Oh my goodness!!!

This week has been clouds for Miss Sunshine. It has been so unbelievable. I'm not even sure what to say. It's been gorgeous outside, but life has made me grumpy. If something could go awry, then it has. I have had barely any time to practice...and I have my lesson in an hour. As for piano, that's been almost pushed entirely to the wayside, and that lesson is tomorrow morning. Ugh! I spent Sunday AND Monday writing papers. Monday night, I was in the library for almost FIVE HOURS!!! I have no place to live when I return from Hungary. Everything with the housing lottery (random selection of when you can go choose where you want to live next year) went wrong. For one, I don't even get to have a place because I'm going to be gone, and apparently, that means I have no rights. Needless to say, that leaves me in ambiguity for how things will actually be. My friends were going to get a university-owned apartment, and I was going to move in when I returned. BUT they weren't any left when they got to go. DUMB! So they unhappily signed for a couple of dorm rooms in one of the last available spaces. And I'm in the dark. What's new? We have no idea what we're going to do. Yesterday, I got a letter from the Kodály Institute. Of course, I got really excited. I opened it to find papers that must be submitted with my visa application, and then I opened the second folded paper to find in bold print the dates "September 6th or 7th" and "September 15th" before I even read anything else. I pretty much freaked. Apparently, I'm not supposed to be there until September 6th or 7th and classes begin September 15th. HOWEVER, I already purchased my plane ticket for August 29th because they told me I needed to be there August 30th or 31st! Argh! I was frustrated to tears. (There have been quite a few tears this week actually.) It was the final thing that just pushed me over the edge. I really shouldn't be complaining because it's a whole week in Europe to do whatever and go wherever I want. It's no one's fault, but it is still really frustrating. It was simply a miscommunication. I went back to my room, did my best to calm down so I could think rationally, and then began making phone calls. First, I called the airline and explained the situation. The lady was really kind and felt really bad but unfortunately said she couldn't do anything. Next, I called the agent through which I booked, and the response I got was: "That sucks!" That was all they had to say. Oh, and that it was a nonrefundable ticket. Finally, I called Jen in the International Education office (she and Dr. Mathias are the advisors for this program) and explained what had happened. She couldn't believe it either. We talked for probably almost 20 minutes, and she really calmed me down and revived my spirit. We discussed options, and I decided to get in touch with Katrin and see if I could just hop a train to Vienna for the week. So that is what I'm going to do. I'll fly into Budapest and then catch a train to Vienna and spend the week in Austria. (Maybe a side trip to Salzburg for a couple days, too!) It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Obviously, God meant for me to book that ticket and arrive early, so I could go to Austria. Maybe it is the only time over those four months I'll be able to go to Austria. And maybe it means I'll get to visit more places that originally thought because of the free week before. Maybe I'll get to go to Rome and Switzerland and England after all. Who knows. It's possible. Plus, whatever jet lag I experience will be said and done with by the time I go to Keczkemét. This is going to be amazing. So good really can come from bad. I know everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, it's just hard to remember that in the moment of frustration. Yesterday, I was also supposed to practice with Chad in the afternoon, but that ended up as me sitting outside his office waiting while he talked on the phone with the organ professor. It's fine, but I could have actually gotten something done had I known. (Plus, I have sounded awful the past couple days! My lesson today shall be interesting to say the least!) He told me to come by that evening, and we'd practice. He was so slap-happy. He'd worked way too much yesterday. His brain was fried. I kept apologizing for his ears, and he kept cracking up and playing absolutely random stuff. There was one time when a page was missing, and he didn't realize it, so he started playing a whole different song in the middle of the one we were doing! So ridiculous! Then, I went to try and practice a bit of piano, and out of nowhere, I realized that this Saturday is not the 25th. The 25th I have something for SAI, so I called my grandma a few days ago and asked if she could make some cookies and send them for the event. Well, she sent them already, and I realized that I don't need them this week. I need them NEXT week. I called her, and we just started laughing. Unbelievable! Now, I am going to have four dozen cookies. I'm sure I can find people to eat them without a problem. (Everyone loves "Grandma cookies" here.) So now, I she's going to send more next week. Geez! This morning was going great. I had an exam that I didn't have time to study for (gen. ed...math ...gross!), but it was fine. I'm not really worried. But then, things took a turn. Choir...the biggest stressor of my life!!! I'm just going to leave it at that. It'll be okay. I'm just really mad about what happened and find it completely uncalled for. Whatever. Hopefully, life will get sunny-er soon! Off to my lesson. Oh, and I found out my sister is going to have a boy, so I'll have a nephew.