California on my mind

Some of you might be aware of the fact that my partner and I are in our third year of living apart. (Short story: She had to go to California for work, but I couldn’t follow because of immigration laws – you know, the whole same-sex thing – so I stayed back here in Ottawa. There are no jobs for her in Canada and none for me in California. Hence, we live apart.) Anyway, what you really need to know is this: living apart sucks. End of story.

When it became clear that we’d be doing the long distance thing for a third year, I knew I’d probably go nuts (a stolen week here and there is not really enough, you know?) so, as a pre-emptive strike, I decided to ask for a three-month leave from my job. And my boss (and her boss) – bless their souls – agreed.

Which brings us to today: the day I fly down to California and begin my three months of actually having a semi-normal life with the person I love. I can’t tell you how excited I am. I’ve been giddy for weeks and right now I’m grinning from ear to ear despite the fact that I was up way before the sun this morning.

You may be thinking: But Julie, what does this have to do with mosaics? Ahhhh, allow me to explain. Because my partner will be working while I’m down in California, I’ll need something to occupy a good chunk of my time. And what better way to keep myself busy than to make mosaics? It’s always been my fantasy to do this stuff full time and now I have three months to live that dream.

I’ve got a few ideas for pieces that I want to do (stay tuned!), and I’m going to try to experiment with some materials that I haven’t used much before (no stained glass for me…at least not for 3 months!). I’ve also signed up to take two courses up in Oakland at the Institute of Mosaic Art. And get this: one of them is with one of my mosaic idols, Sonia King! I was so happy when I found out that her workshop would coincide with my time in California!

Anyway, I should probably go stretch my legs a bit before boarding the plane. Next stop, Long Beach, California!