Sunshine and Olly

by Jonathan Blaustein

Hi Everybody, 

How’s it going?

I’m sure you’ve been wondering if I’m still alive?

Well, now you know.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you view fate,) I’m still living with my family in our little valley outside Taos. 

We never made it to California. 😦







We shot for the moon this past winter, trying to move to San Diego during a super-short time window. 

We aimed to wrap a twenty-year life here in a matter of weeks, and just couldn’t make it.

Yes, Lowes of Española had a lot to do with it. As did the pace of our renovations in general. 

Regardless, once Jessie and I accepted it wasn’t going to happen, (realistically,) we decided to let the dream die for the moment. 

“We’ll just move in June,” we said, “when school lets out,” instead of giving up. 

But things change. 






A week into the new year, our son Theo came to Jessie with a conundrum. 

He loves being the kicker on the Taos High School football team, (Go Tigers!) and didn’t feel comfortable doing his Senior year elsewhere, after Taos was all he’s known. 

His academic career here, along with his interests, have set him up well to attend a top college, and he didn’t want to mess with that. 

Jessie told me what he said, and we discussed it briefly. 

If you know anything about me, from having read this blog over the years, you’ll know my wife and children are the most important things in my world.

By far. And Jessie is the same.

(Though we love the doggies too, of course.)

Once Theo made the ask, we decided we’d do what we could to honor his request. 

But I couldn’t live in limbo anymore. 

What to do?









First, I reached out to my network here, to beat the bushes and see what my options were.

My UNM-Taos mentor recommended I consider teaching at the high or middle school level, as I might be able to get hired while I got credentialed. 

At a subsequent meeting with the Principal and Dean of Students at Taos High, I learned my MFA and 12 years teaching college likely qualified me for a license straight away.

They also offered me a position as a daily, utility substitute teacher, as soon as I could clear the background check hurdles. 

And so it’s come to pass.

After much research and paperwork, I’ve become a fully licensed teacher, endorsed to teach Social Studies and Visual Art at the 6-12 level.

I’ve applied for 3 full-time teaching jobs, and am working as a daily substitute teacher at Taos High School too.

So there you have it. 

When life circumstances change, we have to be flexible and strong enough to change with them. 

As much as Jessie and I wanted to leave Taos, at the moment, we’re recommitted. 

Having a regular, full-tine job after all these years as a freelancer has been an adjustment. 

(Mostly, I’ve enjoyed it.)

But staying open and flexible is difficult, and in the two days since I wrote the first draft of this blog, an interesting journalism job became available, so I'll apply for that too. 

As you can see, I've had a lot on my plate, but it was time to bring you along for the ride.

Or at least reaffirm I’m alive...and begin telling the story of how I got stuck (yet again) in the Land of Entrapment. 

Catch you next time!