"Life has a funny way, of helping you out when you think everything's gone wrong, and everything's blown up in your fa-ace."

(Name that pop singer from my adolescence.)

Anyway, it's a fitting explanation of my week. It's been kind of a rough one, for emotional, relationship-type reasons. In fact, I feel a little split in two: my career is taking off (have been feeling very good about my playing, have started a brass quintet, had my first gig in this city, have new ideas and opportunities) while my personal life seems to be slapping me in the face, due to unfortunate circumstances.

To be brief, in a sea of very pleasant friends, I have found two very important relationships here with two people that I find quite exceptional. That is, they are different than anyone I have ever met before, we have a great connection, I respect them intensely, they intrigue me, inspire me, support me, nourish me, make me laugh, invite me out and ask for my help. I've invested myself in them. They are ideal friendships, in a still foreign city where I really value them. I found out in the past two weeks that both of them are resigning from the orchestra and moving away. Far away. This week I have been, to put it simply, sad.

And then yesterday, my co-worker stops me and says, "So, week after next is two horns, I'd rather play it, want it off?" And I thought about it, looked at the calendar, realized that if I worked out a few kinks I could get a full 11 days off work without losing but a few hundred pesos in pay. Next thing I know, I have a fairly cheap flight booked to Minneapolis, and many plans for my time back. I feel completely energized, looking forward to getting my time with family and friends that I missed out on this summer, and grateful for the realization that upon making plans to be in Minneapolis I could email 15+ people that I really want to see there.

So I'm feeling much better. Thinking about friendships and people, I am reflecting that I have in fact picked a fairly transitive career. I may not live in the same place for more than a few years in the next twenty years, depending on how it goes. But I do think I will meet a vast amount of fascinating people along the way. I also am thinking that the really great ones you never lose touch with as I email my best friend from age four, family friends from the same era, a friend from junior high, friends, my horn teacher, and band director from high school, college friends and an old co-worker. I am truly blessed for the unique individuals I have let into my life along the way. (And gracias a dios for email!)

Here's to two more of them, and all the adventures on which they are about to embark.