Earlier, I decided to set up my new Google+ account since Jeff invited me. It's strange starting with a completely blank slate. I have put over 5 years into my FB, which has served me well. I wish they would stop changing it's look, but honestly we all get used to it, so I've stopped complaining. (idk if it was just me, but for about a week there were ads in the middle of my wall and newsfeed. I was 10% more serious about quitting than usual. That's like 15%!)
I uploaded a few of my favorite pictures from Europe and have been messing around with all the options and it's pretty neat. I either want to convert my close friends and leave FB (not deleting the notes and pictures and contacts I have made over the years), or I will leave Google+ after a few weeks before I'm totally hooked to a 2nd social network. Hold me to this, dear readers: I MUST NOT USE MORE THAN ONE SOCIAL NETWORK. That's why I never bothered with Twitter. I have to say, the integration with Blogger and Gmail and YouTube and essentially THE INTERNET via Google is very nice.
Whilst perusing my many photo folders from my time abroad, I remembered a lot of things I had forgotten, and it made me miss Wien and all of Austria and Berlin and Munich and Prague. My little 'Best of Europe' album I threw together for Google+ was 50 pictures. Which really is being selective because if I recall, I took 4000 or so.
I love these in particular:
Der Musikverein
Prague
Berlin Cathedral
Schönbrunn
God, I'm so glad I went over fall and winter! I loved the Christkindlmärkte, and Glühwein, and Sturm, and everything looked lovely when it snowed.
Besides pictures, I hope I've brought home a more active lifestyle. It's hard not to sit in front of my computer all day, but I've tried. Working with my dad is fun; I really enjoy working with my hands (my dad does handyman stuff, in case I didn't mention it in an earlier post) and it keeps me busy. I should be practicing more, but having borrowed Chris' old viola, I can explore even more music. I am trying to copy, study, and make flashcards of all 501 German Verbs in my Barron's Guide. If I do 5 a day I have a chance, although tonight I started hanging pictures at midnight and then I wanted to blog. Also I want to translate the libretto of Die Zauberflöte. I had finished the first scene before I left Wien but haven't worked on it since.
But that's old news I think. My current obsession is travel. I went up to Mammoth Cave National Park yesterday on a whim, and it was a lot of fun. I'm thinking about finally seeing Knoxville and the Smokies (I hope I can stay at Walker's), and I even thought about going to St. Louis to see the Arch and the Mississippi River. I know it goes through Memphis which is a lot closer, but... not that interested in Memphis.
What I've been dreaming about for a long time is a huge road trip across the country. More recently, on a slightly smaller scale, I've envisioned a trip basically up through Chicago, out to Denver, and back around through Minneapolis and Appleton, then back to Nashville, again through Chicago. I would pick up Amelia, Rochelle, and Chelsea on the way, and we'd stay with Westrey for a few days in Denver. It's only 3,320 miles! I don't think we can work it out, but I can dream, can't I?
We're all poor college kids and I need to save money for grad school auditions.
Speaking of which, I need to study the schools more closely and make sure requirements are standard. Practicing would be good, too. I'd like to get at least one more lesson with Erin Hall this summer. But I doubt I'll get Sibelius back into good enough shape to record before summer is over. Schade. Here's my preliminary list, I'll keep people updated as the process continues:
Colorado University, Boulder; Arizona State University; San Francisco Conservatory; Rice; and maybe University of Southern California.
Anyway, I work tomorrow again so I should hit the hay. Ciao!
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