Don't Cry For Me Argentina: Finals, Milestones, and Going Home

Okay, I'm justifying my lack of blogging for two reasons: 1) I've been fairly busy for the last week and a half, and 2) it's finals week.

Here's a list of all the stuff I've done since Thanksgiving (which was fantastic, by the way; hope all yours were too):

• Dealt with missing luggage at the airport (by myself)
• Played my last concert of the semester with Concert Band (it was awesome)
• Went to another concert
• Saw my dad over the weekend
• Saw Frozen with the aforementioned dad (the soundtrack is AWESOME and it's super cute)
• Went window shopping (but didn't get anything)
• Had an important birthday (though I suppose they're all important)
• Opened presents (external hard drive, Global Entry for airports, flip flops, and a new jacket - I'm nothing if not practical)
• Skyped the rest of my family
• Studied counterpoint (a lot)
• Did well on my theory final (I think/hope; grade pending)
• Had my composition and performance juries (and they both went well too)
• SLEPT IN on Tuesday, Wednesday, AND Thursday (and will probably do so again tomorrow)
• Turned in all but one of my finals (last one's due tomorrow)
• Had lots of serious conversations
• Spent quite a bit of time with my friends (and by quite a bit I mean several consecutive dinnertimes)
• Stressed about going home
• Cleaned my room (yes, Mom, I really did, and I'll bring photo evidence home with me)
• Lost most of my voice (inconveniently on the day of my sight singing final, but everything worked out) for almost a week, but it's finally almost back
• Played for the entire trumpet studio
• Cried (once)
• Saw Evita with the aforementioned dad (yes, we did a lot of watching things with singing in them)
• Wore Christmas earrings almost every day (I think I missed one)

That was a really long list. One of the things I didn't do over the last week and a half that I really wish I'd gotten to do was go to the You-Sing-It Messiah with my dad. They have it in San Jose on the first Monday of December every year, and we've gone together several times. I missed going, and my dad missed having me around to help him when he got lost. (Not entirely kidding.)

Oh yeah, and I hit one of those milestone birthdays, but I really don't feel any different. Just for the record. (But thanks to everyone who posted on my Facebook or texted/called/emailed me! I was smiling pretty much the whole day.)

And I've (almost) survived my first finals week in college! (We'll see, though - this last paper could very well kill me.)

Finally, I get to go home in a couple days, which I'm really excited about. I can't wait to see my high school friends again, and I have a feeling there miiiiight be a Christmas-caroling party in the works. (Instruments or voices? We'll have to see.) I'm off for quite some time, and I'll miss my guys here - a lot - but I'll probably keep bugging them in touch with them over the break anyway. I'm excited to spend Christmas at home for the first time in years and reconnect with some old buddies. Oh, and my awesome mother got me an LED Christmas tree that changes color and plugs into the USB drive of my laptop. So that's totally going to be in use year-round (because really, what college student has time to put away Christmas decorations?).

OH! And my band piece, Tour de Force, had its first birthday on the 11th. Weird thing to celebrate (especially since I had to explain it to some of my guyfriends here), but it was pretty cool to realize a project that big has been around for a year. If you haven't heard it yet, just click on the title, because in my completely unbiased opinion (wink wink), it's awesome. (And if you don't believe me, ask some of the kids in the wind ensemble that recorded it!)

Sorry this blog was so long. Hopefully over the break I'll have time to contribute more regularly so you won't have to read small novellas every time I post. Still, hope you found something in here you liked. Happy holidays!
Love you all,
Megan