Art Teach Travel

New friends. New places.

These last few weeks in San Diego have been remarkable! The weather seems to be never-ending goodness and I’m dreading coming back to the scorching heat of Texas this week. I’ve lived in San Diego for almost two months and although I’ve approached my temporary visit like a traveler, I’ve been here long enough that I’ve already started making friends and, through my wanderings, I’ve found members of my tribe.

I brought my tennis racket and joined the summer clinics at the Balboa Tennis Club in Balboa Park. Tennis courts are a great place for social interaction and I’ve made friends here. One of the weekly participants is Chuck, a 96 year old tennis player! Watching Chuck hit “spinners”, as I call those crazy, unpredictable, bouncy balls, has proven to me that Chuck is a talented athlete. He can stand in one place and precisely hit balls that younger, more agile players, across the net from him, cannot return. Chuck is an inspiration! I’ve made friends with Loulou, Janet and Janice. I even saw Janice at an outing last Saturday night in a different part of town and it was exciting to run into a friend.

I met new friends during my days spent installing Liza Lou’s Color Field at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Many of us are seen in a film, produced by the museum, which chronicles the installation team working. Liza even mentions me in the film!

One of my new friends I met at the museum, Pia, publishes a wonderful blog showcasing many art and cultural things to do each weekend in San Diego. Her blog, The Wanderer Guides, has been especially helpful in planning weekend activities. Pia and I spent an afternoon together recently at the Mingei Museum in Balboa Park. This museum exhibits folk art, craft and design from all eras and cultures of the world. During our visit we saw the Menagerie exhibit, which showcased artful animals from the museum’s global, permanent collection. I took many photos of inspirational artworks that may be used as source material in my teaching next year.

I especially loved discovering Urban Safaris, a unique walking tour company built from the ground up (literally) by my new friend, Patty. Within the first weeks of arriving in San Diego, I contacted Patty and inquired about signing up for a tour. She notified me that all her tours were full for a few weeks so I wasn’t able to register until mid-July. I signed up to walk on two tours with Patty through two fascinating, historic neighborhoods of San Diego: North Park and South Park.

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Each of these neighborhoods developed in the first decade of the 20^th century and both have maintained important historical buildings. It was so enjoyable learning about significant architects, like David Owen Dryden, who built beloved craftsman-style homes, so prevalent in these neighborhoods.

Photo via Patricia Fares

Through Patty, I met Helen, a noted childrens’ book author. Helen, Patty and I got together recently to discuss blogging and we all wished I wasn’t leaving yet. These two creative, smart and witty women would easily become my two new best friends if I were to settle down here in San Diego!

I will always be grateful for the treasured time I got to spend with my daughter and want to publically thank her for providing me with a loving home and extending to me great kindness. What a blessing to have been able to navigate her new city with her and live life alongside her as she begins walking down life’s choice-filled path. I will eagerly await the day she comes to visit me in my new city, so I can return the favor. Thanks to you, too, Matt, for your love, hospitality and gift of time you gave us to be together. I love you both!

Summer is coming to a close but a new world awaits! I’ve started collecting teaching resources, reading blogs about the PYP and wondering about the names my new students. I’m curious about my apartment and my classroom. I am eager to seek out the markets and meet new friends. I’ve enjoyed Skyping with new friends in Turkey and am so appreciative of the efforts of my new colleagues to make us new teachers feel welcomed.

Teaching is such a wonderful career. I’m so thankful that this vocation continually gives room to my transformation. Have a great week and make a new friend!