Slow down, you crazy child

Disclaimer: this is gonna be long and filled with nostalgia.

Location: One of the many Starbucks in Union Square, Manhattan, New York City
Time: 2:14PM (I indulged in a fourteen-hour dreamless sleep last night)
Mood(s): nostalgic, inspired, motivated (the last two are not the same!! Yay for things you learn while doing research)

I'm not really sure what purpose today's post will serve, but it will be random, long, and probably chaotic.

I got into the beautiful Port Authority bus terminal (sarcasm) last night at midnight after a short trip back up to Ithaca to finish up moving out and saying goodbye. I went for a whirlwind two days of hanging out, Wegman's, take out, Starbucks, and Kilpatrick's. Goodbyes included the IHS band, Jeff, Emily, and Jimmy. I've already posted a pouty FB status about how much goodbyes suck, so I'll just mention that "see you later" is not ideal when later is not defined. I truly hope to Skype with my friends often this summer, and to see them all sooner rather than later. Two hours before I was supposed to leave, I couldn't find Emily and couldn't leave without saying goodbye. I also got overwhelmingly sad to leave 18-07, the best BFF sleepover apartment palace that I will ever have. I was supposed to leave at 4:45, but got cold feet, and decided that time with friends and a slower goodbye was more important. In the words of Billy Joel, it's alright, you can afford to lose a day or two.

Anyway, got on the bus (hopefully that was the last shortline bus from Ithaca-NYC I will ever have to take!), took a Dramamine (the driver was a little reckless), and after an hour of misty reflection, zonked out for the final four hours of the trip. Got into NYC at midnight, got to Jan's apartment, and slept like a rock for the next ten. When I awoke, all of the sadness that I experienced leaving Ithaca had been swallowed by the morning sun, so I went on my merry way.

As I was telling a good friend, I've been dreading these goodbyes for a good six months, ever since they started to feel real. Surprisingly, however, senior week, several goodbyes, and a commencement later, I didn't feel too sad. If anything, I felt pretty numb. I kept waiting for it to hit, and it never did. Sitting alone at the bus terminal after a whirlwind two days, it did. It finally hit, and it sucked. Thankfully, I have a crazy fun summer ahead of me, so I'll probably be distracted from my sadness. In fact, I've been so distracted that I failed to notice that my NY state music teacher certification has been issued. I find that hilarious, cause I still feel like I'm 12 years old. Back to nostalgia - I'm sure that come October, when things start to settle down a bit more, I'll miss everyone/Ithaca quite a bit. Until then, I have plenty to do...

Today, I must:

Prep for my summer school class. That involves writing a letter for the parents, modifying the Glee arrangements for 10 female voices, doing a few lessons plans to take me through the first week or so, coming up with classroom procedures, locating/collecting materials that I'll need (sheet music, accompaniment tracks), learning the songs myself, figuring out how to teach tricky parts by rote (the entire class is taught by rote!!!), create a web page for the class, choosing vocalises and other warm-ups, finalizing the song list, and coming up with non-performance projects and things we can do to make the class a more complete musical experience.

Read more of Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography (thanks, Erika!)

Tomorrow is my errand day, and the weekend is for quality time with my sister. Home on Tuesday (via the INAGURAL JFK-HNL flight on Hawaiian Airlines!!

Today, you must:
Visit Christina's blog! Christina and I had the idea to blog with each other as a way of keeping in touch and recording our experiences as beginner teachers. We are hoping to use our posts as data for a research project in the future. If you're fresh into the real world, you should blog, too!

christinasantoro.blogspot.com

Welp, this post has been pretty chaotic - it reflects my thoughts, although it doesn't quite capture the sadness I feel about leaving Ithaca. Maybe I'll be able to reflect upon my time there more eloquently once summer has come to pass. I'll leave you with some lyrics from Billy Joel's Vienna, a song that has helped me to take pause during these last few weeks. A few people have told me that I'm totally different in recent months - much more carefree, and better able to relax and enjoy rather than worrying about what I have left to do. I credit all of the people who have encouraged this shift in me for the awesome final semester I've had. Not only did I chill out and have more fun, but I still got a 4.0 (ok, I credit that part to the fairly easy electives I took during my final semester - in my defense, all of my major coursework was already completed!). I'll admit, I feel equal parts ready for a fun summer and totally geared up to dive head-first into my career. Hopefully I can balance the fun I've learned to have (thanks, friends!) with the new responsibilities I'm ready to take on with my entire being. Anyway, here are the lyrics. Peace out!

Slow down you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight
Too bad but it's the life you lead
You're so ahead of yourself
That you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you're wrong

But you know you can't always see when you're right
You got your passion you got your pride
But don't you know only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize
Vienna waits for you