Home is so very many things, isn’t it?
To me, home is
Phoenix, where I’ll return next Saturday to hike Piestewa, search for luminarias, and cuddle my sweet nephews.
breakfast on my parent’s patio
Home is Seattle, even if I haven’t been back in over two years. Because part of my heart will always be there, with my people.
Home is New York, because I still get butterflies when I ride over the Manhattan Bridge and see the sun shining over the East River and lighting up our skyline.
Home is our new cozy little apartment in Brooklyn, and the comfort of living with a man and a cat that love you so damn much. A place you made together, in awe of how easy it is to cohabitate.
A place where we refill the French press twice on Saturdays, where the bed is always made (not my doing), where jazz on the record player is a given with pancakes,
and where we are beginning our own holiday traditions.
Home is also hOMe -
the first space to welcome you, before it even had a name.
Sacred Sounds felt like a community before it even began. When I first walked in, the floor was still covered in dust and there was no desk, no shelves, no props at all. But it was clearly something special, and that is entirely due to our owner, Stephanie Tang.
Our growth into a real home, a sacred space for many, has not been surprising. Stephanie is so genuinely good and warm-hearted (but also smart and knowledgeable), so dedicated, that I never wondered if she would see this through. She has always let me know that Sacred Sounds is my home both in her words and in her actions. She does the same for my fellow teachers and our incredible students – what would be going the extra mile for so many is simply Steph’s every day. Her intention was to create a community for all, and the manifestation of that was evident during our Anniversary Party last weekend.
The big studio was packed with students, teachers, employees and local businesses alike, all there to celebrate this place we made together. Looking around, my heart began to burst with gratitude -
for our students, old and new, and their growth I’ve been so privileged to witness.
For Annie, who two years ago was stuck doing her work-study during my summer kids yoga class and who, in the time since, has become a dear and close friend.
For our brilliant teachers, who share the unique experience, joys and challenges of this job, and who I am so lucky to learn from every day. I love that I can talk with Danielle about themes and intentions and dharma talks, or discuss sequencing with Fergus, or share the frustrations of figuring out health care with Deanna. Our lives are a little bit bananas, and having comrades in this same weird boat is really comforting.
Most of all, I am thankful for Stephanie. I am so grateful for her understanding, for her genuine concern for my health, my every day life, and my experience at Sacred Sounds. I am so lucky to have a boss who actively listens to both my work concerns and my inane daily activities. I am so grateful for her hard work in creating this special place.
When I moved to New York, I hoped for a place like this.
I hoped for a community but never imagined I would get this lucky.
Thank you (yes, you!) for the special place you have helped create just by being present.
I am forever grateful.
