On Blessings and Stuff

It's been another long day. Perhaps I should say another long week.

I know I am just one of many college students experiencing this back to school phenomenon but still (!) I am unsure of how it shocks me every year. How was I this busy? How did I do all these things? But somehow life keeps moving, and I keep moving and hopefully in the end I grow as a person.

But it's nights like these when I feel the need to stop. Sit myself down on my yoga mat, in boxers shorts, with a journal and a mug of "Stress Relief" tea (it really is a miracle worker) and just think. 

And though I've been stressed and overworked

all in all

it has been a good month.

Here are just a few of the things that tonight I am really thankful for:

1. I got engaged. To a pretty fantastic guy. And we're both really excited

2. In 8 months and 6 days I get to marry him!

3. I am living with some amazing people

4. I'm at a phenomenal school where I'm learning so much

5. I have awesome friends (I'm talking about you Kate, Emily and Ariel!) Thanks for the messages.

So blessed. So tonight instead of stressing out about homework, the presentation I have to give tomorrow, or the cost of gasoline, I am going to spend time gulping some tea and just taking it all in. Thanks to so many people for supporting me this year! You all are so loved.  

A Word from the Front

Hello all! Greetings from the presitigious Jordan College of the Arts!

I am now in my third week of studying at Butler University and am loving it! I have delved headfirst into being a student which means staying up extremely late, continuing to get up early, reading until my eyes water and refuse to stay open and eating an exorbitant amount of unhealthy food e.g. Chips Ahoy cookies. Other than my unhealthy work habits, everything is going quite well here! I am starting to get into a routine (for instance, I am now attending a regular yoga class at the HRC. Woot!) and I think after this week finishes up I will feel partially sane.

One thing that I am absolutely LOVING is my major change. What?! You're probably asking. No, I didn't change out of music. Instead, I changed my major from a B.A. in Cello Performance to a B.M. What's the difference? The difference is that a Bachelor of Arts is more general - you take more liberal arts electives rather than music courses. A Bachelor of Music translates to taking a lot more music courses. Which is what I came for, right?! So far I'm loving it.

I ran into a friend from high school youth symphony the other day and couldn't stop gushing to her about my classes. Just this semester I am taking Fundamentals of Chamber Music, Introduction to Digital Arts, World Music and Pedagogy! And that's excluding my symphony, chamber ensemble and private instruction credits! It's fantastic! It feels completely unreal to me to be attending classes where I'm learning things like how to mark scores, transpose parts for different instruments, analyze performances and make my own professional website - which I will be sharing on the blog once I complete it.

Yet while it has been so much fun to be so connected and involved, it can also completely overtake my schedule. This week and next I am going to do my best to really focus my energy on my work so that I can relax away from the computer and textbooks.

Have a fantastic week!
Ellie