balancin' the whole thing

I had my orchestra concert last night. string orchestra was not nearly as amazing an experience this semester as it was last winter and I had pretty much decided not to take orchestra next semester. but ... I changed my mind. I'm really going to miss it. the concert was good, especially the last number, an incredible mendelssohn. I am absolutely in love with lev -- he might be the best conductor I've ever had, and I have had a LOT of conductors over the years. I could have chosen to be in either string orchestra or university orchestra this semester and I chose the string and this whole time I've been regretting it, but as usual, it turned out for the best: I've already played three of the five pieces that the full orchestra played (verdi's la forza del destino, the nutcracker suite, and strauss's radetsky march). stephanie, oceane, abe and jessica & shantel came to watch and that made me very happy.

last night I made some snowflakes for my apartment. I will make more tonight. in fact, I will post pictures of my wonderful creations. it all started at work, they have huge stacks of paper sitting on the desk of all the labs for us to make snowflakes, and I'm the one that started it all. I don't know how they turn out so awesome, but they do. I have discovered, though, that I am intensely more creative when I'm upset about something. also last night, carlos taught me some basic self-defense. but I still think fighting off a man would be ... close to impossible. I just don't think I have enough power to break someone's kneecaps. I also went on a feminist rant. it was refreshing.

I put up the first two hours of my swkt shift this morning and mckay picked them up. theoretically, this was so I could get more sleep, but it turned out that me, steph and oceane stayed up until 4 in the morning. boy drama. so I was so dead all day today. I went to stats, even though I got absolutely nothing out of it, and then skipped the rest of my classes and slept for two and half hours. stephan came to the jkb to talk to me, which was nice, and now I'm at work again. ever since I've gotten back from break, I feel no desire to do anything school-related. I mean, enough motivation to actually get stuff done, but I'm so ready for this semester to be over. I think we all are. I'm going to miss my besties over the break, though.

I am officially accepted into the Paris and Southern France spring term study abroad program!!! I am so so excited. it is real. it is happening. I enthusiastically say "I told you so" to all of you, especially my father. not that he was against it or anything, but he and everyone else just seem skeptical that I'm going to make things happen in my life. well, I make my own future, and this is it, or the beginning anyway. I'm still not accepted into the internship program for the summer, but I'm working on that. also working on how this is going to be paid for. scholarships, hopefully. tomorrow, the world.

life, I am so ready.