Reflecting

Reflecting- that's what I've been doing this week.

And recouping... as much as I can.

 After a 15+ hour drive home on Sunday, and arriving after midnight, it was back to work for me on Monday morn.  I've been getting through the week... but yearning for the weekend.  Some rest is most definitely on order.

Squam was just as amazing as you would have imagined.  The setting, the crafting, the company- truly top notch.  Although it was in many ways hard work- you can't beat the office when your classroom looks like this:

I can't complain about my commute either (sure beats the I-96 drive that usually consumes my morning):

My students coworkers?  Amazing!

I enjoyed spending my days with these ladies- watching them create, and sharing the joy of a completed project with them.

In my free time, I got to hang out with my two most favorite people in the world:

(sorry, only instagram picture of the two of them- more pictures from my camera will soon follow)

Although the days were long and quite jam-packed, nights were peaceful and quiet.  I can't quite explain the charm of cabin, but after a long day, it felt like home. 

Warming by the fire on chilly evenings became the Squam norm (so did toasting marshmallows and making s'mores, no complaints from me).

And then, after cozy-ing up under our big down blankets, I would wake up to this view and do it all over again:

(can you see the screen?  I'm not exaggerating, I actually took this from my bed one morning) 

At meals, there was a large table for people to show off their creations.  Although I loved taking a peek, it made me quite jealous that I was not a student of Squam myself.

And in the few free moments I had, we did have time for a hike up to Rattlesnake Mountain and a dip in the lake (although there are no pictures to prove it I swear it happened, even if it was quite brief).

And now we are home, and after almost a full week back at work, things seem to be getting back to normal.  Laundry is done and put away, the house is starting to take on more orderly shape, and my work routine is back to what it was.  

I've noticed one thing that is different.  My knitting still smells a bit like campfire, but I don't mind.   In fact, I quite like it.  If it stays this way forever, I'd be fine with that too.  It's a remembrance of the experience I had, and a reminder that I can't wait to go back.  Who's in for Squam 2013?