one foot in front of the other

It has certainly been a full few weeks. My days are long and jam-packed with one class, lesson, rehearsal after another. Every morning my alarm goes off at 5:00 and every evening ends at 10:00 or 11:00 with either opera rehearsal or homework, depending on the night. I am still getting used to my schedule, and I have come very close to completely forgetting someone's lesson or a rehearsal...more than a few times. But somehow, I always make it in time!
We received the full score for our opera on Monday and will be attempting a complete run-through tomorrow night. The composer will be present, so I am looking forward to being able to work with him and catch his vision for the work. I have learned about 10 of the 100 pages....so that's what I'll be doing all day tomorrow! The music is challenging, more so for the singers, than the pianist...so hopefully it won't take too long to learn.
I had planned on finishing up an ethnomusicology paper this evening, but I decided instead to take a bit of a respite. It's been a struggle to find the balance between work and rest. I have succeeded, thus far, in taking a complete Sabbath on Sundays. No practicing, no homework - nothing. It's been wonderful for mind, body and spirit. So I am hoping to keep that up.....we'll see if it's possible. But the fact of the matter is that I can't just live for Sundays- I have to have some amount of rest during the week as well. But I'm not sure what that looks like when my schedule is as full as it is.
There have been plenty ups and downs in the last few weeks...and now that I am pausing for a bit, I have the time to reflect them. Moments of encouragement and affirmation, and plenty of moments of frustration, discouragement and doubt, as I am continually reminded of how much I have to learn. But I am working hard to remind myself that this is why I am here. I don't know it all. I have so much room to grow. And I don't need to do it or know it all today.

This quote from Zen Guitar sums it up well:

"Do not feel overwhelmed by the length of the journey. All you ever need to do is focus on one thing: what you are doing. Stay on the path and put one foot in front of the other - that is all. There is joy in the struggle."