Trying to get back in the saddle here today. Michelle and I flew in late last night - coming home from a vacation . . . sort of. For Michelle, it was vacation. For me, I got up early almost every morning and worked. I put in quite a few hours while away, but doing so in a faraway context was part of the idea. I was able to do some dreaming, planning, and strategizing for how to move forward with my work here in Seattle. Exciting and scary stuff, really. But I can't wait to see what happens.

It was interesting doing the kind of work I was doing while surrounded by all the trappings of a very popular vacation destination. Lots of restaurants, shopping, adventure activities. It's particularly interesting culturally speaking. Here's a place that many have found so beautiful when they visited for the first time that they dropped everything to move there permanently. Meanwhile, the locals that have always been there seem to fade into the background more and more. Perhaps it's an example of vacation imperialism.

Either way, as I was thinking about these people who have moved into this place, part of me rolled my eyes at them for being escapists - just trying to get away from reality. But then I started cutting them some slack. I mean, what if these people have made a decision to reject our culture's trappings of what success might look like? Most of them have to settle for a lower standard of living in their new home, and end up working at lower level kinds of jobs. But they do so in part to simplify their lives. Granted, they're simplifying in a somewhat indulgent way. There's definitely a statement to be made.

Anyway, I've got some catching up to do. Hitting the ground running with a student service project tonight. Hopefully, it'll ease me back into the groove.