Eric drove most of the way, Maya slept soundly, and I drifted in and out of consciousness and felt good enough to drive that last three hours while Eric snored. Perhaps this drive was not a great idea, because both Eric and I were exhausted when we got home and I did not feel like doing much. Eric made an appointment with the Apple store (again) to have his phone replaced (the fourth one I think) and my computer needs major repairs at great cost, but perhaps worth it because buying a new one is far more expensive. I pushed myself to take a ninety minute hot yoga class to start sweating off the results of all the yummy food we have been eating. When I got home, Eric was napping, Maya was reading Harry Potter and I found myself less enthusiastic about packing up the house ( a familiar feeling). We have developed a pattern whereby when I am eager to work, Eric wants to rest, when he is ready to go, I find other more important things to do, somehow we are not in tune when it comes to the house. We have no choice this weekend, I would think, but we are both so tired, we are rather useless. I did get ten boxes of books packed away and am most of the way through the CDs. Yes, I still have oodles of CDs, and in my parents' house I have boxes of LPs (records) which I think will never be used again. I still have a 20 year old Bang adn Olafson stereo, which looks great and I am not yet ready to retire. However, in Ecuador I plan to educate myself with regard to the internet and use the ipod and computer for music, which I have not yet done.
My sister found a remarkable music program in Venezuela called 'La Systema' which teaches children classical instruments and to play in a symphony. The children have grown into quite amazing musicians and have been a hit all over the world, and of course I wanted to know if there was something similar in Ecuador, and there is an Ecuador Youth Symphony Orchestra, which I must try to contact. Odd that when we were visiting with Maya, I asked so many people about what was available for Maya, and no one mentioned how much music is actually happening there. I did run into a clarinetist from Texas who was visiting and helping improve the symphony along with a Swiss conductor, but I have misplaced his card and will have to pursue that when I get there. I did visit two conservatories, but no one mentioned the youth symphony. A woman from my pilates class had a niece who played the cello in the Ecuadorian symphony for a year and emailed me some contacts. I am feeling more hopeful about the possibilities. We see Maya's teacher for the first time in many weeks tomorrow, and so far seh has not been positive about our move and its impact on Maya's violin, but I am more and more confident that we will find what we need, or at least something that will open up possibilities for Maya and her music. She is remarkably devoted to her violin and tells my sister she plans to be a violinist when she grows up. There is an excellent music school at McGill, so Maya has already decided that she will go to college in Montreal.
We are moving to Ecuador in a month or so! This is it! I have said good-bye to my parents and my sisters and most of my patients and the house is rented and the dog is placed; it is so very strange to come home to a house without a dog to greet us. First I noticed that the lawn is growing back and looks green and healthy without a dog doing his thing all over, and the house is empty and quiet and missing part of its soul. Maya seemed a little unsettled today, although it may also be because she is reading the fourth Harry Potter book after reading the third one about seven times during our trip to Canada. I miss Elmer, although I know he is perfectly happy at the Benichous and getting alot of attention and adjusting. I miss his presence, his greeting when I come home, and I like having to worry about him getting his exercise and enough love from us. Maya wanted to visit him, but I am not sure that is good for him or for her.
Skype and videochat is part of our lives. I spoke to Tara in Italy and my parents in Canada. My mother seems to be less negative about the technology and my father is still excited about it. Maya seems unimpressed; it is simply part of her life today and not particularly special. I expect that to be a daily event in our lives to Ecuador.
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