Today, I read an article that identified my life. (Gratitude 307)

Okay, more what my life will become, but even now, in different circumstances, this is already my life...and becoming evermore apparent as I follow this imminent pursuit of a city of considerably farther distance from home. The title: "Festing: The Sometimes Lonely Realities." (Unfortunately, the article is not archived on the Classical Singer website yet, as it is in the February issue, so I cannot provide a link to it.)

No, of course, I am not currently a Fest singer in Germany, but maybe (hopefully!) someday I shall become such. Regardless, the realities of my chosen career path begin and endure in such emotional tug-o-wars as described in the words published by Jennifer Porto. She states right out in the forefront as the subtitle of the piece, "A full-time American Fest singer in Germany shares the realities of the hard days when contractual obligations mean missing out on once-in-a-lifetime family events and living in a foreign country means always feeling like an outsider. Are the trade-offs for doing what you love worth it?"

Honestly, I wish I could publish this article here for you to read (and for those who are still gaining insight into this somewhat distant world I've chosen and what its gains vs. sacrifices really mean), however, I do not possess the license to do so.

Somehow, this post has become unavoidably melancholic. (I apologize for the slight "Debby Downer" air.) And in answer to the question of whether it is worth it, I shall leave you with Ms. Porto's bittersweet closing remarks:

"...I remember going home from that rehearsal so angry and upset. It's not an easy decision to make to stay here, and that day made me really want to go home... And then I realized that if I were at home with my family, I wouldn't be doing what I'm lucky enough to get to do every day here. Yes, in a perfect world, I'd have exactly this job, but near my family...But we don't live in that perfect world. There's no uplifting end to this column. In the midst of loving what I do, there are days when I miss feeling at home and at ease. Today is one of them. Such is the life..."

C'est la vie...

**All quotations are credited to Jennifer Porto and Classical Singer magazine.

In my life...

Ridiculous, sometimes unexplainable, and overly ironic things happen. Seriously. Ridiculous.

So last week, I was unbelievably sick. :( I was in bed ALL week. Luckily, I didn't have many work shifts scheduled, but I still had to call the ones I did have off. Awesome to not have to go to work, very not cool for my bank account. Because I didn't have much work scheduled, I intended to spend the rest of my time that week studying and doing research. Obviously, that was all down the drain. To top it off, this scenario took place (and yes, it actually happened):

The heat went out in my apartment. It was literally 48°F in there. An icebox. I lost my voice, so my mom had to call Jerry the landlord for me. The maintenance guy came. Couldn't fix it. Furnace repair guy came. Circuit board was fried. Ordered a new one but wouldn't be in till the next day. Grrrreat! So Jerry brought up space heaters. He leaves, we plug them in, not even ten minutes later the electric went out. But, of course, not all the electric because when he came back, the kitchen and the bathroom still worked. So...we plugged the heaters into the kitchen with an extension cord while he went to the basement to reset the breaker...which wouldn't reset. Awesome. Maintenance guy is called to replace the breaker board. He and Alexa (my roommate) and Jerry leave. Ten minutes later: the rest of the electric EXCEPT for the microwave and the bathroom. Fantastic! Needless to say, we ended up going out to Alexa's parents' house to spend the night. I was a miserable mess and hadn't gotten any naps from all the chaos at the apartment that happened throughout the day. When we got back in the early afternoon the next day: still no heat. Really?! Thankfully, though, the heating dude showed up shortly thereafter. Hallelujah! Electricity and heat!

This is my life. haha! Finally doing better, too. By Saturday, I was doing much better and just was congested. Jeni's Ice Cream has this stuff called Influenza Sorbet that came out on Friday. It has orange juice, lemon juice, honey, ginger, cayenne pepper, and whiskey. It is some wicked stuff! I bought a pint on Friday and ate the whole thing! It seriously knocked a lot of it out of me. So I bought two more pints. haha!

Started some singing on Tuesday minus my entire top octave, but it's slowly coming back and still working on getting rid of the rest of this gunk. Coaching session and a voice lesson was had today. Boston in 12 days! Nerves, here they come! ;)

Gratitude 305
PG Tips tea. :) We have it at the bakery, and I sat over there this morning doing some studying with a cup of that tea before my lessons for the day.

Gratitude 306 (because I have some catch-up to play!)
Last night on a whim (what's life without whimsy? hehe!), my friend Lindsey from the bakery and I went to see The King's Speech. OMG! SOOO FREAKING GOOD! I seriously LOVED it. British humor plus an amazing performance from Colin Firth plus ridiculous yet hilarious vocal exercises during the elocution lesson portions equals one incredible film. I think it struck a special chord with me, coming from the vocal perspective. I have never had a speech impediment, but I understood the physicality of it and empathized with him in the sense of vocal production and its frustrations. Definitely going to watch this one again and again. :)

I live in an igloo.

Someone please tell me why my apartment is 56°F (13°C)!! Ridiculous! Feeling a bit better today, but the voice is a hot mess. Mmm sexy frog...just what I always wanted to sound like! haha!

I've done a lot of mindless TV watching the past couple of days. Three seasons of The Big Bang Theory for Christmas...3/4 of the way thru season 2...   (So much for that productive study week I'd anticipated! A little difficult when you can't even focus enough to read a title page or an email!)

Gratitude 304
Warm blankets! 

Now, please give back my soprano tessitura...and make my apartment's heat work, again!

The wrath of illness has struck!

Ugh. It hit me yesterday like a Mack truck. I have barely left my bed all day and had to call in a replacement for work. :*(  I don't know what's wrong, and I don't care...I just want it gone! It has also capsized my voice. :( Boston audition in 3 weeks and Chicago in 6. I'd like to be preparing for auditions and getting things accomplished rather than curled up in bed feeling so yucky. *sigh*

Gratitude 303
Email communication can be both a curse and a blessing...right now, I'm counting it as a blessing. ;) I have a feeling that exciting things are to come in the next few months!

Also, you should totally check out AniMusic because it is pretty sweet:

Check this kid out!

Look at me, getting holiday photos up before St. Patrick's Day! haha! ;) Check out the photos (and a video!) that I just added into the "Holidays in the Country" post. :)

Yup, I'm back in Ohio... *sigh* I am ready for a move...just don't know exactly where that will be quite yet...
Q is back in my life after his semester abroad. I missed that crazy kid. ;) And just like always, he's a whirlwind...he told me two days ago that he needs to record that new piece he wrote for me...like tomorrow. haha! Oh, Quinton! Gotta love the boy.

Gratitude 302
I actually really enjoy working with Geri and the gals at the bakery. It's like being in your own kitchen. Good times. (We don't need to even discuss my other job...ugh.) Plus, it's snowing right now, so finally it is beginning to look like January, again! Yay! Now, if my new snow boots would hurry up and arrive, we'd be all set. ;) 

Happy 2011!

I thought I'd start the new year off right by posting a quick little blurb. Here's to hoping 2011 brings exciting new adventures! ;)

Gratitude 301
Late nights watching TV or movies with my little sister...even though I've fallen asleep on her every night this holiday! haha!