Back to Real Life

The tour's over and the kids are gone. What an adjustment it's been to settle into a new area, adjust to the quiet of life without 16 of the best kids in the world, acquaint myself with my surroundings and look for a job. Job hunting. Everyone's favorite thing to do.

But it's time. And right now there are plenty of jobs to be had. Temporary design jobs, part time seasonal work, restaurants, grocery stores, they're everywhere. But the question I keep getting asked is this: what kind of job do I want? And that's the question that is hardest to answer. I want a job that will pay me... which is almost every job. I want a job with enough hours to pay my bills. Does anyone know of a graphic designer in Seattle who is hiring? No? I thought not.

How can it be August?

I don't know what happened. My last blog post happened a month ago, so where has the last month gone? It was a whirlwind of travel, travel, choir stuff, more travel, and... oh yeah, travel. Today, August 1st, we're on a 10-hour road trip north from Boise to Sandpoint, Idaho. Yes, Idaho. In the past I've only driven through Idaho on I-84 and I-90. There's a whole lot of open space between cities and towns. This year I've seen much more of the state – the fun downtown of Boise, the Sun Valley Ice Show, the top of a mountain, the start of a forest fire. That's been the last three weeks, and we've still got a week or two to go!

We're winding down the tour, and the question that has begun to form in the back of all of our heads is this: what are we going to do next? I plan to stay in the Seattle area, which means finding a job and a place to live. And did I mention I haven't hardly begun to look? I've got a portfolio to put together and a resumé to put together, and I haven't gotten past thinking about it. And there's been barely enough time for that!

The good news is, God has everything in control. I've had no time to think of these things (Hello, I'm on the road! Late nights and early mornings aren't great for getting stuff done outside of work!), so all I can do is trust that opportunities will arise, that the things which are out of my control will fall into place. As I write this I'm beginning to go into mini-panic mode which doesn't help things at all. After all, I'm stuck in the back of a van on a windy road in the Sawtooth Mountains, with limited internet access. Better to sleep then get carsick with worry over this whole thing. But I can start thinking. Look for my portfolio in the next month. It's gonna be here!

Beth

July 19 • Sun Valley, Idaho

I'm sitting in Starbucks while the children of Matsiko prepare for their next performance at Ketchum Town Square here in Idaho's Sun Valley. We arrived on Monday to mountain hiking and beautiful, sunny weather. This place is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, with hiking, biking, skiing, and paragliding around every corner. The town of Ketchum reminds me so much of Cannon Beach, drawing the same outdoorsy, laid back people, keeping out the chain stores (except Starbucks) in favor of small, local business.

The tour is going well, and we only have a few more weeks until we arrive back in Washington. Sun Valley, Boise, & Sandpoint, ID; Spokane & Cle Elum, WA and then, at last, Seattle!

A Brother's Wedding

My youngest brother Nate got married yesterday. Kate, Mark & I took a few days off from Matiko to come home early and celebrate. An outdoor wedding at 100° F kept everyone in the shade, but the hour-long ceremony was over before I knew it. Matsiko arrived in town to perform at the reception, which brought tears to my eyes... after 4 days I missed my kids!!! Everyone was invited and I had many quick hellos with people I've known forever. It is good to be home, great to welcome Abbie to the Ritta clan, and amazing to see friends gather for a great occasion. Below are some pictures of the wedding week. Enjoy.

"The Cities", June 23-24

The choir has arrived in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of Minnesota. We've had a great few days swimming, hula hooping, roasting S'mores, and performing. The choir performed the National Anthem at the Lynx WNBA game on Saturday. The league was celebrating the 40th anniversary of Title 9, the law Richard Nixon signed which guaranteed funding for girls sports in public schools. As a high school athlete, I realize the significance of this law (not everyone on the team did) and I appreciate it for what it provides for girls all over this country. Sometimes women's rights can be taken too far, but I believe in this case the Title 9 is right on the money (see Tshirt below for actual wording).