Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, Everybody!

Madre and Seester came into town to visit this weekend!

In Newport.

My uh-mazing dessert. Oh my gosh. MMM.

Showin' Seester around campus

The Easter Bunny came to greet us at Saturday brunch!

This was Chelsea's meal. I was jealous.

On their last night in Cin-City we went to my favorite spot 

downtown called Margaritas.

Margaritas is this little mexican food place that my wonderful friend Kate and I started going to so that we could get our Mexican food fix here in Cincinnati. 

We have since become regulars.

We even have our own booth!

It makes me feel kind of cool.

'Til next time...

-C

Oh, Harrow.

I know I've been a Cranky Magoo lately

and I just wanted to say...

Thank you for putting up with my OCCASIONAL irrational and difficult behavior with such patience.

It's just, I've sort of liked you for a while now.
And well, I miss you when you're away.

I hope you had a wonderful day.
I give you a night of playing Call of Duty with no argument from me =D.
I think that makes us even.
Forever.

:)

Love,

  Cranky Magoo.

Today.

Today was a beautiful day here at UC.

I absolutely love my schedule right now.

I also got a chance to go see the seniors NY showcase today,

and will be attending the Dolly Awards this evening (a CCM awards night)

Seeing the Seniors perform was so inspiring and I'm so happy for them.

I know they're all going to do amazing things.

Keep your eyes peeled for an update on the Dolly Awards tomorrow :)

'Til next time...

-C

My Path to Academia.

Today was my first day as a non-CCM student. And it was weird.

Real weird.

I woke up at 8:00 this morning for my first 10:00 class. I did this for tres reasons.

1) I needed to shower which would mean blowdrying of the hair. How I wish I were a boy sometimes.
2) I wanted to have a healthy, hearty breakfast before I began my first day on My Path to Academia.
3) I had an awful nightmare that was keeping me up and I figured now was just as good a time as any to start my day.

**Noted: The CCM Drama Department still has my coffeemaker from Boards. I neeeed you, coffeemaker. If any of my acting lovelies are reading this and could maybe retrieve this for me one day, I would be grateful.**

So, I showered, got dressed (not in my originally planned first day of school outfit I might add, the Cincinnati weather was disappointing), and stopped at the dining hall for a bagel and coffee. I left about 20 minutes early armed with my number two pencils and notebooks to get to my class because I had NO idea where any of these buildings were. I have been occupying the same side of UC's Campus since the beginning of the year and rarely had time or need to travel outside of it. Luckily, I found all of them pretty easily thanks to the trusty campus map.

My first two classes went really well! I had Intro to Journalism and Interpersonal Communications. I was originally taking Intro to Mass Communications but it was a 3 hour long class on Wednesday evenings. This way, I'm done at 3 everyday and can hopefully get a job for weeknights. I was surprised by how much I liked the professors. My only 2 academic professors here before this were not so great, but these guys were really enthusiastic and welcoming. I can tell already that I'll really like both of the classes.

I have a break at noon followed by the CCM class that I'm still taking, Fundamentals of Directing. It was interesting being there today. For a moment, I almost forgot that I had even left CCM. All day in my academic classes I was sitting there thinking "Hm. So this is how the other half lives...".

Right now I kind of feel like I'm having an out of body experience and just watching myself as I go through this change. Its weird going on the other side of campus. It's weird having time to go to the gym. It's weird thinking "I need to shower but when will I ever have the time...oh wait...I do." It's weird having classes with completely different people.

Today really reminded me of how I felt in the first week at CCM. Totally weirded out. Not because it's actually a weird thing, but because it's new. And that's exactly what today was. SO new and different than I'm used to.

Acting is so familiar to me. Being in an Ensemble is so familiar to me. Academia is NOT familiar to me. Being surrounded by a million people I don't know is NOT familiar to me. My performing arts high school had like 400 students in it TOTAL.

I think for a long time people thought I was taking such a big risk by majoring in Acting in college, but to be honest, that felt like the safest option I could ever pick. I knew what to expect. Right now, I really have no idea what the rest of my quarter will be like, and it's scary to me. Not at all in a bad way, but I it doesn't feel like a "safe" choice or like I'm "taking the easy way out." It feels good because I'm learning about myself, and things I've never studied before.

For the first time in too long, I think about acting and I smile again. I look back at the way that I used to perform and the way that I've performed since I've been here and I swear sometimes it feels like two completely different people. Because one of them had heart, and one of them didn't. Everyone reacts differently to training. For me, I think I had an overdose from doing it for so long, that I forgot how to just BE.  But today, I remembered why I love it. Freeing myself from making it my only option, has made me remember why it ever was one. And that makes me really happy. Because at the end of this, I'll have every option.

For now, you can find me moseying down the Path To Academia :).

 

My new, adorable "Desk Scape" :)

Thanks for readin y'all.

'Til next time...




-C

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Hello, blogosphere. I have news!


Firstly. Tims left today for his first Co-Op job in Buffalo, NY! For those who aren't familiar with co-ops, heres a little tutorial: Ya see, Trevor's program does this really cool thing where starting the end of his Sophomore year, he begins to alternate quarters of working professionally in the field he's studying (Industrial Design, if you're curious), and taking classes at school. It's a really great way to get hands on experience and build up your resume before you even graduate. It's more than interning because you're working full time and don't take classes simeltaneously. You also get paid! He's a very lucky boy because it also allows him to travel outside of Cincinnati. Not too shabby. The downside is that he's in school all year round because he has to take classes in the summer, and you're in school for 5 years instead of 4. But still, a small price to pay :).

 So last night I said goodbye to him and will be returning to Cin-City solo. I'll miss him, but I'm so excited that he gets to do this! He's fooling around with the idea of starting a blog to document his internship (he also made it very clear it would be only about his internship, nothing about his mushy gushy feelings for me. he knows me too well.) Buffalo is about a 7 hour drive from Cinci, so hopefully we'll get to each other on weekends once in a while. Another fancy perk about the company he's working for is that Fridays are a half day, which makes it much easier to make weekend trips. Hoorah!

Secondly.  I have just made a very big change to my life that I'm really excited to tell you all about.
After a lot of thought and consideration, I've decided to leave CCM and switch my major. I'll be staying at UC, and will most likely declare a communications major in the fall. For now, I'll be taking some core classes to recieve some credits.

If you're a first time reader, let me give you a little background. Since September I've been an acting student at a conservatory. Before that, I went to a pre professional performing arts high school, and before that, I went to a performing arts magnet middle school. So many people think that going to school for acting is a cop-out of doing any "real" work, but let me tell ya-you couldn't be more wrong. A typical day at school for me started at 9am and didn't end until 10:30pm, and I think all of winter quarter I had 2 weekends off. This is all in conjunction with memorizing lines, doing homework, and trying to maintain your personal hygeine. It's a tricky lifestyle but I'm surrounded by people who handle it very well.

Winter Quarter was really rough for me. Well, Winter Quarter is rough for EVERYONE. But for me, it was a little more than just being busy. I had little to no motivation all the time, and I can't tell you how lonely it feels to be in a room full of people who are so excited to be doing something that just feels like a chore to you. I'm not sure why I felt this way, or what changed for me this quarter.

After talking to the head of my department, it was noted that I was always very engaged and giving when I would be watching other people work in class, but when it was my turn to work, the fire dwindled. It's weird hearing this, because it's true and it's weird that it's true because that was never the case for me before. I've been acting since I could talk practically, and that's when I've always felt the most alive.  That's where my energy comes from. But this quarter, I found myself being relieved when I was offstage. I found myself doing things just to get through them, but having no joy in my work at all. It was scary for me because this is something that has DEFINED me for the majority of my life.

I finally realized that feeling this way is okay. I finally realized that this doesn't mean I don't get to be an actress, or that I can't be involved with theatre, it just means I need to be in control of my own life and have other options. Maybe turning something that I love so much into a job isn't right for me. I love it too much to let it become something that I dread. Who knows if that's the way that I'll feel a month from now, but I'm comforted knowing that the choice is mine, and that I hold the control over my own life. It was a scary decision to make, but a surprisingly easy one because I knew deep down that this is what I needed to do. Whether or not I pursue an acting career when I graduate, I don't know right now. I know it will always be a part of my life, but at this point I need to be able to have more control over what I do. I'm excited to move forward. I feel settled and good about this decision and I know that everything will come together the way that it should.

So! Here is my schedule for next quarter:

Monday: Intro to Journalism (10:00-10:50)
                Fundamentals of Directing (1:00-1:50)
                Math (boooo! 2:00-2:50)

Tuesday: Off. Yes. I'm off. I have no classes. Zip. Zilch. So instead I'll fill my time with working out, homework, and eventually a job when I'm able to get a car to Cincinnati!

Wednesday: Intro to Journalism (10:00-10:50)
                     Fundamentals of Directing (1:00-1:50)
                     Math (boooo! 2:00-2:50)
                     Intro to Mass Communications (3:00-5:40)

Thursday: Off. Yep. Again! More working out, homework, and a job! I'm so excited to be able to get a job and have my own money again. Definite Plus :)

Friday: Intro to Journalism (10-00-10:50)
            Fundamentals of Directing (1:00-1:50)
            Math (boooo! 2:00-2:50)
 


           
So there you go. Thats my new, simpler life. I'm so excited to see where it will take me.


'Til next time...




-C


             

Family Matters.

Being home this spring break makes me miss my family an unexplainable amount.
I've never really been homesick before but boy oh boy, I feel homesick now and I'm still here.

It's difficult being brought up in two different places. When I'm in Texas, I miss my friends in Maryland, and I miss the city of Baltimore because it feels like home. I instantly get a smile on my face when I drive into Fells Point.

It's weird because since I've been here, I haven't spent much time with my friends.
That's partially because our spring breaks don't line up,
but I'm also just really enjoying being at home with my Madre as much as I can.
I'm not QUITE sure she was prepared to spend this much time with me =D

But when I'm in Maryland, I really miss my family in Texas.

And today, I really miss one person in particular.

See that adorable blonde lady? That's my cousin Jodi. And today, I miss her a lot.

I'm not sure she knows this, but she's someone that I've always looked up to.
 When I think of what I'd like to be like when I'm out of school and settled down, I immediately think of Jodi.

                    
Thats her husband, Luis. I know. He's almost just as cute as she is.

 These are their ridiculously beautiful children.
That's Brianna (the older one) and Bella (the little munchkin on the right).
Have you EVER seen two prettier girls?
I didn't think so.
I tell them all the time that I'd like to order one for myself at around 26 or 27.

They think I'm joking.


Besides being adorable and having an adorable family, Jodi is also one of the strongest women I've ever met. My family is PACKED with strong women.

Jodi had Brianna when she was just 18 years old, which is so hard for me to believe because even when I was little I remember thinking instantly what a good mom she was.

She is a perfect example to me of being able to turn a scary situation into an amazing life.
She's a successful Real Estate Agent by day,
and a Great Mom/Zumba go-er/ Gardener/Chef/Hilarious person by night.
Not to mention a fashion connoisseur, look at how CUTE her clothes are!
I use the word cute a lot, because there is just no other way to describe Jodi.
She is the funniest, goofiest,  most charming person,
and I miss the days of sitting on her patio drinking wine and solving the world's problems.
If I am ever in a situation where I have no idea what to do,
which will probably be more often than I'd like,
I would pretty much do whatever Jodi told me,
because that's how smart I think she is.

In conclusion...

If you ARE with your family, don't take it for granted.
I would love to have my whole world in one place.


'Til next time...


-C

:)

Tims comes home from Bermuda tomorrow!

I can't wait to see him :)

This picture is from 4 years ago.

But I still love to look at it.

'Til next time...

-C