Madison was not where I thought I would end up right out of college. In fact, I purposely avoided it in fear of being labeled "The kid who stayed in Wisconsin." However, when looking for work last summer, I applied for AmeriCorps gigs across America. For months I worried because I wasn't landing any interviews. So I expanded my search. Instead of primarily looking at Chicago, NYC, DC, Seattle, and San Francisco, I applied for Minneapolis, other larger cities in states I had never been to and *cringe* Milwaukee and Madison. It's not that I have anything against Wisconsin. I really don't. It was an awesome place for me- Stevens Point was one of the best decisions of my life thus far and I really grew as a singer, actress, and person here. Nice people. Amazing beer. Met some awesome people and even got a fiance out of the deal. But I knew all along that Wisconsin wasn't where I wanted to spend my life. I also feared being seen as a failure because I didn't go to New York right away.
Anyway- Once I expanded my search, interview requests started coming in. Madison was my first interview and I was offered the job the next day. I accepted and turned down all my other interviews.
It ended up being a good thing, overall. I was close enough to Ben so that we could see each other every couple of weeks. We got extremely close as I leaned on him for emotional support whenever I was down (which was a lot). He helped me through it all and I paid him back in love. October-March I would often end up in tears on the phone. Often times about money, often times about missing Ben or being lonely in general, and often times because I didn't feel fulfilled as an artist.
Occasionally, however, it seemed I would cry for no reason at all. And then I would feel nothing. I am almost positive I was in a depressive state of mind. Luckily, Ben was patient and I am an eternally optimistic person. So we both knew this state of mind would pass.
I enjoyed my AmeriCorps term and loved being a part of these students' lives. I love the feeling on having an impact on the life of another person (no matter how small the impact) and since I have the personality age of an 8 year old, it was a good fit.
I got into my first post college/post summerstock show. Four Season's cast me in their production of "She Loves Me" as a chorus member. It was a lot of fun, artistically satisfying and introduced me to some of the people in the Madison theatre world that I needed to know. I also got the chance to perform at The Bartell which was an amazing space to be able to perform in.
The holidays were spent with Ben's family and after the new year he and I took a trip to Colorado to spend time with me family. I accepted a job with Victoria's Secret and loved how busy it made me. I love a fast paced atmosphere.
February 23rd I got engaged on a cold Saturday morning surrounded by mounds of snow with flurries floating around us. From here, things started looking up. Slowly but surely.
I started wedding plans. Ben and I have started having a lot of fun with it. Vintage Fall Fun in Door County. It shall be amazing! We celebrated our 2 year anniversary in May and he gave me an amazing birthday experience kayaking and getting fancy tea.
I auditioned again. I got into Music Theatre of Madison's "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson." I met a local playwright who wanted me to be a part of a staged reading. I did the reading and it was a lot of fun! Then rehearsals for Bloody Bloody started. I really pushed myself to be more outgoing and talkative. It served me well because the cast was amazingly kind, fun, and supportive of one another. I haven't been this proud of a role/show/cast since "Playboy of the Western World" at UWSP. I can't gush about this experience enough. So fulfilling and wonderful.
Between engaged fun and Bloody Bloody fun, I felt myself getting back to ME. More enthusiasm, more energy. The summer brought me back to life and gave me the confidence boost I needed before heading to Chicago.
Madison taught me a lot about being lonely. It taught me a lot about life after college. It taught me to be my own entrepreneur. It taught me to seek out what makes me happy and fulfilled. It taught me to take better care of myself. It taught me a lot. But it is time to take what I learned and apply it to my future.
Excited for Chicago. And excited for more artistic endeavors. And excited for another year with Ben. The future looks bright, just have to keep my eyes on the prize.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
I really think that this might work...
After a very successful run including our extended weekend, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson came to a close last weekend. I was so thankful for a extra weekend of it. Not only did it keep me going and fulfilled my need (yes, need) to be onstage, it also gave me more time to be with all of these wonderful artists I met through this process. So much fun! I still haven't REALLY processed that it's over, mostly because I have been so busy since we closed. Here is a recap of our run!
Performances for BBAJ were always wild because it is one of those shows where the audience is CRUCIAL to the show. We fed off of their energy, laughter, shock, etc. BBAJ is also one of those shows where not every audience will laugh in the same places. Some nights there would be uproarious laughter in one spot and then the next night, nothing. You just never knew. It made doing the show every night fresh and exhilarating. The first weekend was a success as was the second weekend. Such a success that we got extended. I got to make out covered in chocolate blood every night. I got to live out my rock'n'roll fantasies by belting out into a microphone. I got to be the loving, but paranoid country wife of the crazed Andrew Jackson. I got to meet AMAZING people who will (hopefully) continue to be my friends and collaborators in the future. I got to be a part of the little show that could. A really random show that not a lot of Madison people had ever heard of. A bizarre, weird, but passionate piece of theatre that could have easily gone wrong, but instead- went SO SO right. And, I believe, not only inspired those of us involved, but also sparked interest of Madison theatre-goers and NON theatre-goers alike. My parents were in the audience on our Thursday performance. We had a Tony Award winner in the audience on our second Friday. A bunch of my friends came on various performances. It was just a plain old good time and I am ridiculously proud to have been a part of it. I am not allowing myself to listen to the recording for awhile because I know it will make me miss it and wish to be back at The Bartell performing. But I thank God I had this opportunity. It really filled me with joy and passion. I can't say enough good things about my experience with Music Theatre of Madison and our production of BBAJ.
When my parents came into town, we spent the day looking at wedding gowns for the first time. We ended up at this cute little boutique where a nice lady let me try on dress after dress. It was so much fun! The only problem- what to choose? Or should I keep looking? What do I want? The four dresses that I really liked are all COMPLETELY different from one another. This is what happens when you are indecisive. It was wonderful to see my parents and I wish I could have spent more time with them.
Ben came to what was supposed to be our final performance. I just love spending time with him. He makes me instantly happy. How does he have such superpowers?
Now, I am all moved out of my Madison house and am couch surfing for the work week until my last day on Friday. Then, I will spend a few days in Point with Ben before moving to Chicago with Cheyanne (an old buddy from my Casper College days) and Matt (a new friend I found via Madison theatre).
Excited AND scared.
Performances for BBAJ were always wild because it is one of those shows where the audience is CRUCIAL to the show. We fed off of their energy, laughter, shock, etc. BBAJ is also one of those shows where not every audience will laugh in the same places. Some nights there would be uproarious laughter in one spot and then the next night, nothing. You just never knew. It made doing the show every night fresh and exhilarating. The first weekend was a success as was the second weekend. Such a success that we got extended. I got to make out covered in chocolate blood every night. I got to live out my rock'n'roll fantasies by belting out into a microphone. I got to be the loving, but paranoid country wife of the crazed Andrew Jackson. I got to meet AMAZING people who will (hopefully) continue to be my friends and collaborators in the future. I got to be a part of the little show that could. A really random show that not a lot of Madison people had ever heard of. A bizarre, weird, but passionate piece of theatre that could have easily gone wrong, but instead- went SO SO right. And, I believe, not only inspired those of us involved, but also sparked interest of Madison theatre-goers and NON theatre-goers alike. My parents were in the audience on our Thursday performance. We had a Tony Award winner in the audience on our second Friday. A bunch of my friends came on various performances. It was just a plain old good time and I am ridiculously proud to have been a part of it. I am not allowing myself to listen to the recording for awhile because I know it will make me miss it and wish to be back at The Bartell performing. But I thank God I had this opportunity. It really filled me with joy and passion. I can't say enough good things about my experience with Music Theatre of Madison and our production of BBAJ.
When my parents came into town, we spent the day looking at wedding gowns for the first time. We ended up at this cute little boutique where a nice lady let me try on dress after dress. It was so much fun! The only problem- what to choose? Or should I keep looking? What do I want? The four dresses that I really liked are all COMPLETELY different from one another. This is what happens when you are indecisive. It was wonderful to see my parents and I wish I could have spent more time with them.
Ben came to what was supposed to be our final performance. I just love spending time with him. He makes me instantly happy. How does he have such superpowers?
Now, I am all moved out of my Madison house and am couch surfing for the work week until my last day on Friday. Then, I will spend a few days in Point with Ben before moving to Chicago with Cheyanne (an old buddy from my Casper College days) and Matt (a new friend I found via Madison theatre).
Excited AND scared.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Where does the time go?
"Where does the time go?"- a simple, hilarious line from Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, but one that has struck a chord with me recently. So much has happened in the last month. It truly is insane. But I am happier because of it. Here's the lowdown-
WORK WORK WORK!
Up until this week, I have been putting in as many hours as I possibly can at Victoria's Secret. You know- to make as much as I possibly can before moving. I enjoy it, though! Each day brings new challenges, but I am finding my way through them all. I really hope transferring works out for me. Keep yo' fingers crossed, ya'll!
When I am not working at Victoria Secret, I am usually either-
A. Attempting to put in more hours with AmeriCorps to finish up. (Key word- ATTEMPTING).
B. Enjoying a few hours off here or there with coffee, working out, reading, and/or going to a park/lake.
C. Attempting to see/hang out with friends both old and new in the Madison/Wisconsin area. (Again- Key word is ATTEMPTING)
D. Rehearsing for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
E. Attempting to make my moving arrangements
F. Attempting to make wedding arrangements
G. Hanging out with Ben
Basically- ALL OF THE THINGS!
Went to Ben's 10 year high school reunion. Which was weird, but good. Met a lot of people. Listened to many stories. But, I did pretty well. I usually get terrible pains of social anxiety at gatherings such as these. It really depends on my mood as well as the vibes I get from my surroundings and the other people around me. But, all things considered, I was relatively social anxiety free. Eventually, Ben and I decided to call it an early night and decided to rent a movie to end our night. It was a lovely weekend in Sturgeon Bay.
Rehearsals for BBAJ have definitely been one of the highlights of my summer. I really enjoy everyone in the cast and consider it such a blessing to be a part of the show. Again- I really pushed myself to be as social as possible and to really branch out, letting my personality show quicker than I normally would. I made it a point to sit somewhere different every night and try to talk to/ get to know a different cast member or two every night. This strategy worked pretty well and I feel at ease with the cast. Every day, I look forward to rehearsal and every night I come home with a post-rehearsal high and a happy heart. Happy to be doing what I love.We are now in the middle of tech week and OPEN THIS FRIDAY!!!! AH! The MOST excited!
I went up to Point last week to participate in a master class for an interview candidate for the head of the musical theatre program there. It was refreshing to be back in that atmosphere, even for just a few hours. It was enjoyable for me and I really challenged myself to do songs that were in a difficult range. It was also nice to spend a little time with Ben.
I turned 25 last weekend. I enjoyed a nice, relaxed weekend with Ben. On Saturday, Ben arrived from Stevens Point. We ate lunch, walked around the zoo for a little bit, then went KAYAKING! I had been looking forward to kayaking all summer and I hope to go one or two more times before leaving Madison. So relaxing and SO MUCH FUN! After that, we walked around some shops on Monroe Street before heading home for a little while. Ben took a nap while I sent some emails. Then we ran a few errands before having a yummy birthday dinner at Red Lobster. The next day, we got coffee and then created a prop for BBAJ. Ben is an artist, so I volunteered his artistic abilities for this silly, difficult prop. It was fun for me to watch him in artist-mode. Next, it was lunch and walking around the mall whee Ben got me my birthday gift- A tea waterbottle and fancy tea leaves from Tea-Vana. I had a little break down at how expensive it was, but Ben assured me that he wanted to treat me for my birthday. He is too sweet sometimes.
Welp- that's about it for now! More to come in the next coming weeks. If you are in the Madison/Wisconsin area- you should totally see Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson! It shall be EPIC!
WORK WORK WORK!
Up until this week, I have been putting in as many hours as I possibly can at Victoria's Secret. You know- to make as much as I possibly can before moving. I enjoy it, though! Each day brings new challenges, but I am finding my way through them all. I really hope transferring works out for me. Keep yo' fingers crossed, ya'll!
When I am not working at Victoria Secret, I am usually either-
A. Attempting to put in more hours with AmeriCorps to finish up. (Key word- ATTEMPTING).
B. Enjoying a few hours off here or there with coffee, working out, reading, and/or going to a park/lake.
C. Attempting to see/hang out with friends both old and new in the Madison/Wisconsin area. (Again- Key word is ATTEMPTING)
D. Rehearsing for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
E. Attempting to make my moving arrangements
F. Attempting to make wedding arrangements
G. Hanging out with Ben
Basically- ALL OF THE THINGS!
Went to Ben's 10 year high school reunion. Which was weird, but good. Met a lot of people. Listened to many stories. But, I did pretty well. I usually get terrible pains of social anxiety at gatherings such as these. It really depends on my mood as well as the vibes I get from my surroundings and the other people around me. But, all things considered, I was relatively social anxiety free. Eventually, Ben and I decided to call it an early night and decided to rent a movie to end our night. It was a lovely weekend in Sturgeon Bay.
Rehearsals for BBAJ have definitely been one of the highlights of my summer. I really enjoy everyone in the cast and consider it such a blessing to be a part of the show. Again- I really pushed myself to be as social as possible and to really branch out, letting my personality show quicker than I normally would. I made it a point to sit somewhere different every night and try to talk to/ get to know a different cast member or two every night. This strategy worked pretty well and I feel at ease with the cast. Every day, I look forward to rehearsal and every night I come home with a post-rehearsal high and a happy heart. Happy to be doing what I love.We are now in the middle of tech week and OPEN THIS FRIDAY!!!! AH! The MOST excited!
I went up to Point last week to participate in a master class for an interview candidate for the head of the musical theatre program there. It was refreshing to be back in that atmosphere, even for just a few hours. It was enjoyable for me and I really challenged myself to do songs that were in a difficult range. It was also nice to spend a little time with Ben.
I turned 25 last weekend. I enjoyed a nice, relaxed weekend with Ben. On Saturday, Ben arrived from Stevens Point. We ate lunch, walked around the zoo for a little bit, then went KAYAKING! I had been looking forward to kayaking all summer and I hope to go one or two more times before leaving Madison. So relaxing and SO MUCH FUN! After that, we walked around some shops on Monroe Street before heading home for a little while. Ben took a nap while I sent some emails. Then we ran a few errands before having a yummy birthday dinner at Red Lobster. The next day, we got coffee and then created a prop for BBAJ. Ben is an artist, so I volunteered his artistic abilities for this silly, difficult prop. It was fun for me to watch him in artist-mode. Next, it was lunch and walking around the mall whee Ben got me my birthday gift- A tea waterbottle and fancy tea leaves from Tea-Vana. I had a little break down at how expensive it was, but Ben assured me that he wanted to treat me for my birthday. He is too sweet sometimes.
Welp- that's about it for now! More to come in the next coming weeks. If you are in the Madison/Wisconsin area- you should totally see Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson! It shall be EPIC!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Officially Summer
It is officially summer, you guys! And I am officially busy!
The beginning of June flew by like nobody's business. The final weeks of school at Hawthorne were relatively quiet and I just kept chugging along- revising the volunteer orientation materials as well as making a tip sheet for future AmeriCorps members. School ended yesterday and everybody (including teachers and the principal) were kicked out as of 3:00 pm on the last day of school so they could begin renovations (FYI- we still had kids that day and school lets out at 2:30....um...impossible, much?). Insanity! So now, I am working from the MSCR main location until summer programming begins and I can log in hours by volunteering at those sites. I still need to make up quite a few hours, but....I will get there!
Victoria Secret kept being fun and I am officially Bra Certified! This means that I can work in the Fitting Rooms and actually help women find their perfect size and bras that work best for their shape/needs. It is actually really fun. I've gotten a lot of pregnant women in my first few days in the Fitting Rooms and I am sure I will encounter lots of other fascinating situations. I knew that as an actor I would need experience in Retail/Food Industry for between project jobs. Well- I really hit the jackpot for this being my first retail job. Victoria Secret has been an AMAZING place to work so far. I really do love it. And thank God for that!
Ben and I have continued wedding planning. We've settled on a venue for ceremony/reception and we've asked 7 out of 10 people to be in our wedding party. More detailed updates on this to come soon on my Wedding Planning Blog! Here: http://adventurepartnersinlove.blogspot.com/
Two weekends ago, Ben and I traveled down to Chicago to celebrate his mom's birthday. Cynthia, her fiance Larry, Maggie, Ben and I spent Saturday down by Navy Pier enjoying the weather and Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. We then went to Grant Park for Chicago Blues Festival. The event was free and SO MUCH FUN! Some really great music going on. I also got the chance to see my friend Amber down there and talk about theatre and moving to Chicago and stuff like that. The next day, we toured Cynthia and Larry's townhouse that they are closing on, had a yummy brunch, and went for a walk around an outdoor mall. Cynthia purchased our first wedding items: headbands for the flower girls! They are pretty adorable.
I have occupied the rest of my time (you know, when I'm not working two jobs) with theatrical endeavors. A group of friends and I are going to put on a staged reading that my friend wrote. We rehearse this week and perform on Thursday. I'm excited! It is a stage adaptation of Chekhov's short story "The Grasshopper." I also started rehearsing for "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" on Sunday. I couldn't be more excited! Just two rehearsals in and I can already tell what a blast this show will be. Maybe I am just artistically frustrated from months of boredom, I dunno. But, I really think it is just the fact that this will be an AWESOME show. So far, we've only done Rachel/Andrew stuff, but next week we start working with the rest of the cast. Excited to meet them and work with them all.
I also got to have dinner with an old friend of mine from Casper. He is originally from Wisconsin and moved back here after his time in Casper. Well- we have been in the same state for, like, 4 years and have never seen each other. Finally, I had to make it happen. Ryan and I plan to have more sushi dates this summer. :) Hooray for friends!
Ben update: He is enjoying his new job at Menards. I think it has been a lot less stressful for him, but still challenging as he needs to learn about all the products and such. He enjoys playing softball on Tuesdays and Sundays and acting as Assistant Coach for the team. He's still DJing on the side. At the end of the month, Ben will have his 10-year High School Reunion! Um....weird! But I shall go along and be by his side as his fiancee-lady.
Trying not to rush the summer, but still getting antsy for my move come August. Cheyanne and I have had many-a skype session and I am just ready to begin a new chapter. However, I must remember to cherish this time and this place of my life. I am sure I will once "Bloody" rehearsals really get going. Lots of excitement in these parts!
The beginning of June flew by like nobody's business. The final weeks of school at Hawthorne were relatively quiet and I just kept chugging along- revising the volunteer orientation materials as well as making a tip sheet for future AmeriCorps members. School ended yesterday and everybody (including teachers and the principal) were kicked out as of 3:00 pm on the last day of school so they could begin renovations (FYI- we still had kids that day and school lets out at 2:30....um...impossible, much?). Insanity! So now, I am working from the MSCR main location until summer programming begins and I can log in hours by volunteering at those sites. I still need to make up quite a few hours, but....I will get there!
Victoria Secret kept being fun and I am officially Bra Certified! This means that I can work in the Fitting Rooms and actually help women find their perfect size and bras that work best for their shape/needs. It is actually really fun. I've gotten a lot of pregnant women in my first few days in the Fitting Rooms and I am sure I will encounter lots of other fascinating situations. I knew that as an actor I would need experience in Retail/Food Industry for between project jobs. Well- I really hit the jackpot for this being my first retail job. Victoria Secret has been an AMAZING place to work so far. I really do love it. And thank God for that!
Ben and I have continued wedding planning. We've settled on a venue for ceremony/reception and we've asked 7 out of 10 people to be in our wedding party. More detailed updates on this to come soon on my Wedding Planning Blog! Here: http://adventurepartnersinlove.blogspot.com/
Two weekends ago, Ben and I traveled down to Chicago to celebrate his mom's birthday. Cynthia, her fiance Larry, Maggie, Ben and I spent Saturday down by Navy Pier enjoying the weather and Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. We then went to Grant Park for Chicago Blues Festival. The event was free and SO MUCH FUN! Some really great music going on. I also got the chance to see my friend Amber down there and talk about theatre and moving to Chicago and stuff like that. The next day, we toured Cynthia and Larry's townhouse that they are closing on, had a yummy brunch, and went for a walk around an outdoor mall. Cynthia purchased our first wedding items: headbands for the flower girls! They are pretty adorable.
I have occupied the rest of my time (you know, when I'm not working two jobs) with theatrical endeavors. A group of friends and I are going to put on a staged reading that my friend wrote. We rehearse this week and perform on Thursday. I'm excited! It is a stage adaptation of Chekhov's short story "The Grasshopper." I also started rehearsing for "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" on Sunday. I couldn't be more excited! Just two rehearsals in and I can already tell what a blast this show will be. Maybe I am just artistically frustrated from months of boredom, I dunno. But, I really think it is just the fact that this will be an AWESOME show. So far, we've only done Rachel/Andrew stuff, but next week we start working with the rest of the cast. Excited to meet them and work with them all.
I also got to have dinner with an old friend of mine from Casper. He is originally from Wisconsin and moved back here after his time in Casper. Well- we have been in the same state for, like, 4 years and have never seen each other. Finally, I had to make it happen. Ryan and I plan to have more sushi dates this summer. :) Hooray for friends!
Ben update: He is enjoying his new job at Menards. I think it has been a lot less stressful for him, but still challenging as he needs to learn about all the products and such. He enjoys playing softball on Tuesdays and Sundays and acting as Assistant Coach for the team. He's still DJing on the side. At the end of the month, Ben will have his 10-year High School Reunion! Um....weird! But I shall go along and be by his side as his fiancee-lady.
Trying not to rush the summer, but still getting antsy for my move come August. Cheyanne and I have had many-a skype session and I am just ready to begin a new chapter. However, I must remember to cherish this time and this place of my life. I am sure I will once "Bloody" rehearsals really get going. Lots of excitement in these parts!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
The "Calm" Before The Storm
The last few weeks have been busy, but I know that right now is calm compared to what my summer is going to look like. In fact, just today things are looking a lot busier for the summer.
I went to Point to see "The Great Gatsby" with Ben one night. It was a fun little date night. Since then, I have listened to the soundtrack on Spotify about a dozen times. It was a really good movie. I would definitely recommend it.
Lots of work. Sometimes bad days, sometimes good days. It just depends. Same old, same old.
Ben started a new job with Menards! I am probably waaaaay more excited than Ben is about it. But I am just so happy about it! The company has a lot more in terms of advancement than his old job, plus transfer opportunities into Chicago. I finally feel like plans to make the Chicago transition are coming into place for the both of us. I couldn't be more excited about it. Plus, I am proud of Ben for taking these career steps. It's all good!
I have been working out a lot more than before. Doing a lot of abs, cardio, and some running/jogging. I want to do the color run in Milwaukee in August. And I don't want to be walking most of the way. Not even half of the way. Not even a third of the way! Hopefully I will be able to get that endurance.
I have been having crazy skin problems lately. Lots of itchy, red, dry, rash-like spots. I am not sure what is causing this and it is really weird-ing me out. Sorry if this is TMI. I like to share. :)
Ben and I went to Door County last Tuesday and had a lovely day looking at possible wedding venues. It was fun, relaxed, and the weather behaved for us (even though we thought it was going to rain all day, it only rained for about 10 minutes in mid-afternoon). I wished that day could have lasted forever. Hopefully, that means it will be the same on our wedding day. More details on this trip to be posted on my wedding blog sometime in the nearish future.
When I got back into Madison, I checked my email to find even MORE opportunities for my summer including modeling and acting. I know I will say "yes" to the acting opportunities, but I will need to figure out a way to fit some modeling in, hopefully. The extra $$ would be helpful. But, then again- more responsibility and lots of scheduling hoops to jump through. I dunno.
Putting things into place to go full time with Victoria Secret this summer. It will be a little bit of a pay cut because I will no longer have income from AmeriCorps. I am honestly contemplating doing some couch surfing in July so I don't have to pay rent for that month. It certainly would be nice. Because I certainly can't get another part time job, because rehearsal will be my part time job. :)
Having car issues, which is not good. I am sosososososo ready to be DONE with having a car. I know Ben is going to want his car in Chicago. And that will be fine- to have one car between the two of us. But I absolutely CANNOT have a car on my own in Chicago. Too much money between parking, maintenance, and getting it registered and whatnot. Number 1- I can't afford it. Number 2- I am just annoyed with having to have a car. I enjoy my occasional drives and such, but...it will be nice to not have to worry about it anymore.
Not too much else going on. Life is kind of boring at the moment. But promises of excitement hang in the air.
I went to Point to see "The Great Gatsby" with Ben one night. It was a fun little date night. Since then, I have listened to the soundtrack on Spotify about a dozen times. It was a really good movie. I would definitely recommend it.
Lots of work. Sometimes bad days, sometimes good days. It just depends. Same old, same old.
Ben started a new job with Menards! I am probably waaaaay more excited than Ben is about it. But I am just so happy about it! The company has a lot more in terms of advancement than his old job, plus transfer opportunities into Chicago. I finally feel like plans to make the Chicago transition are coming into place for the both of us. I couldn't be more excited about it. Plus, I am proud of Ben for taking these career steps. It's all good!
I have been working out a lot more than before. Doing a lot of abs, cardio, and some running/jogging. I want to do the color run in Milwaukee in August. And I don't want to be walking most of the way. Not even half of the way. Not even a third of the way! Hopefully I will be able to get that endurance.
I have been having crazy skin problems lately. Lots of itchy, red, dry, rash-like spots. I am not sure what is causing this and it is really weird-ing me out. Sorry if this is TMI. I like to share. :)
Ben and I went to Door County last Tuesday and had a lovely day looking at possible wedding venues. It was fun, relaxed, and the weather behaved for us (even though we thought it was going to rain all day, it only rained for about 10 minutes in mid-afternoon). I wished that day could have lasted forever. Hopefully, that means it will be the same on our wedding day. More details on this trip to be posted on my wedding blog sometime in the nearish future.
When I got back into Madison, I checked my email to find even MORE opportunities for my summer including modeling and acting. I know I will say "yes" to the acting opportunities, but I will need to figure out a way to fit some modeling in, hopefully. The extra $$ would be helpful. But, then again- more responsibility and lots of scheduling hoops to jump through. I dunno.
Putting things into place to go full time with Victoria Secret this summer. It will be a little bit of a pay cut because I will no longer have income from AmeriCorps. I am honestly contemplating doing some couch surfing in July so I don't have to pay rent for that month. It certainly would be nice. Because I certainly can't get another part time job, because rehearsal will be my part time job. :)
Having car issues, which is not good. I am sosososososo ready to be DONE with having a car. I know Ben is going to want his car in Chicago. And that will be fine- to have one car between the two of us. But I absolutely CANNOT have a car on my own in Chicago. Too much money between parking, maintenance, and getting it registered and whatnot. Number 1- I can't afford it. Number 2- I am just annoyed with having to have a car. I enjoy my occasional drives and such, but...it will be nice to not have to worry about it anymore.
Not too much else going on. Life is kind of boring at the moment. But promises of excitement hang in the air.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Warm and Sunny Days!!!
Warm and sunny days are finally here to stay! It was a terrible spring, but now that it is warm...it is REALLY warm. Not complaining here, I love the warm weather.
The rest of April was relatively easy and fun. Lots of wedding talk, lots of working. My part time job at Victoria Secret is going REALLY well. And, again, no one is as surprised as I am about that. I am really starting to get into my groove, learning more about the business and about bra technology, and enjoying the social aspect of it. My hard work is paying off too! I am going to get more hours over the summer and am starting bra certification this week! I also got to do the Beauty Meeting, which only select associates got to go to. I am enjoying all the learning going on and I believe that I am putting myself in a good spot for rehire in Chicago come August. Like any job, there are the negatives as well. But I am really having fun and that is important. Plus, it will mean I will have a job pretty much right away when I move. That is important.
I am also making some plans to hopefully do a play reading and possibly even a short film festival over the summer in addition to my being in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. We'll see, but the plans and the people to make it happen are there.
More wedding talk and planning has happened. We settled on our date: September 20, 2014. We have started asking people to be in our wedding party. I have contacted 4/5 of my bridesmaids and my flower girls and Ben has contacted 2/5 of his groomsmen. We'll get around to the remaining people eventually. It's a timing thing more than anything else. It's fun, though! I have been itching to ask people to be part of the wedding party for weeks. So I am happy to finally be able to do so.
Ben and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary on May 2nd. He came down this weekend for us to spend time together. And though I had to work 7 hours on Saturday and then another 4 on Sunday, we still found time to do some fun things to celebrate. We exchanged gifts and went to a fun little pizza place near my house in Madison that has vintage arcade games that we enjoyed playing. (Vintage meaning ORIGINAL Pacman, Donkey Kong, DigDug, Mario....good stuff!) Ben also just randomly showed up at the mall during my shift later that day and I just happened to be able to go on my 30 minute break at that time. So we had dinner in the food court together during my break. It was a nice coincidence. When I got home, we went to The Malthouse. We had been wanting to go there since I moved to Madison because we heard they had a huge beer selection. We went, tried new things, had some good chats together...it was nice. I felt really quite perfect just being there with him in the moment. Happiness. The next day, we just relaxed around my house before I had to go to work and Ben had to go back to Point. He is playing on a softball team and it was their first game. They won! Anyway- it was a nice weekend, indeed.
Ben's mom, Cynthia, and her boyfriend Larry got engaged about 2 weeks ago, too. Happiness and excitement abounds! They also just closed on a condo in Chicago, so that's also awesome! Ben has some exciting job news, but I am going to wait to explain about it for awhile. But, let's just say, I am SO SO excited!
Now, I am just enjoying the beautiful weather and try to get out as much as I possibly can! Summer is my season!
In other events: I need to work out. Now that it is nice, this is GOING TO HAPPEN! I can't wait to get to Chicago. Seriously, I get more and more excited every day. And, as always, student loans suck, but I have paid more than my minimum payment every time. So, hopefully when I am poor in Chicago, my payment will at least be a little less.
The rest of April was relatively easy and fun. Lots of wedding talk, lots of working. My part time job at Victoria Secret is going REALLY well. And, again, no one is as surprised as I am about that. I am really starting to get into my groove, learning more about the business and about bra technology, and enjoying the social aspect of it. My hard work is paying off too! I am going to get more hours over the summer and am starting bra certification this week! I also got to do the Beauty Meeting, which only select associates got to go to. I am enjoying all the learning going on and I believe that I am putting myself in a good spot for rehire in Chicago come August. Like any job, there are the negatives as well. But I am really having fun and that is important. Plus, it will mean I will have a job pretty much right away when I move. That is important.
I am also making some plans to hopefully do a play reading and possibly even a short film festival over the summer in addition to my being in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. We'll see, but the plans and the people to make it happen are there.
More wedding talk and planning has happened. We settled on our date: September 20, 2014. We have started asking people to be in our wedding party. I have contacted 4/5 of my bridesmaids and my flower girls and Ben has contacted 2/5 of his groomsmen. We'll get around to the remaining people eventually. It's a timing thing more than anything else. It's fun, though! I have been itching to ask people to be part of the wedding party for weeks. So I am happy to finally be able to do so.
Ben and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary on May 2nd. He came down this weekend for us to spend time together. And though I had to work 7 hours on Saturday and then another 4 on Sunday, we still found time to do some fun things to celebrate. We exchanged gifts and went to a fun little pizza place near my house in Madison that has vintage arcade games that we enjoyed playing. (Vintage meaning ORIGINAL Pacman, Donkey Kong, DigDug, Mario....good stuff!) Ben also just randomly showed up at the mall during my shift later that day and I just happened to be able to go on my 30 minute break at that time. So we had dinner in the food court together during my break. It was a nice coincidence. When I got home, we went to The Malthouse. We had been wanting to go there since I moved to Madison because we heard they had a huge beer selection. We went, tried new things, had some good chats together...it was nice. I felt really quite perfect just being there with him in the moment. Happiness. The next day, we just relaxed around my house before I had to go to work and Ben had to go back to Point. He is playing on a softball team and it was their first game. They won! Anyway- it was a nice weekend, indeed.
Ben's mom, Cynthia, and her boyfriend Larry got engaged about 2 weeks ago, too. Happiness and excitement abounds! They also just closed on a condo in Chicago, so that's also awesome! Ben has some exciting job news, but I am going to wait to explain about it for awhile. But, let's just say, I am SO SO excited!
Now, I am just enjoying the beautiful weather and try to get out as much as I possibly can! Summer is my season!
In other events: I need to work out. Now that it is nice, this is GOING TO HAPPEN! I can't wait to get to Chicago. Seriously, I get more and more excited every day. And, as always, student loans suck, but I have paid more than my minimum payment every time. So, hopefully when I am poor in Chicago, my payment will at least be a little less.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Sickness and Auditions= Spring???
Spring? Is that you?
Yesterday was the first day that I
really REALLY feel like it was spring. The sun was out, I only needed a
light sweater to walk outside, and I genuinely thought "today is a
beautiful day." Too bad Mother Nature's mood swings has got me sick
again. At least- that is what I think is causing all of this.
This is the fourth time since the beginning of
February that I feel sick. The first time was the worst- doctor's
appointments, staying home from work, bruising of muscles around my ribs
from all the coughing. It was terrible. After some anti-biotics, I
finally started to feel like myself. And then, about 2 weeks later I
began to feel icky again. This time, not quite as bad. But still enough
to make me sluggish and have trouble eating and sleeping. About 2 weeks
after recovering from that, I started to feel sick AGAIN! A little bit
tamer than the two times prior, probably because I decided to "nip it in
the bud" by making sure I took Nyquil every night and Dayquil everyday.
This third round only lasted a few days. And then I started to feel
better. And it lasted for longer than 2 weeks this time. And I thought I
was in the clear.
And then Saturday night came. I spent the evening
relaxing after work and preparing for an audition I had the next day. I
got my music ready, I got my resume ready, I practiced, everything felt
good. I went to sleep that night and woke up in the middle of the night.
My mouth was dry and my throat was sore. I thought maybe I had just
worked my voice too much and it was retaliating against me. But when I
woke up and saw it was snowing outside and hours later I still felt like
sickness was going to overcome me soon, I knew I was in for round 4.
And I am pretty sure I can blame it on Mother Nature's mood swings. I
went to work at VS for a few hours and then jotted over to
auditions/callbacks.
So, I was nervous for my audition because of this
little tinge of sick I had, but luckily my voice held out for me. That's
what good training does- makes your voice strong so that it will come
through for you! And luckily, I didn't have too many nervous jitters.
Sometimes, I get really really nervous and I begin to shake during
auditions. But this time, I just felt confident and felt "in the
moment." It was good. Really good. It was the shortest
audition/callback/casting of my LIFE! My audition/callback lasted less
than an hour (this is INCLUDING other people's callbacks as well). And
then an hour later, I got the call that I was cast. I have to hand it to
Music Theatre of Madison. They don't mess around! And I appreciate it!
So this summer, I will be playing Rachel in "Bloody Bloody Andrew
Jackson."
I am excited to be in a show again, but I am even MORE
excited that it is a rock musical. Also- I am excited that it is a
substantial role where I really get to sing the music in the show. I
didn't get to be in RENT when they did it at Point and I played an adult
in Spring Awakening, so I didn't really get to sing any of that awesome
angsty stuff. This time around, I get to sing, I get to dance, I get a
juicy and interesting role...it's gonna be good.
In other news- I got my taxes done, made sure Ben got his
done, and have been working a lot. I really hope that the work pays off
and puts me in a good situation come moving time.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Life In The Fast Lane- Part 3: Beyond
So....what do you do after you get engaged? I can't speak for the rest of you, but Ben and I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon- just the two of us. We went to the antique store we love so much and had a yummy lunch at Graffiti's. We also ran a few errands so I wouldn't be as worried about all the stuff I had to do. We just enjoyed each other's company. I only allowed about 15 minutes of wedding talk at lunch. The rest of the afternoon was just spent enjoying and celebrating our engagement before making all the necessary phone calls.
So, we started doing just that- making the phone calls. Of course- my parents were expecting a call that weekend since Ben had called them on Thursday about it. I called siblings next and then Grandparents and a few other extended family members. And then best friends. Ben and I also went to his Grandma's birthday party, which made it an easy announcement for his Dad's side of the family. After the birthday party, we went to Pete's and celebrated with some of Ben's friends. And then we visited a couple of my Stevens Point friends to tell them in person.
It really is amazing how many people want to know the when, where, and how's of what the wedding will be RIGHT after you get engaged. I mean- it is maybe the third or fourth question after the typical engagement questions like "How did he do it?" and "Was it a surprise?" Next comes "So- when's the big day?" I was okay answering this for my close family and friends. But after awhile, it gets exhausting. I tried to keep most of the wedding talk to a minimum because just getting engaged should be a celebration! (For those of you who don't know any wedding plans...keep scrolling and/or reading....some details will be included below)
The next day was spent together. Again- celebrating and lots of phone calls. But also, me working. Culture Night was only two days away!!! EEKS! So Monday morning, I left Stevens Point to go back to Madison. But this time, as an engaged woman.
I keep looking down at my ring, even over a month later. I love it. It is made by a jewelry designer on Etsy called Enzo Luccati. I have been admiring the rings on that site for about a year now. They acquire diamonds via The Kimberly Process which is a conflict-free diamond source- meaning that it is a real, natural diamond but not a blood diamond. Also- the designer does not cut or polish these diamonds. They are in their rough state. However, still very sparkly and very beautiful. I mean- I think they are prettier than cut and polished diamonds because they are unique and real and natural. The band is silver and is handcrafted. Somebody designed and made this themselves instead of a machine pumping out cookie cutter rings. Anyway- the band is very unique and simple, yet elegant. I love my ring. And I love Ben for knowing me so well.
Culture Night was stressful, but all in all a success. We had Capoeira, we had Salsa and Bachata dancing, we had storytellers galore, we had singers and dancers, yoga, poetry workshops, everything! And lots of food too. So, while I am sure my stress levels were through the roof, it ended up going over pretty well. As did my midterm evaluation. I was super nervous about it, but most of my scores were pretty good and that's all I can ask for.
March came and I started training for my new part time job at Victoria Secret. Now, before any of you judgy-mcjudgersons start giving me all the reasons why Victoria Secret is a terrible company, let me just tell you some of the good that came out of this. For one- I am hired and they are hiring even more people too. The company seems to be doing well and in an economy like this a girl has got to take work when she can find it. Also- they hired me with no previous retail experience. I have been applying for retail and food industry jobs since HIGH SCHOOL and no one ever hired me. Mostly, I think, because I didn't have any experience. Well- how are you supposed to get experience if you don't get hired somewhere? Third of all- I really like it! I was unsure at first. I was hesitant to even apply. What would people think if I worked at this place? I had bought a total of ONE bra there before. This is mostly because I had a lot of preconceived opinions about the company as well. However, the managers and other coworkers were kind and accepting. They have been very patient with me as I learn how to do this job. And I honestly love when I can help people find just what they were looking for. Do I agree with some of their marketing? No. I do NOT think 13 year old girls should wear underwear with "Party Girl" printed on the back (or other silly words, for that matter). However, I can't blame them- there is clearly a market for it. Otherwise, I don't think it would exist. I can guarantee you- over 60% of the girls under age 18 that come into the store are there with their mother or some other adult figure. It is not entirely the company's fault- it is also a parenting issue.
But- off my soapbox- it is a really great job. There have been a few moments where it has been difficult (angry customers, not knowing everything about everything yet, busy cash registers). However, my managers are kind and friendly people and are very open and willing to help. Basically- I am happy to have this job and they treat their employees and their customers VERY well.
Ben's mother, Cynthia, and her boyfriend Larry came up from Chicago at the beginning of March to spend a weekend with Ben and I and celebrate the engagement. They rented a hotel room, so we were able to enjoy the hot tub/ pool while talking wedding stuff as well as other things. Ben also had gotten a tattoo a few days after we were engaged. It is really pretty- a beautiful twisted tree on his bicep. So, we had fun seeing the reaction his mother had to it. :) It was a fun weekend and I even kind of learned to play pool. (Emphasis on the KIND OF).
Cynthia brought us a gift of champagne and candles with candle holders that she bought the day we got engaged. She also bought a wedding magazine for me to flip through. My mom did the same thing the day we got engaged- bought me two wedding magazines and then sent them to me in the mail. I'm not really much for the bridal magazine thing, but it has been kind of fun and I even subscribed to The Knot's magazine on my Kindle. Hey- I only get to do this once, so might as well indulge in it a little.
So...what now? It was Spring Break awhile ago. Which meant- Johanna works a lot week, basically. I picked up a few shifts at Victoria's Secret, so I was working A LOT! The next few months will be- more tutoring, more service projects, more after school stuff, an audition or two, and really trying to get everything ready to move to Chicago!
Now: Wedding Details.
When? September 2014 (not sure on the exact date yet, but we wanted a fall wedding, yet are certainly NOT ready this fall. But- we HAVE to get married before Ben turns 30- apparently this is a rule? I had no clue. Anyway- Ben turns 30 in October 2014. Therefore- our answer was clearly September!)
Where? Door County, Wisconsin (not sure on the exact place yet, but it will be somewhere in Door County. Mostly because of the trees and the water, but also because Ben grew up there.)
Colors? Fall colors. All of them. This wedding will be VERY colorful- Red, Yellow, Orange, maybe a purple, green, or blue thrown in there.
What will it be like? Fun. Seriously- we are planning on having lots of fun activities to do at this wedding and if you attend, I encourage you to join in and participate with the fun!
Wedding Party? We pretty much know who will be our bridesmaids and groomsmen, but we have not told anyone yet. I don't know when we will do this. Probably when we book the exact locations/dates.
That is honestly just about it (without going into unnecessary details).
ALSO!!! BLOG ALERT!!!! I am going to start two new blogs soon. One will be dedicated to all things engagement, wedding, and relationship stuff. The other will be dedicated to my career in theatre and the struggles/successes of being an artist. Basically- I have found myself wanting to write more on specific subjects- like, themed posts. Posts with meaning. Not that my life isn't meaningful or anything. It's just that this is more like a summary of everything going on in life and I would like to try my hand at blogging with opinion or a purpose or...whatever. Anyway...here are the URL's to those blogs. Feel free to follow them! I have no idea what they will end up being like. But, hey- trying new things is good! Maybe it will encourage me to write more often. Hopefully it does!
Relationship/Engagement/Wedding blog-
http://adventurepartnersinlove.blogspot.com/
Theatre/Art/Music/Career Blog-
http://talesofamigratingsongbird.blogspot.com/
So there it is, you guys! Here's to spring! Here's to new beginnings! Here's to learning and trying new things!
So, we started doing just that- making the phone calls. Of course- my parents were expecting a call that weekend since Ben had called them on Thursday about it. I called siblings next and then Grandparents and a few other extended family members. And then best friends. Ben and I also went to his Grandma's birthday party, which made it an easy announcement for his Dad's side of the family. After the birthday party, we went to Pete's and celebrated with some of Ben's friends. And then we visited a couple of my Stevens Point friends to tell them in person.
It really is amazing how many people want to know the when, where, and how's of what the wedding will be RIGHT after you get engaged. I mean- it is maybe the third or fourth question after the typical engagement questions like "How did he do it?" and "Was it a surprise?" Next comes "So- when's the big day?" I was okay answering this for my close family and friends. But after awhile, it gets exhausting. I tried to keep most of the wedding talk to a minimum because just getting engaged should be a celebration! (For those of you who don't know any wedding plans...keep scrolling and/or reading....some details will be included below)
The next day was spent together. Again- celebrating and lots of phone calls. But also, me working. Culture Night was only two days away!!! EEKS! So Monday morning, I left Stevens Point to go back to Madison. But this time, as an engaged woman.
I keep looking down at my ring, even over a month later. I love it. It is made by a jewelry designer on Etsy called Enzo Luccati. I have been admiring the rings on that site for about a year now. They acquire diamonds via The Kimberly Process which is a conflict-free diamond source- meaning that it is a real, natural diamond but not a blood diamond. Also- the designer does not cut or polish these diamonds. They are in their rough state. However, still very sparkly and very beautiful. I mean- I think they are prettier than cut and polished diamonds because they are unique and real and natural. The band is silver and is handcrafted. Somebody designed and made this themselves instead of a machine pumping out cookie cutter rings. Anyway- the band is very unique and simple, yet elegant. I love my ring. And I love Ben for knowing me so well.
Culture Night was stressful, but all in all a success. We had Capoeira, we had Salsa and Bachata dancing, we had storytellers galore, we had singers and dancers, yoga, poetry workshops, everything! And lots of food too. So, while I am sure my stress levels were through the roof, it ended up going over pretty well. As did my midterm evaluation. I was super nervous about it, but most of my scores were pretty good and that's all I can ask for.
March came and I started training for my new part time job at Victoria Secret. Now, before any of you judgy-mcjudgersons start giving me all the reasons why Victoria Secret is a terrible company, let me just tell you some of the good that came out of this. For one- I am hired and they are hiring even more people too. The company seems to be doing well and in an economy like this a girl has got to take work when she can find it. Also- they hired me with no previous retail experience. I have been applying for retail and food industry jobs since HIGH SCHOOL and no one ever hired me. Mostly, I think, because I didn't have any experience. Well- how are you supposed to get experience if you don't get hired somewhere? Third of all- I really like it! I was unsure at first. I was hesitant to even apply. What would people think if I worked at this place? I had bought a total of ONE bra there before. This is mostly because I had a lot of preconceived opinions about the company as well. However, the managers and other coworkers were kind and accepting. They have been very patient with me as I learn how to do this job. And I honestly love when I can help people find just what they were looking for. Do I agree with some of their marketing? No. I do NOT think 13 year old girls should wear underwear with "Party Girl" printed on the back (or other silly words, for that matter). However, I can't blame them- there is clearly a market for it. Otherwise, I don't think it would exist. I can guarantee you- over 60% of the girls under age 18 that come into the store are there with their mother or some other adult figure. It is not entirely the company's fault- it is also a parenting issue.
But- off my soapbox- it is a really great job. There have been a few moments where it has been difficult (angry customers, not knowing everything about everything yet, busy cash registers). However, my managers are kind and friendly people and are very open and willing to help. Basically- I am happy to have this job and they treat their employees and their customers VERY well.
Ben's mother, Cynthia, and her boyfriend Larry came up from Chicago at the beginning of March to spend a weekend with Ben and I and celebrate the engagement. They rented a hotel room, so we were able to enjoy the hot tub/ pool while talking wedding stuff as well as other things. Ben also had gotten a tattoo a few days after we were engaged. It is really pretty- a beautiful twisted tree on his bicep. So, we had fun seeing the reaction his mother had to it. :) It was a fun weekend and I even kind of learned to play pool. (Emphasis on the KIND OF).
Cynthia brought us a gift of champagne and candles with candle holders that she bought the day we got engaged. She also bought a wedding magazine for me to flip through. My mom did the same thing the day we got engaged- bought me two wedding magazines and then sent them to me in the mail. I'm not really much for the bridal magazine thing, but it has been kind of fun and I even subscribed to The Knot's magazine on my Kindle. Hey- I only get to do this once, so might as well indulge in it a little.
So...what now? It was Spring Break awhile ago. Which meant- Johanna works a lot week, basically. I picked up a few shifts at Victoria's Secret, so I was working A LOT! The next few months will be- more tutoring, more service projects, more after school stuff, an audition or two, and really trying to get everything ready to move to Chicago!
Now: Wedding Details.
When? September 2014 (not sure on the exact date yet, but we wanted a fall wedding, yet are certainly NOT ready this fall. But- we HAVE to get married before Ben turns 30- apparently this is a rule? I had no clue. Anyway- Ben turns 30 in October 2014. Therefore- our answer was clearly September!)
Where? Door County, Wisconsin (not sure on the exact place yet, but it will be somewhere in Door County. Mostly because of the trees and the water, but also because Ben grew up there.)
Colors? Fall colors. All of them. This wedding will be VERY colorful- Red, Yellow, Orange, maybe a purple, green, or blue thrown in there.
What will it be like? Fun. Seriously- we are planning on having lots of fun activities to do at this wedding and if you attend, I encourage you to join in and participate with the fun!
Wedding Party? We pretty much know who will be our bridesmaids and groomsmen, but we have not told anyone yet. I don't know when we will do this. Probably when we book the exact locations/dates.
That is honestly just about it (without going into unnecessary details).
ALSO!!! BLOG ALERT!!!! I am going to start two new blogs soon. One will be dedicated to all things engagement, wedding, and relationship stuff. The other will be dedicated to my career in theatre and the struggles/successes of being an artist. Basically- I have found myself wanting to write more on specific subjects- like, themed posts. Posts with meaning. Not that my life isn't meaningful or anything. It's just that this is more like a summary of everything going on in life and I would like to try my hand at blogging with opinion or a purpose or...whatever. Anyway...here are the URL's to those blogs. Feel free to follow them! I have no idea what they will end up being like. But, hey- trying new things is good! Maybe it will encourage me to write more often. Hopefully it does!
Relationship/Engagement/Wedding blog-
http://adventurepartnersinlove.blogspot.com/
Theatre/Art/Music/Career Blog-
http://talesofamigratingsongbird.blogspot.com/
So there it is, you guys! Here's to spring! Here's to new beginnings! Here's to learning and trying new things!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Life In The Fast Lane: Part 2- The Engagement Story
The only people reading this are people who already know I am engaged, pretty sure. But many of you might not know exactly how it happened. Here is the story:
Ben and I had been talking about it a lot. We first started chatting about it when he visited Brownville over the summer for my birthday. Some people might think I ended up in Madison just to be closer to Ben. That, actually, is quite untrue. I was applying for almost any AmeriCorps job that I felt I was qualified for that was in a bigger city. Twin Cities, Chicago, Milwaukee, Spokane, Phoenix, Providence...I mean...ALL OVER THE COUNTRY! In fact, I had held off on applying to Madison and Milwaukee for a long time because I didn't want to be "stuck" in Wisconsin. However, my very first interview was with this position in Madison. I interviewed on my birthday, with Ben only a few feet away from me. When I was offered the job the next day, the answer seemed clear- YES! Of course, after accepting I got offered many, many other interviews. But my decision was made. Who knows- I could have turned down this job and then not have been offered any of those other positions. As much as I love my parents, I was not so keen on the idea of going home for a few months to a year. I really believe I was meant to come here. Not to really advance my career (obviously). More to challenge me. More to help give me time to get onto my own adult feet before heading to a bigger, more challenging city. But most of all- to help keep me close to Ben- someone who has been nothing but supportive, patient, and loving of me since the moment I met him.
So- we first talked about it in July. When I returned from Nebraska and moved to Madison, we continued talking about it...more and more and MORE. We didn't tell many people. We wanted to keep it pretty private until we really knew it would happen. There was so much to discuss and do before actually making the big decision. I showed him a few rings, we discussed a rough estimate of wedding dates and places, and we made the official decision of the place to start our lives together- Chicago. But through it all, I think we learned how much we really rely on each other for support. Even though we are two hours apart, we still talk multiple times a day. Being together feels right, being apart feels wrong. So- we had our answer. We just needed to make it happen.
Thus the trip to Colorado. Not only was it fun, because Ben had never been to Colorado before and it was awesome to see him interact with my family for a longer period of time than before, but it was also important because it meant that Ben could feel more comfortable talking to my parents when the marriage question came up.
Now- I must give a disclaimer here: I was NOT expecting a proposal. Not one bit. I thought May or June. Did not at all think it would be as soon as February. I made it very clear that I did not want a Valentine's Day proposal. And it wasn't. As I mentioned in the last blog, Valentine's Day was pretty low key. However, Ben had already ordered the ring at the beginning of the month. Sneaky, sneaky. And a few nights before I came up to Point, he called my parents for their blessing. Again- sneaky, sneaky. I really had no clue.
So, I went up to Point. I had a lot of work still- Culture Night was coming up on Tuesday and I still needed to do this, do that, do lots of things! I was hoping to relax a bit, but still get work done. Saturday morning, Ben and I woke up. We had already decided that we would spend at least part of the day bumming around downtown Stevens Point. So- while I showered, Ben went out to get donuts for breakfast. He was gone an awfully long time, considering the donut place is only about 5 minutes away from his apartment. But he insisted that it was because the line was long. I didn't think too much of it. (He told me later that the ring had just come in that morning and he went to the Post Office to pick it up! Had it not come in- He wouldn't have done it that weekend.) When he returned, we had donuts and I continued getting ready. He was very hyper. I just thought he was excited to spend time with me or something. Or maybe the coffee was getting to him. He even sat in the bathroom and watched me put on my make up. Finally- we were out.
In the car, I started listing off where I needed to go and what I needed to do before we went downtown. Ben said that we had to do something else first. That threw me for a loop. What could we possibly need to do? I asked him, and he said it was a secret. At that point, I started figuring out that something was up. He took my hand, as we drove in almost complete silence. We stopped in front of Congress Club- where we had our first impromtu date. Ben gave a little speech about how he just couldn't wait to have a date with me and that's why he had asked me to meet him there instead of waiting a few more days for our actual scheduled date. He recounted how he sang possibly the worst first date karaoke song ever because he wanted to impress me with his voice. This is the song he sang: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSI-Wk00rVw He sounded good, but the lyrics kind of terrified me at the time. He recounted all the things he really liked about me and learned about me. We kissed and kept driving.
Now, I was pretty sure this was a proposal, but wasn't completely positive yet. Maybe he is just feeling really romantic this morning? I wasn't sure, but I stayed pretty quiet and calm the whole way through. We ended up in downtown Stevens Point. Ben pointed out the little gyros restaurant where we had our actual first date and how I wanted to sit on the floor and he obliged even though he was extremely uncomfortable the whole time. He pointed out the bus stop and remembered the night he first hung out with me and my friends and how I laid my head on his shoulder on the bus ride back to campus. He pointed out The Sugar Bar- which is where we met. He remembered how we had talked and then I left. And how Lexa came back and gave him my number because I was too shy to ask for his, or give it to him myself. We then went to the park next to the river walk along the Wisconsin river. He parked and said "Okay- we have to get out now." So, we got out of the car. It was pretty cold, lightly snowing. We trudged through at least a foot high of snow to a spot relatively close to where a picnic table is during the Spring/Summer. Ben asked me to remember a few nights before I left for Brownville last May. We took a walk to this spot one night and chatted under the stars. We were both sad that I would be so far away and we had no idea what the future held for us at that point. There was an awkward pause in our conversation. We just looked at each other. I was trying to figure out how he was feeling- was he in a lot of pain? was he going to break up with me? He thought I thought he was going to do something...something like propose to me. So he quickly said "Don't worry- I'm not gonna propose to you or anything." I was taken aback- I didn't think that at all. We had only been together a year! We had never even talked about marriage. Why would I think he was going to propose?
Well, he told that story and when he got to the part where he said "Don't worry- I'm not gonna propose to you or anything." He then added, "But, this time- I am." And he got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and with tears in his eyes, asked me to marry him. I took a deep breath and took a look around, just so I would always remember the moment. And I said "Yes. Always." and I bent down to kiss him. He put the ring on my finger. And we kissed. In the snow, while it was lightly snowing around us. Two dreams come true: A kiss in the snow AND my true love.
The inspiration from this proposal came from The Office- when Michael proposes to Holly. Obviously, it's not exactly like this. No candles or sprinklers. But the basic concept (taking me to special places and explaining their significance) is the same. Ben and I love the office and believe that we are a lot like Michael and Holly. So it was fitting.
Keep your eyes out for Part THREEEEEEEEEE of this story: Life In The Fast Lane: Part 3- Beyond. It will include details about the ring, the wedding plans (such as they are right now), my new job at Victoria's Secret, and more!
Ben and I had been talking about it a lot. We first started chatting about it when he visited Brownville over the summer for my birthday. Some people might think I ended up in Madison just to be closer to Ben. That, actually, is quite untrue. I was applying for almost any AmeriCorps job that I felt I was qualified for that was in a bigger city. Twin Cities, Chicago, Milwaukee, Spokane, Phoenix, Providence...I mean...ALL OVER THE COUNTRY! In fact, I had held off on applying to Madison and Milwaukee for a long time because I didn't want to be "stuck" in Wisconsin. However, my very first interview was with this position in Madison. I interviewed on my birthday, with Ben only a few feet away from me. When I was offered the job the next day, the answer seemed clear- YES! Of course, after accepting I got offered many, many other interviews. But my decision was made. Who knows- I could have turned down this job and then not have been offered any of those other positions. As much as I love my parents, I was not so keen on the idea of going home for a few months to a year. I really believe I was meant to come here. Not to really advance my career (obviously). More to challenge me. More to help give me time to get onto my own adult feet before heading to a bigger, more challenging city. But most of all- to help keep me close to Ben- someone who has been nothing but supportive, patient, and loving of me since the moment I met him.
So- we first talked about it in July. When I returned from Nebraska and moved to Madison, we continued talking about it...more and more and MORE. We didn't tell many people. We wanted to keep it pretty private until we really knew it would happen. There was so much to discuss and do before actually making the big decision. I showed him a few rings, we discussed a rough estimate of wedding dates and places, and we made the official decision of the place to start our lives together- Chicago. But through it all, I think we learned how much we really rely on each other for support. Even though we are two hours apart, we still talk multiple times a day. Being together feels right, being apart feels wrong. So- we had our answer. We just needed to make it happen.
Thus the trip to Colorado. Not only was it fun, because Ben had never been to Colorado before and it was awesome to see him interact with my family for a longer period of time than before, but it was also important because it meant that Ben could feel more comfortable talking to my parents when the marriage question came up.
Now- I must give a disclaimer here: I was NOT expecting a proposal. Not one bit. I thought May or June. Did not at all think it would be as soon as February. I made it very clear that I did not want a Valentine's Day proposal. And it wasn't. As I mentioned in the last blog, Valentine's Day was pretty low key. However, Ben had already ordered the ring at the beginning of the month. Sneaky, sneaky. And a few nights before I came up to Point, he called my parents for their blessing. Again- sneaky, sneaky. I really had no clue.
So, I went up to Point. I had a lot of work still- Culture Night was coming up on Tuesday and I still needed to do this, do that, do lots of things! I was hoping to relax a bit, but still get work done. Saturday morning, Ben and I woke up. We had already decided that we would spend at least part of the day bumming around downtown Stevens Point. So- while I showered, Ben went out to get donuts for breakfast. He was gone an awfully long time, considering the donut place is only about 5 minutes away from his apartment. But he insisted that it was because the line was long. I didn't think too much of it. (He told me later that the ring had just come in that morning and he went to the Post Office to pick it up! Had it not come in- He wouldn't have done it that weekend.) When he returned, we had donuts and I continued getting ready. He was very hyper. I just thought he was excited to spend time with me or something. Or maybe the coffee was getting to him. He even sat in the bathroom and watched me put on my make up. Finally- we were out.
In the car, I started listing off where I needed to go and what I needed to do before we went downtown. Ben said that we had to do something else first. That threw me for a loop. What could we possibly need to do? I asked him, and he said it was a secret. At that point, I started figuring out that something was up. He took my hand, as we drove in almost complete silence. We stopped in front of Congress Club- where we had our first impromtu date. Ben gave a little speech about how he just couldn't wait to have a date with me and that's why he had asked me to meet him there instead of waiting a few more days for our actual scheduled date. He recounted how he sang possibly the worst first date karaoke song ever because he wanted to impress me with his voice. This is the song he sang: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSI-Wk00rVw He sounded good, but the lyrics kind of terrified me at the time. He recounted all the things he really liked about me and learned about me. We kissed and kept driving.
Now, I was pretty sure this was a proposal, but wasn't completely positive yet. Maybe he is just feeling really romantic this morning? I wasn't sure, but I stayed pretty quiet and calm the whole way through. We ended up in downtown Stevens Point. Ben pointed out the little gyros restaurant where we had our actual first date and how I wanted to sit on the floor and he obliged even though he was extremely uncomfortable the whole time. He pointed out the bus stop and remembered the night he first hung out with me and my friends and how I laid my head on his shoulder on the bus ride back to campus. He pointed out The Sugar Bar- which is where we met. He remembered how we had talked and then I left. And how Lexa came back and gave him my number because I was too shy to ask for his, or give it to him myself. We then went to the park next to the river walk along the Wisconsin river. He parked and said "Okay- we have to get out now." So, we got out of the car. It was pretty cold, lightly snowing. We trudged through at least a foot high of snow to a spot relatively close to where a picnic table is during the Spring/Summer. Ben asked me to remember a few nights before I left for Brownville last May. We took a walk to this spot one night and chatted under the stars. We were both sad that I would be so far away and we had no idea what the future held for us at that point. There was an awkward pause in our conversation. We just looked at each other. I was trying to figure out how he was feeling- was he in a lot of pain? was he going to break up with me? He thought I thought he was going to do something...something like propose to me. So he quickly said "Don't worry- I'm not gonna propose to you or anything." I was taken aback- I didn't think that at all. We had only been together a year! We had never even talked about marriage. Why would I think he was going to propose?
Well, he told that story and when he got to the part where he said "Don't worry- I'm not gonna propose to you or anything." He then added, "But, this time- I am." And he got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and with tears in his eyes, asked me to marry him. I took a deep breath and took a look around, just so I would always remember the moment. And I said "Yes. Always." and I bent down to kiss him. He put the ring on my finger. And we kissed. In the snow, while it was lightly snowing around us. Two dreams come true: A kiss in the snow AND my true love.
The inspiration from this proposal came from The Office- when Michael proposes to Holly. Obviously, it's not exactly like this. No candles or sprinklers. But the basic concept (taking me to special places and explaining their significance) is the same. Ben and I love the office and believe that we are a lot like Michael and Holly. So it was fitting.
Keep your eyes out for Part THREEEEEEEEEE of this story: Life In The Fast Lane: Part 3- Beyond. It will include details about the ring, the wedding plans (such as they are right now), my new job at Victoria's Secret, and more!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Life in the Fast Lane: Part 1- Colorado and Craziness
Life since the new year has been slow and fast all at the same time. It is amazing- my concept of time. Ben always makes fun of me. I legitimately think that 1 month is a long time; however, I am constantly planning months in advance and I get uncomfortable when I don't have a plan for where I am going next. I lovingly blame this on my father who constantly asked me what my plans were while I was growing up. Or if I told him what my hopes were, he'd say "sounds like a plan!" So anyway...I feel like a month is a long time. Probably because I am in a long distance relationship. Also, probably because I am constantly living from big moment to big moment. So when one big moment is done, I am waiting in constant anticipation for the next big moment. Usually, I have one or two big moments a month. That means that those 2 or so weeks of down time in between are excruciating to me. I don't do down time well. I feel lazy. I much prefer to be busy and stressed than not busy and stressed (note- I am almost always stressed about something). Yet, whenever I start a new month, I'm like "WOW! It's already March? That month just flew by!" Anyway- lesson is that my concept of time is warped.
So I haven't blogged since January. And I am angry at myself because SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED in the last few months and I feel like I won't be able to recall each moment as detailed as I would have had I blogged about it sooner. Oh well. The memories will live on in my mind and heart.
Colorado Trip- Ben and I took our first BIG TRIP together in January. We've gone on a few, fun and short trips before: Visiting Door County (Where Ben grew up), A trip to Green Bay for a friend's wedding, and Ben took a trip to Nebraska over the summer to visit me at Brownville where we also explored around Omaha. Anyway, this time...the trip was further, longer, and more elaborate. We had to book plane tickets, drive down to Chicago, leave the car with Ben's mom (who lives in Chicago), have her drive us to the airport, get through ticketing, security, etc, deal with plane people, get picked up by my dad...yeah...this was bigger than anything we had ever done together. But what we learned is that we were good at it! Good at being able to plan this together. Plus, we had a TON of fun traveling. Chatting, people watching, eating airport food, finding where we were supposed to go...It was fun! Not to mention the fact that I am usually travelling alone- so, it was fun to have somebody around for a change. Anyway- we got to Colorado and spent our first day bumming around the house and Greeley. Ben got to meet the puppies- Sadey (the black lab) and Blue (the malamute/husky). He also got to spend more time with relatives he had met previously (Mom, Dad, Caleb) and meet new ones (Jeremy, Grandma). Jeremy came in all excited because he just accepted a job offer after a long, difficult search for work. Caleb had been pretty sick lately, but was feeling a little bit better after having had a treatment over the weekend. Caleb, Ben and I spent the next day in the mountains. We went to the Stanley Hotel which is the hotel that The Shining was based off of. We enjoyed the tour- learning about history and hauntings along the way. We went as far up the mountains that we could for January. The next day was explore Greeley and Loveland day while I spent quality time with old friends and family. After that was Denver day- Ben and I saw a Van Gogh exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, as well as explored the rest of the museum. Our mutual love of art is something that really connects us. We could (and DID!) spend hours at the museum talking about various works and discussing what we admire about them. We gorged ourselves on BBQ near 16th Street Mall, spent some time in Cherry Creek Mall, and then had some yummy Mexican food for dinner with one of Ben's friends from college. The next day it was a snowy, blizzardy mess. So we spent the day lazing around Greeley. Dad had a great idea of going to the Model Train Museum which Ben LOVED. He later told me that it was his favorite part. The whole trip was awesome. I got to spend a lot of time with family. Ate lots of food at Grandma's and various yummy restaurants. We did a lot of fun things, yet we were not stressed out or too busy. We then left Colorado and spent the night in Chicago with Ben's mom again, watching a Green Bay Packer game. It was a fun and fantastic trip. And I was so happy to have an adventure buddy.
The rest of January was spent starting up After School again at Hawthorne, starting tutoring again, modeling, planning Culture Night, and applying for a second job. Not to mention stressing over money. (When am I NOT stressing over money?)
February came and it was cold and brutal and evil. I got really sick at the beginning of the month. A sickness I am still battling today. It was weird. I got sick, almost got completely over it, then got sick again, almost got completely over it, and then got sick again. I am finally starting to feel like I am getting over it again so....*fingers crossed* ....this BETTER be over now! I had a few interviews for jobs. It was nice, but stressful. I knew I needed another job, but it is hard when you have a regular job that is the priority. I dunno...
I helped a theatre acquaintance with a scene she needed to direct. I played one of the characters in the scene and she directed us and then asked for feedback on her directorial style. It was SO NICE to be able to break down a character, break down a scene again. I was sad it was only for one night. I was ready to memorize the whole play and put it into production! Being out of college has sucked a lot of life out of my artistic soul. I am dealing with it as best I can, but it is hard. I picked up my guitar again and am attempting at learning chords and songs and such. I am slow, but I am getting it.
Valentine's Day came and Ben and I didn't really do much. We hung out the weekend before, but the day of we were our normal 2 hours apart. So we dealt with it the best way we could- by watching a movie "together". We watched Finding Nemo and talked in the telephone the whole time. We made little comments or quoted the movie. It was fun and, actually, special because we did the same thing with The Princess Bride back when I was working in Tulsa for the summer just after we had met. That was a year and a half ago. So it was fun to do it again.
I remained busy- planning Culture Night, starting up with a new round of volunteers, and stressing about my Mid-Term Evaluation.Culture Night was a big undertaking. Luckily, I had help. But I feel like I didn't have ENOUGH help. I made phone calls begging and pleading for volunteers to serve food or be a room monitor. The phone call yielded results, but only little results. Out of probably almost 100 phone calls, I managed to get about 10 volunteers to help our after school staff and a few teachers. This may seem okay in theory, but in practice, we could have used another 10-20 volunteers to make things run smoothly. With food from around 15 places and over 15 performers and an expected attendance rate of 100-300 people, Culture Night got the most of me. The weekend before Culture Night, I decided to go to Stevens Point to see Ben. He had off that weekend. And since accepting a second job (Victoria's Secret!) that I would start in March, we weren't sure how often I would be able to make the trip up there anymore. So it was the final weekend before scheduling would get significantly tougher. So I traveled to Point on February 22. Spent the evening at Pete's, watching Ben DJ and hanging out with some of his friends and his cousin. What happened next? Pretty much anyone reading this is going to know...however, they won't know HOW. So...stay tuned for "Life In The Fast Lane: Part 2- The Engagement and Beyond." :)
So I haven't blogged since January. And I am angry at myself because SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED in the last few months and I feel like I won't be able to recall each moment as detailed as I would have had I blogged about it sooner. Oh well. The memories will live on in my mind and heart.
Colorado Trip- Ben and I took our first BIG TRIP together in January. We've gone on a few, fun and short trips before: Visiting Door County (Where Ben grew up), A trip to Green Bay for a friend's wedding, and Ben took a trip to Nebraska over the summer to visit me at Brownville where we also explored around Omaha. Anyway, this time...the trip was further, longer, and more elaborate. We had to book plane tickets, drive down to Chicago, leave the car with Ben's mom (who lives in Chicago), have her drive us to the airport, get through ticketing, security, etc, deal with plane people, get picked up by my dad...yeah...this was bigger than anything we had ever done together. But what we learned is that we were good at it! Good at being able to plan this together. Plus, we had a TON of fun traveling. Chatting, people watching, eating airport food, finding where we were supposed to go...It was fun! Not to mention the fact that I am usually travelling alone- so, it was fun to have somebody around for a change. Anyway- we got to Colorado and spent our first day bumming around the house and Greeley. Ben got to meet the puppies- Sadey (the black lab) and Blue (the malamute/husky). He also got to spend more time with relatives he had met previously (Mom, Dad, Caleb) and meet new ones (Jeremy, Grandma). Jeremy came in all excited because he just accepted a job offer after a long, difficult search for work. Caleb had been pretty sick lately, but was feeling a little bit better after having had a treatment over the weekend. Caleb, Ben and I spent the next day in the mountains. We went to the Stanley Hotel which is the hotel that The Shining was based off of. We enjoyed the tour- learning about history and hauntings along the way. We went as far up the mountains that we could for January. The next day was explore Greeley and Loveland day while I spent quality time with old friends and family. After that was Denver day- Ben and I saw a Van Gogh exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, as well as explored the rest of the museum. Our mutual love of art is something that really connects us. We could (and DID!) spend hours at the museum talking about various works and discussing what we admire about them. We gorged ourselves on BBQ near 16th Street Mall, spent some time in Cherry Creek Mall, and then had some yummy Mexican food for dinner with one of Ben's friends from college. The next day it was a snowy, blizzardy mess. So we spent the day lazing around Greeley. Dad had a great idea of going to the Model Train Museum which Ben LOVED. He later told me that it was his favorite part. The whole trip was awesome. I got to spend a lot of time with family. Ate lots of food at Grandma's and various yummy restaurants. We did a lot of fun things, yet we were not stressed out or too busy. We then left Colorado and spent the night in Chicago with Ben's mom again, watching a Green Bay Packer game. It was a fun and fantastic trip. And I was so happy to have an adventure buddy.
The rest of January was spent starting up After School again at Hawthorne, starting tutoring again, modeling, planning Culture Night, and applying for a second job. Not to mention stressing over money. (When am I NOT stressing over money?)
February came and it was cold and brutal and evil. I got really sick at the beginning of the month. A sickness I am still battling today. It was weird. I got sick, almost got completely over it, then got sick again, almost got completely over it, and then got sick again. I am finally starting to feel like I am getting over it again so....*fingers crossed* ....this BETTER be over now! I had a few interviews for jobs. It was nice, but stressful. I knew I needed another job, but it is hard when you have a regular job that is the priority. I dunno...
I helped a theatre acquaintance with a scene she needed to direct. I played one of the characters in the scene and she directed us and then asked for feedback on her directorial style. It was SO NICE to be able to break down a character, break down a scene again. I was sad it was only for one night. I was ready to memorize the whole play and put it into production! Being out of college has sucked a lot of life out of my artistic soul. I am dealing with it as best I can, but it is hard. I picked up my guitar again and am attempting at learning chords and songs and such. I am slow, but I am getting it.
Valentine's Day came and Ben and I didn't really do much. We hung out the weekend before, but the day of we were our normal 2 hours apart. So we dealt with it the best way we could- by watching a movie "together". We watched Finding Nemo and talked in the telephone the whole time. We made little comments or quoted the movie. It was fun and, actually, special because we did the same thing with The Princess Bride back when I was working in Tulsa for the summer just after we had met. That was a year and a half ago. So it was fun to do it again.
I remained busy- planning Culture Night, starting up with a new round of volunteers, and stressing about my Mid-Term Evaluation.Culture Night was a big undertaking. Luckily, I had help. But I feel like I didn't have ENOUGH help. I made phone calls begging and pleading for volunteers to serve food or be a room monitor. The phone call yielded results, but only little results. Out of probably almost 100 phone calls, I managed to get about 10 volunteers to help our after school staff and a few teachers. This may seem okay in theory, but in practice, we could have used another 10-20 volunteers to make things run smoothly. With food from around 15 places and over 15 performers and an expected attendance rate of 100-300 people, Culture Night got the most of me. The weekend before Culture Night, I decided to go to Stevens Point to see Ben. He had off that weekend. And since accepting a second job (Victoria's Secret!) that I would start in March, we weren't sure how often I would be able to make the trip up there anymore. So it was the final weekend before scheduling would get significantly tougher. So I traveled to Point on February 22. Spent the evening at Pete's, watching Ben DJ and hanging out with some of his friends and his cousin. What happened next? Pretty much anyone reading this is going to know...however, they won't know HOW. So...stay tuned for "Life In The Fast Lane: Part 2- The Engagement and Beyond." :)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Holidaaaaaaaze!
Wow. What a crazy time the last few months have been. Crazy
on multiple levels. The holidays were interesting. I spent them with Ben’s
family in Stevens Point. So my time was basically spent going between Point and
Madison for work and then more holidays. Thanksgiving was fun. We went to his
Aunt and Uncle’s from his mom’s side. Funny story- his uncle was once my
landlord (the GOOD landlord, not the terrible landlady who did nothing about
the WALL OF MOLD and unfairly overcharged us for it resulting in not getting my
security deposit back last year). I met other aunts and uncles and cousins and
we spent some fun time playing games. Ben’s sister was also in town from
Minneapolis (where she also works as an AmeriCorps member), so I ended up spending
a lot of time with her and his cousin Abbey (we see/hang out with Abbey every
once in awhile, since she often comes into Pete’s- the karaoke bar Ben Dj’s at)
while Ben worked Black Friday. We also spent a little time at Ben’s Grandmother’s
house (on his dad’s side) and saw Ben’s dad, stepmother, and a random
smattering of other stepsiblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
I then returned to Madison for a few weeks to finish up my
first semester with Hawthorne. I planned Family Math Night which ended up being
AWESOME. I recruited A LOT of volunteers from UW and DEMCO (Hawthorne’s
business sponsor), as well as a few parents. We got a great response from all
the families. All in all, a success. Our daily volunteers enjoyed coming every
week and I HOPE at least of few of them will return next semester. I was sure
to give them thank you notes and MSCR mugs. J
I continued tutoring (which is probably what I enjoy the most in this whole
experience) and discovered that I am really quite a good math tutor (much to my
surprise! I always had to work hard for my grades in math).
I also enjoyed performing in She Loves Me with Four Seasons
Theatre Company. We performed at The Overture, which was great fun. Not the
biggest theatre I’ve ever performed in (we were in the more intimate, smaller,
thrust stage Playhouse at the Overture), but definitely the biggest performing
arts center I have ever performed in. We
got a GREAT review and I loved being able to do what I love. Plus, it is just a
charming show in general. Plus, I love being able to play the equivalent to the
Three Silly Girls in Beauty and the Beast. The cliché group of three silly
young women happens in more shows than you would think- and I LOVE it. Anyway-
I also met some wonderful artsy and talented people from doing this show, which
I think will help me in landing a role come summer time.
I also posed for the life drawing class again and had a
great time. They were all really awesome people with really awesome talent.
Speaking of art- I have four articles posted on the Madison section of
Art-City.org. You can check them out here:
I left two days early for Christmas because we were
expecting a HUGE blizzard the next day and I wasn’t sure if the roads would be
safe by the time I left. It was a good thing I left when I did. Both Madison
and Point received a lot of snow, but Madison just got DUMPED on. The city that
apparently NEVER takes snow days gave in and had two snow days in a row. So not
only would I have been stuck in Madison, but I would have been stuck in Madison
with nothing to do. So- good thing I left early! Ben and I enjoyed the extra
time together and he particularly enjoyed laughing at my anxiety when he drove
us places in the thick snow/slush and ice. We spent a lot of our time cleaning
(getting his apartment ready for Christmas) and watching The Office (probably
our favorite show to watch together. He has most of the seasons on DVD.) We spent
Christmas Eve with his extended family on his mom’s side again. Unfortunately,
because Ben had to work, we missed playing games. But I met a few more aunts, uncles, and
cousins, as well as saw the ones I had spent time with at Thanksgiving. We did
play one game and then Maggie, Ben’s Mom (Cynthia), Cynthia’s boyfriend
(Larry), Ben and I went to the hotel where they were staying and spent some
time in the hot tub and watching Too Cute on TV. Christmas Day- Maggie,
Cynthia, and Larry came to Ben’s apartment and we ate yummy food, drank
mimosas, watched Love Actually and Christmas Vacation, and opened gifts.
Then I traveled back to Madison to spend several very quiet
days at work/home. My housemate was gone, so I had the house and dog all to
myself. I enjoyed being able to take care of the dog by myself and spend a
little more time in areas of the house that are not my room and the kitchen.
Since it was Winter Break, the school was very quiet. But it was kind of nice
that way. I discovered just how much
Madison was dumped on and many of the residential streets were quite slippery.
I then traveled back up to Point for New Year’s. I have never really done much
for New Year’s in the past. The most I can remember is having a lock-In at
church one time in Texhoma for the event. Other than that- it has usually been
spent in my parent’s basement blogging and watching a movie. So…needless to say…I
was excited! Not only was I actually doing something on New Year’s, but I was
getting to spend it with some of my favorite Point people AND got to have my
first New Year’s kiss. I spent the first part of my evening with my old roomie,
Erik, at his new place. This also meant seeing a lot of other wonderful Point
friends/classmates and it was so nice to finally be back in that environment. I
miss them a LOT! Then I jotted over to Pete’s where Ben was DJing. Got my New
Year’s kiss! And then spent a little time at Pete’s until they closed early b/c
there was barely anyone there. So then Ben and I went back to Erik’s for a
little while so I could hang with my friends, then we went to the Congress Club
to hang out with some of Ben’s friends. The night was super fun and I had a
GREAT time.
New Year’s Resolutions? I don’t really have any this year. I
mean, I have things I want to achieve and do and work on, but I didn’t specifically
make them New Year’s Resolutions.
Then it was back to Madison for another few days of work.
Once again- it was still break, so it was pretty quiet. Nothing too exciting
happened. Basically just waiting until Ben and I were to go to COLORADO!!!
And that is where I end for now. I will do a January wrap up at the end of the
month. Which is sooooon! I am excited because I want more sunshine and,
hopefully, warmth.
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