vivaldi’s summer

It’s been almost six weeks since my sabbatical started. People are wondering how I’ve been doing. In terms of mental health, this break is doing what it was supposed to do–I’ve never felt this much peace in a very long time. Not checking emails, not commuting, and not sitting through meetings–my body feels loads lighter. The biggest challenge is how can I optimize this gift of time. I thought I would have all the time in the world for art and other passion projects, but a day is too short and goes by too fast.

I might not have meetings or an office to commute to, but I still have and stick to a routine. I naturally wake up around 7 but don’t get out of bed until around 8 or whenever my dog Ina demands me to get my lazy ass to walk her. I walk Ina twice a day–40 minutes in the morning, and 20 minutes in the evening. After the morning walk, I journal and have quiet time to read a daily devotional and pray. That goes my morning. Thereafter, I pick a project to work on–either for professional development (e.g. job apps) or a painting. The latter especially takes the most amount of time–once I get my paints and brushes out, I’m locked in for at least 3 hours.

I’ve crossed out most of my bucket list items for this sabbatical. I’m working my way through Emma by Jane Austen. Last week, I went to Rockaway Beach with a friend and made it to the MoMA’s Marcel Duchamp on Friday.

I made sandwiches and cut up fruits the night before the beach day. I packed the snacks in a cooler bag, put on my bathing suit and hat, and headed to our meeting spot. We took the ferry from E 90th–the journey was longer than I had estimated (another hour and a half until Rockaway). Thankfully, we were graced with good weather. We enjoyed dipping ourselves in the ocean, sunbathing, and rubbing our feet in the sand. Feeling the warm breeze from the salty water on my face took me me to paradise for a little while.

MoMA’s Duchamp took me by surprise–it was an extensive undertaking by curators to showcase the artist’s eclectic portfolio. I had only known Duchamp for his infamous upside-down urinal called “Fountain” before checking out this exhibition. I learned that the original “Fountain” was lost so he made multiple replicas towards the end of his career/life. He produced so much more than what he’s widely known for.

The show started with Duchamp’s earlier works, Impressionist paintings inspired by his predecessors like Cezanne. As his career progressed, his art evolved from two-dimensional drawings and painting to three-dimensional assemblages. He invented the concept of readymades, which are basically an arrangement of prefabricated objects. For his readymades, Duchamp provided meticulous instructions to his family and friends to deliver his creative vision.

The exhibition concluded with photographs documenting the process of Duchamp’s final work, a large-scale assemblage that he kept secret for 20 years. He was the pioneer of contemporary art–challenging the traditional understanding of what constitutes art. I also saw the rebellious spirit in Duchamp–revolutionizing the art world by giving artists the permission to dictate their art instead of conforming to a set of standards. He dedicated his entire life to art and challenged what people regarded what art should be. I think that’s pretty sick, in a badass way.

I also got to reunite and catch up with a couple of friends visiting New York. We walked in Central Park, checked out the Choir Festival, got some boozy drinks at a Japanese-inspired speakeasy, and went to a Yankees game. I had a blast at the Yankees game, even though the Yankees lost to the Blue Jays. The weather cooperated with us that day, and we got to sit in a suite section reserved for my friend’s company–thanks to her corporate perks!

I’d describe my sabbatical as Vivaldi’s Summer–it had a slow, gentle start, but the tempo is picking up in the last movement, Presto. I thought I would be bored and looking for things to do, but it’s been the exact opposite of boredom and idleness. I’ve been keeping myself busy without a 9-5. Everyday I’m reckoned with how precious time is. There’s so much to do in life. I don’t miss working at all, not even a little bit. I am savoring these last couple of weeks.

Soon I’ll be flying to Tokyo to start my Asia trip. I can’t believe it’s almost time to pack for it. I hope to write one more blog post before departing. Until then, take care.