my farewell party the 17th) for $50 each. I also have oversized postcards and small mixed media prints (Be Glad for Life) available for $3 and $12 each (a convenient $15 for both!).

The pieces reflect some of my more recent mantras in life (Live gracefully, Grow Intentionally, Love Courageously, Navigate Fearlessly, Wander Knowingly, Explore Wholeheartedly, Flourish Daily and Thrive Creatively).... While I don't always notice how cultures I encounter affect me, many of my friends have commented that they see Egypt in them- which I do not deny, as everywhere I have traveled has become an engrained part of who I am. Each piece was created on top of a recycled screen printing screen from the workshops I taught in Chile in 2009 (artists are pack rats and keep eeeeeverything). Included in the pieces as well are colors, fabrics, fragments of maps and old church photographs, designs and text that reflect my personality and the transition I have gone through in the past 6 months of graduating from UNI, substitute teaching in Cedar Falls living the life of a recent grad, traveling around the US and the world, and now getting ready for the biggest transition yet: moving to India and teaching in my own classroom for the first time.


Time and time again, as I reflect on the journey I've made the past 5 years (physically and emotionally) I am struck by this grateful realization that I am blessed beyond belief. I hope that through looking at glimpses of these pieces and reflecting on your own life, you will come to the very same realization.

Hugs from Iowa,
Amy

PS. Where in the world am I going you might ask?

I'll be teaching grades 3-5 (possibly 2-5) art at the American School of Bombay in Mumbai, India....

Check it out!

Beloved Wikipedia's Scoop on Mumbai

City Information: Plenty of Links

World Travel: Incredible India -video

Visit India tourism commercial -video

Surreal

99 days. Gulp.

It's real folks, my time in Iowa is counting down quickly, just as my excitement for this move to India grows each day. I'm currently feeling overwhelmed knowing that in the next 4 weeks before I leave for Europe I need to: apply for my Indian visa (which I'm still waiting for in the mail?), select a moving company to ship my belongings, pack said belongings, prepare my prints to go on display in Cedar Falls the day I get back from Europe, pack and move back to my parents' home in Winterset, figure out vaccinations, and attempt to prepare myself in curriculum planning for the next year, among a million other things...... I'll keep you updated as needed...

But. First things first. It's been nearly 4 months since I returned from Egypt, just over 3 months until I leave for India... and it's been quite the 7 month layover: giving guest lectures at UNI, substitute teaching all over Cedar Falls and Waterloo, visiting my siblings, traveling to Seattle for "spring break"... looking forward to Italy, Germany, San Diego, Wisconsin, Memphis and Mumbai in the next 14ish weeks...I've been soaking up great books: Shantaram, Sister of my Soul, Persepolis, God of Small Things... and spending time with amazing friends and family.

Needless to say, I'm feeling Blessed Beyond Belief.