Summer in Montana: Part 1

As some of you may know, I just returned from a three week trip to Montana. The purpose was to teach at a two-week theatre camp, but I was also able to spend some time with my family and catch up with friends in my home town. It was amazing. The entire trip. Every part of it felt so right. I learned so much about everything. About why I love Chicago, about why Montana will always be my home, about my family, and friends, and the things I truly missed while being gone. I re-learned why I love theatre so much, and gained a faith in humanity and future generations. I felt free. I felt absolutely in the moment, while simultaneously feeling retrospective. I wanted to hug everyone I met and tell them how beautiful they were, inside and out. I felt alive.

I'm having trouble processing everything I experienced because every time I do, I start to tear up. Mostly out of an overwhelming joy and gratefulness that I was able to do everything I did. But out of a little fear. Fear that I'm going to fall right back into my routine and everything I learned and all the ways I changed and grew will fall to the side and I'll be right back where I started. I think deep down, I don't think that will happen, but the fear wouldn't be real if it wasn't slightly irrational. I've determined part of the process is continuing my own personal education and applying these last three weeks to my life.

I've decided to post separate entries based on different parts of the trip. Three weeks is a long time, and I have a lot of words, so if I attempted one post, it would be real long. And, as many of us know, it's hard for internet folk to spend too much time on so many words without pictures or gifs. I'm not judging, I'm just saying.

I think that's all I'll say for this post. It will simply act as an introduction. I'll number the posts so you all can read them in order. Cause I would be annoyed if they weren't labeled and all the stories were jumbled and confusing. But I'm a labeler. Is that a word? The little red squiggly line is under it and there are no spelling suggestions, so I'm guessing not. However, squiggly is just fine... I would like to officially make "labeler" a word and have it forever used as one of my adjectives. "You know, Erin Claxton? Tall, curly hair, funny, a labeler." Hahaha. Labeler.