Introductions and Goodbyes

First off I would like to welcome you all to my blog, whoever you may be. Of course there is the giant possibility that only a handful of people will actually read it (most of the views may end up just being from my mother) but that doesn’t matter. I am about to embark on a great adventure, for the sake of nothing better to call it, let’s call it life, shall we? Yes, it’s the cliché to end all cliché’s but it’s the truth I suppose. I am finishing up my life as an undergraduate. It’s been a fun 22 years that's for sure. Being financially supported entirely by my family and by the little amount that the federal government decided to lend me while I was in school was certainly nice while it lasted, but now the diploma is on its way and I have to start paying everything back and start to make a path for myself. I am fortunate enough to be taking part in a study abroad program in London this spring term. I actually took part in this program two years ago, but it was so nice and such an eye opening experience I decided to through caution (or more accurately, finances) to the wind and go again. My flight actually leaves SeaTac on Wednesday at 6:45pm. I will be in London for two glorious months; bearing witness to the wonderful and dynamic theatre they have to offer, doing workshops with professionals in the London scene, and most importantly for me, looking for graduate schools that will have me. Yes, my big plan that I have for myself after graduating in June, is more school. I feel it’ll be different this time ‘round seeing as I’m hoping to be about 5,000 miles (as a crow flies) away from everything and everyone I know. I’m up for it. The wonderful thing about theatre (that’s my major, take it or leave it) is that you really can’t know enough about it. At least there is always something more to learn. Some new play that is all the rage and bending the rules of Post –Modern society, or a new movement, or an old text found that changes everything we know about some playwright long since dead and buried. Theatre is one of those things that seems like it never changes, like history, but it actually is based on new findings, and that is one thing to get excited about.

As you can most likely tell from the title, this blog is going to be about my life in London, things I do and see and basic accounts on what I think about Britain and the "London life" (SPOILER: I am a huge Anglophile already). As promised to my mom and one of my professors back in Oregon, I will be posting basic rundowns of shows I see, I’ll try not to be too critical, but everyone is a critic so it probably will be. The first one on the list will be posted (hopefully) on the night of April 2^nd and it will be on the production of King Lear starring Derek Jacobi (yeah I get to see some pretty epic performances). Not too sure on the schedule too far out in advance so I’ll just be sure to post what it will be next time at the end of each post from here on out.

Since that about wraps up the introductions, now it’s time for some goodbyes. I touched on the fact earlier in the post about leaving my undergrad days. This is the closing of a chapter of my life. When I started packing up to move out of my apartment in Eugene a couple of weeks ago, I started writing down all the things that college had given me since 2007. It’s amazing what one can accumulate over time. The list goes as follows (and no, I’m not a hoarder):

• ·         Three boxes of books
• ·         10 pairs of knit gloves in a variety of colors
• ·         Years of Birthday and Valentine’s Day cards from family members
• ·         Over $35,000 of debt to be paid
• ·         7 half used notebooks 
•   2 full of Italian
• ·         4 seam rippers
• ·         21 pairs of shoes 
• 7 of which are Converse
• ·         2 irons
• ·         1 exercise ball
• Used twice
• ·         1 wooden sword
• ·         11 reusable bags
• ·         1 large, overflowing plastic bag filled with smaller plastic bags
• ·         3 pairs of heels
• ·         1 air conditioner 
• Sold to next door neighbor
• ·         Countless cardboard boxes
• ·         5 lamps
• ·         2 harmonicas
• One “G”, one “C”
• ·         1 bag of receipts to be shredded
• ·         1 Ukulele
• ·         1 Guitar
• ·         1 unused greenbook and 3 unused scantrons
• ·         1 camouflage jacket
• ·         3 metal water bottles
• ·         1 drill with drill bit set and extender
• ·         4 pairs of headphones
• ·         4 pairs of scissors
• ·         1 pair of prescription glasses
• ·         1 Shakespeare bobble-head
• ·         1 lost roll of packing tape 
•    Later found
• ·         2 egg timers
• ·         2 Maglite flashlights
• ·         Dozens of friends to never be forgotten
• ·         Professors that changed lives
• ·         A city with complete lack of well-planned streets 
•    Seriously, who plans an intersection with no stop signs?
• ·         A school that is literally green all year round
• ·         A small studio apartment with cracks in the walls and a doorbell that never worked
• ·         Four years of “first times”, “good times” and rain

Check back March 31^st: First Day Back in London