What I Did On My Summer Vacation

The notion of taking more than the traditional two week vacation began as a germ of an idea about twenty years ago when I learned that respected colleagues Marilyn and Herb Kindler reserved one week a month for activities outside their professions of psychology and consulting. Even though I tucked the idea away in the back of my mind, it was never completely off the radar as I found myself veering further and further away from the long days that I spent in the art studio during college.

After deciding that I would make it a reality, it was another three years before it actually happened, but this past July was the sixth consecutive year for me to “go underground” for thirty one days on a “creative sabbatical.” Translation: no watch, no shoes, no schedule, no commitments, no social interaction other than immediate family. Sounds impossible, but truth be told, it’s glorious. July is definitely the “yin” to the “yang” of what my “real life” has become, and it helps me to more clearly see my path to a more balanced existence and renews my commitment to make that kind of balance the norm.

This year had its own special challenges as I resisted the urge to stay plugged in via email, Facebook, Twitter and Google Groups. Days “just reading” were guilty pleasures, as were the inordinate amount of time I spent figuring out where and what to eat! I broke my “no travel” rule and made a quick trip to New York City with a dear friend and we managed to see four Broadway Shows in three days! I left my art table up, made journals and artist trading cards (ATCs), played with collage and rubber stamping, and didn’t have to clean up after myself each day.

For the curious, some of the high points of the month (from the ridiculous to the sublime):

• On Broadway: Billy Elliot, God of Carnage, Next to Normal, Blithe Spirit and a personalized backstage tour at Wicked!
• Two days at the Getty Center dining, reading, people-watching and soaking up the sun
• Truffle Burger at Umami Burger (8th & La Brea), Milk & Cookies shake at Coldstone, Truffle Popcorn at the Royalton Hotel, a perfect lunch at Momofuku in East Village, NYC
• Hanging with my son Steven and daughter-in-law Rajina at Rush Street
• With my sister Tina, taking my mom to see the Chinese Garden at The Huntington and enjoying afternoon tea
• Improving my trigger control under the guidance of my husband Dean
• Walking at UCLA and working out
• Figuring out a system for organizing my photos; playing with Picasa, Adobe Elements and Photoshop.com
• Departures, The Lookout, Revolutionary Road, Apollo 13, The Hurt Locker, The Hangover, Doubt
• Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower
• Doing nothing
• Doing nothing
• Doing nothing