I realize that I haven’t yet talked about my plans for this summer. Here’s what I’m up to:

1. Home in San Antonio for 1 month, until July 2nd, when I:
2. Go to my sister’s China adoption group reunion! (Remember these girls?)
3. Return to Stockbridge, MA to do research for my senior thesis in Anthropology! (I also haven’t really talked about this, have I? I’m sure I’ll find a chance to talk about it next semester… but feel free to Ask if you want to hear about it now!)

And then I’m back in DE. While I’m home I’ll actually be working as a performer at the local Six Flags theme park, Fiesta Texas! (Which will be my first paid acting job! Ahhhh!)

I’m finally settled in at home after leaving campus and my junior year behind.

I’ve been meaning to make a reflection post on the year, but it seems to have slipped away from me… I do want to say a few things, though: 

I went into this year with new-found inspiration and and it left me with a solid commitment. Some things that defined the year for me: playing Melchior in Spring Awakening, living in my own apartment with four wonderful friends, voice lessons, my 20 monologue project, Riot Act (a staple), being in two REP shows, and saying goodbye to a big group of graduating friends who I realized I have always inextricably associated with college and now no longer can.

Now I am back in Texas for a month, which may be the last significant amount of time I’m home for a long time (hopefully). Since next summer, well… I’ll have graduated.

Which brings me to this blog. I realized this year that I am not finding as natural to empathize with the high school senior searching for college, probably because I am not about to embark on the next big search in my life, or rather I already have. I will, as promised, continue to blog, but I will begin to focus more, instead of on my early experience, on what is in store for me after graduation, with my experiences at UD in tow.

Stick around for one more year as I finish out this journey. I’ve got plenty to do before this day is done.

Welcome, summer.

The day after the last day of classes is called Reading Day and is a day where nothing is scheduled so that everyone has a chance to start studying for finals. This is what mine is looking like:

• Drop off my last assignment for CHIN106
• Send an e-mail about registering for a Chinese calligraphy class next semester
• Aubmit IRB proposal for summer research
• Return some library books
• Do finals preparations for my 20 monologue showcase
• Perform my 20 monologues! (Tonight!)

Today is my last Monday of classes as a Junior. I only have two more “last Monday of classes” left in college. Agh.

Yesterday started a very good five days for me. It was the last Riot Act show of the year, where we said goodbye to Tony, our senior member this year (and this goodbye was potent; next year, it’ll be me that the troupe says goodbye to). It was a great show on all accounts.

Tonight is the showcase for my THEA205 class, which promises to be a great show, too. Every student has created a short one-person show as a character inspired by commedia dell’arte masks. Last year I went to see this showcase and had a great time. This year I’m in it!

And finally, next Wednesday (reading day for finals when we’re technically not supposed to have a scheduled events… whoops!) is the culmination of my 20 monologue project: I will be performing all 20 monologues I have been working on this year back-to-back as an independent showcase for my friends and family.

So it’s a good week for theatre! I’m glad to be doing so much of what I love here at my university.

• 1 week of classes
• THEA205 (my mask class) showcase on May 12th
• My 20 Monologue Challenge performance on May 15th
• Applying to IRB for my summer research
• 2 finals
• packing/setting up apartment for next year
• attending graduation

And I’m sure I’m missing one or two things.