Es schneit!

It is snowing! Ich liebe Schnee! Das ist sehr schön! Here in Columbus, not a lot of snow is seen. Just cold. I'm from the snowbelt and love the snow. People here freak out when it snows...like the world is coming to an end...it's rather humorous. So, this is my first blog ever, and I actually set it up because I wanted to have an online journal for my family and friends to read when I study abroad in the fall. However, I got really excited and decided what the heck! Might as well just start now. Speaking of study abroad, I cannot wait! It is going to be such an incredible experience! I will be studying at the Kodály Institute of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary. (I am a vocal music performance major.) It is going to be so amazing! My application is in and am now in the process of waiting. I am not a very patient person, so I don't care much for the waiting period. Hopefully, I'll hear soon. I've been thinking about this idea of studying in Europe for months now and get so excited about it. (As you can probably tell, I get really excited about things. I love life! I am just so blessed! I can't help being bubbly and ridiculous a lot of the time. What fun is life without being a little crazy?) Four months in beautiful Europe studying what I love most. I can't wait to be immersed even more in gorgeous music! AND...I will get to travel around while I'm there, too. Vienna (where I'll get to stay with my Austrian friend Katrin), Salzburg, Prague, Rome....At the very least, I want to explore those places. I'd love to return to Switzerland and England, too, but we shall see where I am led over those months. I am scared out of my mind, though. I kind of freaked out the other day about getting on a plane over an ocean by myself, and I am not even at the point of booking a ticket yet. I've only flown once by myself before...and that was only a two-hour flight. It'll be alright, though. All part of the adventure. I also worry about leaving my brilliant teacher here. Lynn is the most amazing voice teacher I could ever ask for! She is such a sweetheart! She's become not just my teacher but my mentor and friend as well. However, maybe this will be wonderful for me. (I'll unfortunately have to leave her eventually :-( . ) I am going to look on the bright side and think about how it will enhance the great work Lynn and I are doing, and when I come back, I'll be brilliant! Besides planning for Europe, life has just been craziness as always. Gotta love it, though! This semester is really big for me. The application is in, so that's one thing off my list. However, as the process progresses, there will be more to do. Lots of paperwork and getting money in order (I hate money!) and arranging life here before leaving it, etc. The list is probably endless. I got sick the first few weeks of the semester, so I feel like I'm kind of playing catch up in the voice studio. My stamina is finally getting back to what it was, and I just got to start my new repertoire within the last couple of weeks. I'm doing quite well, though. It's really hard to work the voice back up after a break and/or being sick. Blech! I hate having to do that! The next few months that I have left with my teacher here I am really concentrating on my technique. Resonance is so hard! My 'vocal placement' has a mind of its own. Lynn keeps telling me, "Make it so bright that yellow is shimmering all around you." She makes me smile with her crazy analogies...but they work. I was way out in blue somewhere, but I am venturing in green right now, so we're getting closer! That is my ultimate goal this semester....creating yellow aka making my technique in resonance solid. The conservatory scholarship competition is Saturday afternoon. It's going to be great. I love performing! I am ready to roll! I am really excited. (Yellow shall shimmer through the whole hall. hehe!) My fabulous accompanist, Chad, is out of town :-( BUT the wonderful Isaac, a friend of mine, has graciously stepped and is doing super. I don't know what I'd do without my incredible friends. :) Well, it's off to bed. It's rather late, and although we all secretly wish for a 'snow day,' I highly doubt it'll happen.