Saturday, June 26, 2010

"Spring Awakening"

I think once in a lifetime maybe, a musical or play comes along that hits you so hard you feel like you've been punched in the gut. You get all choked up and for a moment while you're watching it you realize you're not breathing. Wicked is that very musical for a lot of people. For me, it is Spring Awakening.

I recently rediscovered my soundtrack album for the musical, and rewatched the show itself on a recording of the original cast performing it that I downloaded off the internet. And I was blown away. I am amazed at how much I connect to that musical, to its message, to the heartbeat of the characters. I can so relate to so many of them. Spring Awakening has been my life journey in a lot of ways. It really is such a beautiful, raw, and real deptiction of young people's journey of identity, sexuality, tragedy, and triumph.

Those you’ve known
And lost, still walk behind you
All alone
Their song still seems to find you

They call you as if you knew their longing
They whistle through the lonely wind, the long blue shadows falling

All alone, but still I hear their yearning
Through the dark, the moon, alone there, burning
The stars too, they tell of spring returning
And summer with another wind that no one yet has known.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
You fold his hands and smooth his tie
You gently lift his chin
Were you really so blind
And unkind to him?

Can't help the urge to touch, to kiss
To hold him once again
Now to close his eyes
Never open them

A shadow passed, a shadow passed
Yearning, yearning
For the fool it called a home

All things you never did are left behind
All the things his mama wished he'd bear in mind
And all his dad had hoped he'd know

The talks you never had
The Saturdays you never spent
All the grown-up places
You never went

And all of the crying
You wouldn't understand
You just let him cry
Make a man out of him

A shadow passed, a shadow passed
Yearning, yearning
For the fool it called a home.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Noho, Boating, and 3-Day Weekend: Updates on life

So it's been a while since I've written a new post, and SO much has been happening in my life that I HAVE to get it out for you all to hear (all 3 of you who might read my blog, lol). Let's start from the beginning:

1. NOHO:
Northampton (Noho), Massachusetts -cool, progressive, liberal, academic city in western Massachusetts, and home to the corporate office of CIS Abroad, the study abroad agency with which I am now OFFICIALLY EMPLOYED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) Yes, dear reader, I officially have not only a grown up job in the field that I've been trying to get into (international education), but a GREAT job at that. CIS (Center for International Studies) has been on the frontier of education abroad for the past 10 years and is one of the most cutting edge, growing agencies in the industry. I'd been interviewing for the position of University Relations Rep for the Midwest and got the offer as the top candidate of over 100 applications! (wow!) So they flew me to Noho to tour the office, meet everyone, and officially sign the offer. It was amazing. Such a cool city, great coworkers, incredible organization. I feel so blessed. My post-college life seems to have finally begun. I'm so excited. I start in late July with a month of training in Colorado. :)

2. Boating/Tubing:
On Saturday I went with my friends Shaun, Aubrey, Katie Tracy, and Ray to Alum Creek to go boating and tubing...and it was INCREDIBLE! So much freakin fun!!! Let me tell you, it was like THE PERFECT DAY. Sunny, warm, and just laying on the boat sunbathing, listening to music, and then riding on the tube attached to the rope on the end of the boat, laughing and enjoying good friends...it was perfection. One of those, "wow, thank you God for this moment" kind of days. Life is good. :) (pics up on Facebook)

3. Memorial 3-Day Weekend:
I had probably the great 3-day weekend EVER. Starting with boating on Saturday, then Sunday and Monday hanging out with the whole group of friends over at our friends' John and Staci's house, it was just a weekend full of laughter and joy. Such a blessing to realize that you have such amazing friends in your life. It was truly great. What a journey. :)