Thanks to the generosity of my in-laws, we got out of Dodge for a few days.

The holiday madness wasn’t too bad this year, but I find it difficult to switch gears from family to career even when the opportunity’s there. Finally I took a hint, set aside the five-year-plan stress and refocused on the present. We celebrated my in-laws’ 25th wedding anniversary in a nice sunny spot on the beach.

And it helped: although we’re back to gray skies, I’m still fairly relaxed from the sun and art journaling. Now I’m looking forward to the next stop on the “Like Mother…” traveling exhibit, which opens at the end of this month. In the meantime, I’ll ask the art world experts I know to help me chart my course forward.