Back to America

I had to check out from making any posts here for a while, but for good reason. With about 4 weeks lead time, about 6 weeks ago I left Latvia to begin a new teaching position at Full Sail University, a school focussed primarily on digital media arts just outside Orlando, Florida. I’m the Course Director for Music Composition, a newly created position within the MPBS (Bachelor of Science in Music Production) program, itself a newly launched program within Full Sail’s online division. I had to pretty much hit the ground running, but after a month’s time to adapt, I can honestly say I’m having fun teaching again. In the meantime I’ve been trying to furnish my apartment (Overstock, Target, Office Depot, Ikea, Craig’s List… I’ve assembled more home furnishings in this month than my entire life) in anticipation of my family’s arrival from Latvia (Saturday!). Can’t say I’ve experienced much reverse culture-shock, though coming back to American grocery stores was a little strange. Too many choices, not to mention that in Latvia I didn’t have to deal with the notion that a chicken that was not also somehow a cannibal during its short life is here treated as a selling point worthy of an explosion-shaped sticker and a loud font. On the flip side, I’ll never miss Latvia’s the-customer-is-always-wrong mentality. Walking into a Target with a receipt and an item to return with the confidence of knowing there will be no argument is a blessing worth a moment of reflection by us all. Finding the time for creative work has been a bigger challenge at the moment, as I try and squeak in work on a commission from the Colorado State University Percussion Ensemble, also roughly due next week. Gulp. Getting there.