On the Road Again

I’m sitting on an airplane flying from Bermuda to Boston.  I have 4 days there–teaching some lessons, and recording and rehearsing a program of Joan Tower’s music for BMOP.  From there, I head off to Miami, where Paul will meet me for a little concert tour/vacation combo.  Between the 30 degrees and snowy weather in Boston, the 82 degrees and sunny temperatures in Florida, and the mix of concerts, teaching, and beach/date time, this was an interesting trip to pack for! 

I’m feeling an unusual mix of emotions, and I think it is tied to being away from home for two weeks.  It’s not a rare thing, but I the idea of going to multiple places for multiple reasons is harder than just flying off for one concert and then coming home.  Ahhhh….The life of a working musician.  Believe me, I’m all kinds of grateful. After all, this is what I have worked for.  This is why I have practiced every day of my life–so that I can share my music and my stories with audiences around the world.  And, not to speak for anyone else, but I have a feeling this is why we all do it, and I know that this mix of emotions–this push and pull between “home” and “away”–is pretty common.

To be honest, I love flying.  I get to sit in a comfy chair and read magazines, listen to podcasts, watch a movie, (write a blog post), anything I want. And nice people (Hi Linda from Delta!!) come up to me and offer me snacks and drinks.  It’s a pretty ideal setup if you ask me.  And Hotels?  Also awesome.  A bed, a TV! Someone that is not me coming in to clean and make the bed every day, and often there is a pool, gym, and a restaurant just an elevator ride away. And let’s not forget all of the people.  Not only do I get to meet up with old friends who live is whatever city I am visiting, I get to meet a ton of new people on the road as well.  From the presenters to the audience members, people are, generally speaking, exceeding friendly, and I always come away feeling like I have a whole bunch of new friends.

And yet, at the same time, I miss hanging out with Paul, of course.  And my cats, and my (poor, neglected) garden.  And it seems that every wine tasting, sailing prize-giving night, or gallery opening for a friend’s new show always seems to fall on a weekend that I am away.  I get tired of people in Bermuda asking me how long I’m in town as if I’m just visiting. I want to shake them and scream “I LIVE HERE!!!” even though the actual answer is: “a few weeks”.  Don’t worry, I don’t really shake them and scream at them.  They are my friends, and that would be rude.

So, for all these reasons, I am beyond excited that Paul will be joining me in Florida.  The trip falls over the half-term break at his school, so he’s free to join me, and I’m giddy at the thought of him being there with me; not only because it will be epically helpful to have him around before and after my concerts, but because I can do what I love without feeling like I am missing out.  And bonus: It falls over Valentine’s Day.  The week starts with a few free days since a concert I was going to do in Tampa had to be rescheduled, so we’ll hang out in Miami.  I lived on South Beach for 3 years right after college, when I played in the New World Symphony, but the city has changed so much since then.  I’m psyched to check out the Wynnwood Walls and the Design District, and I’ve never been to Palm Beach before, so I’m excited to see that as well.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know!   And I know that 2 weeks from now, I’ll be a bit sad to be leaving it all behind me, but so happy to be coming home and settling back into my routine for a little while.  Hopefully, my cats will still be speaking to me.