Undeterred, and in pursuit of an adventure, I decided to go it alone. I signed up for the conference, selected a workshop, booked flights and Air B&Bs, and smiled as my credit card bills came in reflecting the favorable conversion rate for the U.S. dollar. I left San Diego on a Sunday evening and woke up in Auckland Tuesday morning. Too early to check in to my accommodations, I headed straight to Monmouth Glass Studio.
Co-owner Isaac Katzoff and I had blown glass together for years in California and I was excited to finally see his studio and meet the rest of the team. It was a pleasure to hang out for a few hours watching Isaac, the exceptionally bearded Steve Bradbourne, and the vibrant Kate Rutecki craft the signature work for the production line of Monmouth Glass. The very next day the shop was a man short so they called me in to work with them and I was blowing glass in New Zealand! 

 

As a glassblower you can go anywhere in the world and easily fit into a team. Ours is a physical language. A gesture, a nod, a tapping of the shears...these are all forms of communication in a hot shop.
Then it was off to Whanganui! Six plus hours on the road, countless sheep and cows, the occasional alpaca, some pretty good roadside diner food and there we were. The hustle and bustle feel of Auckland melted into the serene charm of this town.

 

I typically go to GAS conferences which can be chaotic and frustrating. The more intimate Whanganui conference made it easy to attend the lectures, panels and demonstrations of your choosing. Topics presented were relevant and interesting and sparked many discussions later in the day. The social activities were top notch. Kicking things off with the Powhiri in the rain established a connection to the location, the people, and the history of Whanganui. From the day at the beach, with rustic glassblowing and the treasure hunt, to the stunning home, vistas, food, and entertainment of the closing party these guys did things RIGHT.
Following a day off to go Op shopping (we call it thrifting) workshop classes began. I signed up for glassblowing with master glassblower Rich Royal at New Zealand Glassworks - Te Whare Tuhua o Te Ao. I immediately loved this facility. Organized and accommodating; Scotty Redding runs a fantastic facility. The buoyant Philip Stokes and the scintillating Miss Katie Brown were our TAs, assisting students of all skill levels. Our class learned and laughed and bonded. I feel I've made new friends for life.

Thank you all.
I love you - Aroha ahau ki a koe.
Kathleen Mitchell