Provincetown

Today I went on a much needed road trip to Ptown, on the very tip of Cape Cod.  I went with my friend Melissa and we met up with her totally rad aunt an uncle to celebrate her uncle's b-day.  It was cold (for the beach, ~35F) and windy, but exceptionally clear and sunny - making us dream of swimsuits and rolling our toes in the warm sand.  I never took off my layers, but I did get pink cheeks and loads of Vitamin D as we chatted on their rental apartment's porch by the sea.  Ptown, I'm sure most of you know, is a gay mecca full of more rainbow flags, HRC stickers, and drag queen dress shops than I've ever seen.  Even though it's the off season a lot of art studios and shops were still open and I enjoyed that my first trip here wasn't even more overwhelming with crowds of people.  Driving to the tip of the Cape took almost 3 hours from my house, yet in the summer there is bumper to bumper traffic on the skinny highway that can make the trip take almost twice as long - hello off season.  Plus the seafood was great - I ate my first real new england clam chowder and a huge cod fillet.

I had such a great afternoon, I felt like I landed in my long-lost extended relative's apartment, I felt so welcome.  I laughed as I heard stories about how Melissa, a total punk at age 14 and now a serious Ani look-alike, would visit this aunt an uncle for a week every summer.  They would let M wander around Boston while they worked, nurtured her artistic side, and gave her freedom her parents wouldn't.  The three of them are very close and the whole day I kept promising myself that I will be that aunt to my nieces; that I will listen to them deeply and encourage them fully in their vast and unique interests.  And damn, I can't wait for them to be big enough to come visit me!

 

Melissa is an art therapist and reminded me that in the Artist's Way it is recommended to travel weekly outside of your normal, comfortable routine as a way to spark creativity and inspiration.  And that's exactly what I've needed for weeks to get creative juices flowing as I start to write two huge grant proposals and more publications.  I realized as we were driving out of town (I've been in a car less than 4 times since I moved here) that except for flying out of the state, this was the first time I've gotten out of Boston since October!  I've never been so ready for summer so early in the year, but with warm weather and z's arrival, will also come greater mobility and adventure, leading to more creativity and sanity.