Thursday, January 2, 2014

Looking Back (Part I). . .

I know that I'm a few days late: we're in to the first week of January 2014.  Most people have posted their retrospectives on the year that closed before New Years Eve, or during the lull that is New Years Day.  But 2013 was. . big.  Huge.  An awful lot happened in it, a lot to think about, process, feel, absorb, reflect on.  Every year it seems to me that I sit down and think "Wow.  Highest of highs, lowest of lows, what a crazy year!" and 2013 was no different.  This time, however, I think something is  different.  I am different - for the first time I can really remember, I find myself thinking "Yes.  I am a different person than I was on this day exactly one year ago.  Change. Growth. Exploration."  And as I look back on the year-that-was-and-now-has-passed, I can see distinctly the mile markers of myself: the adventures and their peaks and valleys. . .

January 2013


  • I started the year by flying to Chicago (where I'd never been before) to see my Big Sis (not a member of my biological family, but of the sort of foster-family we assembled years ago: a bunch of super young adults sort of adopting each other as we went along

    • We then roadtripped from Chicago to St. Paul Minnesota for the wedding of a dear, dear friend and his beautiful soulmate
    • Had a reunion with the rest of our little family
    • I met the lady-love in my Big Brother's (see above description of Big Sis: I promise a blog post on just them is coming soon) life and became fast friends

{Serendipitous Parking at Mall of America}

{Reunion time!}

{There was a photo booth at the wedding}
  • Applied to grad school and received word my uncle had passed away on the same night
  • Started my last semester in undergrad while battling what I thought was the flu


February

  • Represented my school at KCACTF as a Stage Manager and Actress
  • Won a scholarship for the Apprentice Program at Commonwealth Shakespeare Company on what was one of the most wonderful nights of my life
  • Found out what was wrong with me was Pneumonia
  • Performed in my first leading role in a Shakespeare production as Queen Gertrude in Hamlet

March

  • Took another road trip, this time from ME to VT with one of the sweet, silly boys in this picture to visit the other sweet, silly boy and our friends at a university there 
            {^roadtrip buddy             ^buddy we roadtripped to}          

  • Turned 23, a birthday my roommates Lily and Chet made perfect, from singing to spaghetti.

April

  • Performed in my last show on campus (dance) & closed my last theatre production on campus.
  • Had my world rocked by the Boston Marathon Bombing.  Felt the fear & panic of having many friends present at the marathon and not knowing when they'd come home.  Wept with my community and found solace in the way the people of Boston pulled together, and the outpouring of love from many cities around the world.
  • Had my blog post about the marathon bombing and it's echoes in my life picked up by a branch of the Washington Post
  • Gathered with family from around the country on my mother's property to say goodbye to the beloved uncle who had passed away in January

{Sleep Well,
Rest well,
Until We
Meet Again}


May

  • Took part in two sacred rights of passage at my college: the Senior Brunch for dance majors at our ballet teacher's home and Senior Night for the theatre seniors at one of our faculty member's homes.  One involves muffins, mimosas, sitting out in the sun, and looking towards the future.  The other involves bonfires, ceremonial burning of set pieces, music, and dancing barefoot in the grass.  Both were perfect. 

    {"Ladies of the Ballet," Class of 2013}


    {"We're with you - whatever happens." Theatre 2013}
  • Last Ballet class, and everything that means, at the end of which Jill gave my class her parting advise: "Whatever you do, wherever you go - just dance.  Just dance."

  • Graduated College.  Summa Cum Laude, Phi Theta Kappa, Kappa Key, Honors Scholar, and with a perfect 8 semester record on Dean's List (that last one was for my Mumma, my teacher from 1st grade through HS).  Sang at graduation: watched one of my dearest soul sisters give the commencement speech to our class: earned both degrees after a regime that nearly killed me. Cried in the arms of Boyfriend and Big Brother afterwards.

{Cap}

{Support network}



{Panic eyes}


And then. . . oh, goodness.  Then the real adventure started.