Of Twirling Turtles

So, I like to twirl on sidewalks when I'm walking around school. Every now and then, the sky is so perfectly beautiful or I'm just so happy to be alive, that I get all romantically and give a little twirl for the heck of it.

But today I twirled around and there was totally someone walking right behind me. Awkward turtles all around. LOL!

A Whirlwind of Magic!

What a wonderful life mine has been! Just today, I got a backstage tour of Young Frankenstein (which is playing at Gammage), plus free tickets to see it tonight! And tomorrow, we have a dance masterclass with the cast. Super exciting stuff!

But besides that ... I'm making friends, and had dinner with a delightful girl who's in 4 of my classes this semester. I'm learning a lot, practicing a lot, hanging on to my grades by the skin of my teeth, and so pumped to start rehearsals for Secret Garden on Monday.

My days are packed from the time I get up (which is guiltily around 7:00 these days - though my alarm goes off a good hour before I actually tumble out of bed) to the time I go to bed, usually around 11:00. My dad commented that it was like full-time Interlochen, and it so is. Concerts every weekend, recitals/convocations during the week, choir, show rehearsals, theory class... and all the instrumentals walking around blowing on things! I had to wait a while for a practice room today, and I just loved studying to the cacophony of music streaming from all the little cubicles.

I still don't know about a 10 year plan, or about making money and paying bills, but I do know that being a music major is amazing in every way.

With a heart full of gratitude, I'm off to catch a few hours of sleep :)

Yes, please!

I just got back from a beautiful concert at ASU today: a piano professor collaborating with all kinds of different instruments, from strings, to woodwinds, to a soprano.

Can I say that I love Schumann? The elegance, the discipline, the delightful turns of phrase and the subtle emotions. And this might be weird, but I love hearing German diction. It's pretty incredible. So thank you, Carole Fitz-Patrick, for your lovely consonants and clear vowels.

Alright, now I'm definitely motivated to go practice - so I'll catch you later :)

I'm Back :)

So... Germany...

My prolonged absence is really quite inexcusable. I'm very sorry. Somehow, blogging is a discipline that gets quickly thrown by the wayside as soon as anything else comes up to interfere. But, I have given up facebook for at least the next month and a half, so Starry Wonders will again become the way I communicate with the online world.

Germany was incredible, but I feel like to recap it would be kind of odd at this point. So call me if you want specifics :)

Now, it's almost October, and I've settled into life as a college student here at my crazy campus. My days are so full of learning and working hard, meeting new people and developing older friendships, learning about God, and learning about myself, too. I've grown so much as a person since I started this blog however long ago, and I'm excited to see where God takes me next!

I wanted to share with all of you a beautiful new habit I've adopted thanks to my hilarious friend S. Every day, we make a point of recalling the "happinesses" that have happened during the day, and we text them to each other. It has so helped to keep me from being discouraged or mopey as I struggle with some of the harder aspects of transitioning to college. You should give it a try!

So today, my happiness list is this:

- A really fun dance session in class today

- Going to pass out fliers about our Crisis Pregnancy Center at a highschool football game

- Hugs from friends

- A light load of homework for the weekend!

What's yours?

Updates from Freiberg!

May 18, 2010: Well, I’m writing this on May 18^th at least, but I’m not sure when I’ll get internet, so who knows when you’ll be reading this?

I navigated the Frankfurt and Dresden airports alright, even though I accidently misplaced my baggage claim ticket. I guess that’s not the smartest thing to do… But anyway, the car ride from Dresden to Freiberg was “so schön,” or very pretty, and I chatted in German with the lady who drove me. I’m actually very proud of my German skills thus far, although my vocabulary is super limited.

My apartment is so cute! It’s really rather big, with three bedrooms, a spacious living room and dining room, a fun little kitchen, and of course a bathroom. I’m sharing my room with another girl, but she’s neater than I am and really sweet. Actually, all three of my suitemates are very gracious and kind, even though they’re all considerably older than me. And they’re all so talented! It’s such a privilege to be spending so much time with such serious, talented, dedicated artist. Some of them are launching their careers, and it’s enlightening to hear them chat about audition tours, etc.

We all rented little bikes to get around with, and mine is super cute. It’s old-fashioned, light blue, and has a little bell to ring in case someone gets in my way. How fun is that? And when I ride on the cobblestone streets – which actually is the majority of the roads inside of the town – it rattles so satisfyingly. I’m so out of shape that I can’t even make it up some of the hills, but hopefully in a few weeks I’ll be more acclimated.

Speaking of acclimation, the weather is so different here! It’s freezing! We had chilly wind and rain today, and I definitely needed my soprano scarf and big jacket. Our poor program director is scared sick that one of us will catch a cold because we’re not bundled up tightly enough. I do need to buy a pair of gloves, because my hands on the bike do get pretty cold.

May 20, 2010: Well, no steady internet connection yet, so you’ll get two days in a row! J Today was lovely – yesterday was absolutely frigid, and no fun at all. It didn’t rain that much today, just sort of gently misted and lightly shrouded the gorgeous views. And, it was a lot warmer, thank heavens.

I had only two musical rehearsals today. I have a lot less to do than a lot of the older singers who are playing lead roles in Zauberflöte, but my two today were lots of fun. In the morning we went through some of the chorus parts for the finale of Flute, and it was so funny to watch grown ladies play with each other from across the wings just like American high school students. Everything was in German, though, so I didn’t really understand much. Then this afternoon I had 2 hours of coaching on Bastien with the other two people involved, and that was awesome! I love this mini-opera and I’m so close to having it memorized. Let me tell you, memorizing dialogue in another language is no easy business. And the funny thing is if I make a mistake, everyone but me will know!

Oh, and in other funny news, I found out an embarrassing mistake I was singing this whole time! It turns out the word “nacht” (meaning “night”) is very similar in pronunciation to another word (“nakt”) … and that other word means NAKED! Oh my goodness! This whole time I was singing about being naked! Our resident German bass had a good laugh at me.

Transcending Straight Lines

I'm a little embarrassed it's been so long! Many apologies! The past few weeks of have been simply a whirlwind - graduation ceremonies, parties, finals, packing, and so much more. But the whirlwind has picked me up and blown me away... and I have landed again in Charlotte, North Carolina.

And thus begins the Germany adventure! I'm all by my lonesome, and I'm playing at being a grown-up. Or maybe, this time, I really am one.

I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now - trepidation, mostly, because I'm worried I don't know my music well enough. Actually, I could probably find my roll-up piano and practice a little bit in a second. Excitement, too, because it's Germany! And because I love traveling in general - especially when airports are involved. Anxiety, because I have a lot to keep track of and I'm afraid I'll miss something very important. Blessedness, because I know what an incredible chance this is to gallivant about and sing in a faraway land.

My poet-friend Lady Durer set me a beautiful letter yesterday, and in it she said that "straight lines can always be transcended." What an incredible thought. There are a lot of straight lines that dictate how life "should" be. We've all heard the stereotypes, the typical way of doing things. But really, wouldn't life be so much more wonderful if we had the courage to overcome the rules and expectations? Not to simply ignore them, to thoughtlessly rebel, but to transcend. To me, that's what Jesus is all about. He didn't just give rules, and He didn't tell us to disregard all the previous rules... He gives us the ability to transcend rules.

So this summer, I want to walk right through the straight lines that confine. I want to live a free life, a beautiful life, a Jesus-filled life, a responsible life, and a songful life.

Here's to Germany, land of green hills and cold weather! Here's to living a life that is beyond expectations!

Just Like Noah

My adorable friend Megan had a cute idea for a blog post, and I'm copying :) So here's a list of "twos":

Two Books I Want to Read:

- The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell. Sociology is so fascinating, and I'd love to understand the whys behind some cultural trends.

- Jonathan Edward's "Resolutions." Jonathan Edwards is a pretty well-known American revivalist of the 18th century, and when he was a teenager, he came up with a list of statements he desired to exemplify with his life. So God-centered, inspiring, and challenging.

Two New Favorite Bands:

- Ok, she's not really a band, but Ingrid Michaelson has recently caught my attention. Her lyrics are so thoughtful, and her cool sound is relaxing and fresh.

- Again, not really a band, but the Christian rap artist Lecrae has got some pretty chill stuff. Gotta love when a rap artist starts throwing in words like 'election' and 'steward'

Two Words that Describe Life Right Now:

- Culmination: All my childhood years are rushing up together in this one point. I've had a lot of lasts recently - last time singing on my worship team at church, last time volunteering at Pennington, last piano lesson, etc. It's been a fantastic time growing up, but it's a little weird to leave it behind.

- Preparation: At the same time, I have so much to look forward to in the future, with Germany and ASU and adult life.

Two Things I Should Be Doing:

- Studying

- Cleaning the bathroom

(see why I'm not?)

Two Things I Will Be Doing

- Studying :D

- I'm going to a play tonight at a local Christian high school! Yay!

Two Things That Made Me Smile:

- I bought my stage makeup! Cream foundation and Victorian Rose blush... all für mich!

- I spent the afternoon with my lovely mom and we laughed so hard. I love her.

Two Other Blogs You Should Check Out:

- girltalkhome.com: It's a fun blog for women, with convicting theology too.

- ladydurerscanvas.blogspot.com: My fantastic friend and her poetical musings. She has such a way with words!