As the month ends...

So my plan to be a more active blogger hasn't exactly panned out as I would have liked! Oh well, I'm not going to beat myself up about it, especially since this first month of my research leave has been (mostly) productive. I've got a good start on my main project, while also toying in my mind a couple of other things I'd like to do over the next year. I was joking early on, after my first few days, that the leave was going to be over in no time. But of course now I'm realizing it's probably going to feel like a full year, especially when we get into the warmer summer months. A thought occurred to me: I still have a Christmas to celebrate before I have to go back to the daily grind! Happy days indeed.

I spent over a week on the west coast, which proved to be a useful research trip (albeit a little lonely at times - thank god for the craft beer!). I'm back home for a couple of weeks, then I'm hitting the road again: first to NYC to do some additional research, and then a breather in Florida for a week where I can walk on the beach, do some kayaking, and eat some seafood. I'll officially mark it as vacation, thus giving me an out from having to respond to e-mails and the like. (I've been told I need to take my vacation days

One thing I haven't been very good at is writing in a journal, which I had hoped to do every few mornings. I'm not sure why that's not happening, but I did buy a new journal (with a cover of a Magritte painting - I bought it at the SFMOMA). Not that that's a sure way for me to write: my apartment seems to be littered with half-completed journals! But try I will. Maybe the sad part is that I don't have all that much to say. My life seems so much more settled than in years past (with some exceptions): maybe I need more disruptions to fuel the creative gene. Although I'm not so good when it comes to a chaotic, drama-filled life. Maybe the quiet(er) life is my ultimate destiny.

As the week ends...

So I'm going into my third day of the research leave - and we're hitting the weekend too - but I think I can already identify some of the rewards and challenges. The rewards are going to be pretty obvious. Working at my own pace, for one, and being able to set a work schedule that works best for me. Granted, I already had a lot of latitude at my job - as long as the work got done, that's always been the most important thing - but there is something to be said for being able to, say, take 90 minutes in the middle of the afternoon to go for a run. Or to have a two-hour stretch where I can just read at my leisure. And, of course, I did take a nap on Wednesday, but that was easily justifiable given I didn't feel very well and I was heading to the opera later that evening. So it seems the only person I need to justify my work schedule is myself! Being able to listen to music (without headphones) while I work has been great as well.

There are some downsides to this solitude as well, which I will definitely need to be aware of and, hopefully, find adequate solutions for. It's been manageable so far: I went to the opera on Wednesday evening, and of course I'm probably on a "high" with respect to the novelty factor of the leave. But not having colleagues around me to banter with or trade ideas with will definitely be something I miss. Thankfully I've got those two research trips upcoming, so that will help focus the mind and distract me - although being solo in California won't be all that much fun! I also seem to be motivated so far to work, which some might find surprising since the fear of a deadline tends to be my ideal method of focusing. I think maybe fear of failure on this project is helping to galvanize me! Amazing how fear plays such an important role in my life...

I know, I think I was hoping this blog would be more exploratory about my life now that I have the luxury of time. Maybe just give me more time.

Day One

So, confession: I'm beginning this post a little later than I had hoped! After all, it's my first day of my research leave - why wouldn't I be keen to leap out of bed and begin in earnest this 2017 journey?! (I write this only in half jest.) But I was foiled somewhat by a restless cat in the early hours of the morning: she disrupted my slumber, so I had a bit more of a lie-in than anticipated and, frankly, planned. I need to remind myself, however: hey, I'm leave! My time and scheduling and pacing is all my own, and there's no need to justify it (except to my conscience, of course). Not to mention I am actually at my desk, the computer is on, and I'm typing away. (I also did answer a couple of work-related e-mails. It'll probably take some time to properly wean myself off that and confine my checking of that inbox to only a couple of times a day. I did promise in my auto reply that it would "infrequent.")

What's next then?

I actually have conjured a general daily work schedule in my head. In an ideal world, I will awake around 8:00. I'll read a little bit of the NYTimes on my iPad while I'm rousing from the slumber, then get myself up and out of bed for breakfast and coffee. I'd like to get to my desk sometime around 9:00 and begin the day with some writing - either on here, or with a paper and pencil (a la advice from The Artist's Way, which is something I tried many years when I used to freelance - I liked the morning writing that it advocated, so I'm going to try and revive that), as well as write some e-mail to some of my long-time electronic correspondents (one of whom I recently reconnected with). After which I'll then get down to the research project at hand, which also includes a considerable amount of writing as well as planning and other assorted tasks. This should take me to around 12:30 or 1:00, which will be my time to exercise: I need to ease my way back into running a full schedule, so I'm going to also put some yoga into that routine. And then shower, lunch, and the afternoons will be spent reading. So nothing overly ambitious on my part - and of course I do have the option to deviate when necessary from this plan - but definitely doable. I do like the idea of a routine though - some may think it's boring, but I find it helps with my overall creativity.

So there you go, Day One of the leave has officially started. Wish me well!

Listening to: Sonny Rollins