It is hard to believe another year is gone. When I think back to the end of last year, I realize how much has happened. Tim has spent almost the whole year on an amazing art commission and Jon had quite the year. You can see Jon’s end of the year blog here. Last year ended with my BFA project and the death of my cat. I was so sad about Newman and so aggravated about my project that I was ready to quit school, one semester shy of graduation! My schedule for my last semester was awful and I was dreading it! Over the holidays I made some decisions, decisions I could not carry out unless my adviser agreed. Luckily she did and all of the things I dreaded for the new year were gone and in place was what I knew I needed to learn what I wanted. College to me was all about WANTING to LEARN! Knowledge was my only objective, at my age I had already proven you can have a great life without a degree, so a degree was a goal, but not my main objective. With my new schedule I was again excited about school. And my last semester was SO MUCH FUN! I helped a bunch of high school kids, I learned a TON about directing, I learned to LOVE Shakespeare and I sang some great songs for my final music classes. I really saw how much I had grown in the 3 years of school! I also judged a show choir competition which was fun.
I graduated and quickly got cast in a play I love- Picnic. It was a great experience. After it was over I had another audition, and it was terrible! But it is OK because I learned a lot and not getting cast made me try harder the next few times. I have done another play, am rehearing a third one, judged a theatre competition and am looking forward to other possibilities for the new year. Overall, I have done a ton more and been more successful than I could have imagined. That one failure spurred me on to do things I thought I was too scared to do and to push a little faster and harder than I had planned. And so far, so good!
I have enjoyed being done with school, but kept many close friendships through theatre (both by participating and viewing) as well as lunches and emails. I was so afraid when I graduated I would never see any of these people again and I would never do any theatre again. I was so wrong! I have also been able to get back with my old friends, ladies I did not get to see much during school. And I got to travel with a group of youth from church to the country of Panama for some mission work, another goal of mine and my graduation present to myself.
After a year of mourning Newman, my cat, I decided to go get a new friend. I am now mom to a 3 month old brown tabby named Penny.
Overall, I have to say it was a great year- not at all what I expected, but it never is- is it?? This next year holds so much promise, but a year from now who knows what I will be writing about! For now I look back in gratitude and forward with high hopes! I pray that life will continue to be challenging, exciting and unpredictable. So goodbye 2013- you’ve been great! Hello 2014- glad to meet you!!
