Our departure has finally arrived. Our bags are packed and the house is ready for renting. In case you haven’t heard, we will be living in Germany for three months this summer. My husband will work for a local institute, my kids will attend school, and I’ll figure out how to maintain my business without having access to it.
It’s a peculiar feeling to know that I’ll go three months without canvases or tubes of paint, without routing or sanding wood, and without wrapping things in bubble tape and shipping them off. There will be no openings, no meetings, no sales. Part of me wonders if I will feel untethered without these activities. But another part, a larger part, is looking forward to using this time as a reset. A great friend advised me from experience that every once in awhile, we all need a reset.
It will be a time to focus on just a few activities at once, instead of trying to do it all. All the time. I hope to take an art class at the local education center. I hope to go dancing again with my husband. I hope to snuggle more with my kids because I don’t have to go back into the garage at their bedtime to finish a project. I hope to spend time alone on long bike rides and hikes, being re-inspired by the world around me.
I will still share my experiences with you all, but not as often. I plan to write this blog every other week until I return. I’ll take you with me to some of the museums and galleries I visit. You will 
probably hear about the chocolate and brötchen. And I’ll 
raise a glass of Kölsch for you. Thanks for understanding while I take some time away to be with my family this summer. Bis bald!
Thanks,
Marla Bender
❤️