Finally my summer can begin!

I'm in Arizona, enjoying my first day of vacation. It feels wonderful to have no responsibilities (except a research proposal I will probably put off until the last minute). This summer was brutal, and one I hope never to repeat, but a lot of good came from it. It really emphasized what great friends and parents I have, with all the help they sent my way. I was able to take a few memorable trips camping with friends and family, though they were short. My dad pointed out that I probably did a lot more than someone who had twice the free time I did.

So not all bad, but like I said, no plans of repeating it any time soon. Instead, I'm focusing forward. Nine more months and I will have finished this degree, then there is a huge question mark for what I do next. The plan is to move where Leo is, wherever that is, but we won't know the location until next spring. Makes it harder to plan ahead, but I don't mind living in the moment for a little bit.

The current moment includes sipping a strong bloody mary in a cantina in downtown Tucson. Leo has a tricky math problem to deal with, so we started the day in Cafe Passe, an adorable coffee shop with a quaint veranda for covered outdoor eating. He studied while I tried to figure out what sort of trip we would want to take next weekend. When my hip protested so much sitting we walked along for a while before coming to an art market (Old Town Artisans) where I browsed while Leo found a spot to do his homework.

Tonight the plan is to check out the Glow Festival, an art show depicting luminescent artwork at a farm a bit out of Tucson. I'll post pics when I have some. We're trying to figure out the rest of our itinerary. In the way of things, Leo was given a bunch of work to do as soon as I got here, but I'm just happy to be with him and relax. There is a yoga studio just blocks away from his apartment that has all classes $4, so I'll go there while he is in class. I have also found that all public pools in Tucson are $2 admission, so I think I'll keep myself pretty entertained while he is doing school or tutoring. There is also that pesky research proposal, but we'll see when that happens.