It's only day 5 of this residency, and it seems strange to feel relief at having a "day off," I guess it's proof of the energy it takes to be engaged with adolescents all day in the process of producing artwork.  Elementary kids here have no art class in school, which I found quite surprising.  Some of these sixth graders really love making art, and are thrilled to be part of this project.  Many harbor significant self doubt and skepticism about the whole thing.  I see my job here as being equal parts painting instructor, choreographer, and counselor, coaxing away fears and striving to provide a memorable, positive experience with art.  While balancing all of this is something I greatly enjoy doing, if I'm honest, it's also mentally taxing.

And then there's the part where I'm standing all day, bending over paintings.  I don't usually talk about having chronic back pain, after more than 20 years of it, it's just part of my reality.  Recently, however, I've found that my beloved road trips are becoming more painful, and the effects last longer than they used to.  And so, I took today to try to do little besides work on healing reactive muscles and a misaligned spine.  Days like today make me miss my trusty medical support at home.  I'm hoping that a couple days spent on health will get me back to normal and able to do long hikes soon.