Today's soundtrack is Jazz Cartier: Fleurever. This fellow Canadian's major-label debut has gorgeous production, well-flowing lyricism, and lush soundscapes.
Today is the last day of summer break; tomorrow, the school year begins. Today's post will be a bit different from normal; this morning, I will pause and reflect on what I've accomplished in the past two months.
Completing a math course
I struggled with math in high school, and I finally went back to take a math course this summer. It was an intensive course - a full year's worth of math foundations and precalculus in one month. It was a lot of work, but it paid off: I completed the course with a 96% final grade.
Reading the Dune series
This one was quite the undertaking. I started the series back in December, and finally managed to finish Frank Herbert's six-part series in July. I read them consecutively as I didn't want to lose the flow of his work: he had so many interwoven plots and a myriad of characters who had nicknames and alternate names; if I had read other books between them, I likely would have needed to go back and re-read the previous book just to figure out where I left off. At his best, Herbert's work reveals interesting insights into world philosophy and religion; however, in some of his books, it felt like the plot was sacrificed for the sake of backstory and history. Overall, though, it was a great experience; I'm glad that I saw it through to the end.
Releasing a new album
I released my album that I've been working on for the past year, Cephalopod, Eater öv the Void. It's a Lovecraftian concept album about a cosmic cephalopod is slowly traversing the universe, devouring everything in its path, leaving only the void and madness in its wake. I feel like this release was a stepping stone on the path of self-actualization. I fell in love with heavy metal music the moment I first heard it, and over the years I've always enjoyed playing metal; I've written quite a few metal songs, but never felt like I had the chops or equipment to do the songs justice. So recording and releasing this album certainly was a step toward "the realization of [my] talents and abilities," which is the definition that Google brings up.
Family time
Last but not least, I've enjoyed spending time with my wife and kids this summer. We went on some nice outings to the water park, the library, and Stanley Park, and my wife and I were able to get away for a couple days without the kids thanks to my in-laws having the kids over. Also, for the first time in about six years, my dad and I went to the Abbotsford airshow.
All-in-all, it's been a great summer.
I look forward to seeing what this next year brings.