The last two weeks has been a bit of a blur. Amongst the relaxing setting of a B&B, stimulating conversations, I was struck by the need to facilitate the sharing of ethnomusicological research to a broad and diverse audience. While I was following this thread throughout the week, I was also digesting advance comments I was receiving ahead of my thesis defence, which was to occur mere days after I return. After a few days of prepping, rehearsing, fretting, all while a heat wave set the temperature to practically 48 degrees Celsius, the defence itself went very smoothly. I have a chance now to make some minor revisions and do a thorough editing before submitting the document, and the usual administrative process to end a three year journey.

Since then, however, all I seem to want to do is sleep, stay cool, and let my mind go blank as I pay attention to all the small things that give such great pleasure: the sound of leaves rustling, the feeling of walking on grass, driving aimlessly into the country side and watching the rolling hills and crop fields go on forever and ever.

The days of being sustained by expresso is over, replaced by days of the comfortably mundane. Thoughts of papers and projects are replaced by thoughts of people I know affected by forest fires in Northwestern Ontario, the Oslo bombing and youth camp shooting in Norway, the famine in Somalia. My focus is shifting away from meeting deadlines and towards some much needed reflection and imagination.

Years from now, I won’t remember the long days and long nights of reading and writing, but I will remember all the people I met along the way, the things I learned from the experiences they shared with me, and the lives that they live. I really am very grateful for the brief but meaningful connections I’ve made. Each and every one of them will be my inspiration as I daydream about the future.

Thanks guys.