**The date says the 28th of February, but that's wrong. We've traveled in time and it's really March 5th**
Well, hello there.
I see you've noticed the background change...again. I'm trying to encourage Spring to get here a little earlier. Last time we talked I was in Vienna, right? Man, we have lots to catch up on. Here we go.
The rest of the Vienna trip was great. We performed three amazing concerts in three fabulous places. I will never forget standing on the stage at the Wiener Konzerthaus to a wildly applauding audience, seeing the smiling faces of my parents in the first row of the balcony... I loved the feeling of playing the solos from the Vaughan Williams in that big space. The Konzerthaus was made for music, and it sounds so good in there. There was a spectacular dinner post-concert where I drank a large beer with my father and Dr. Baldwin gave at least 4 speeches. I captured it all on video, too. Epic last couple of days in Austria, that's for sure.
We went to Munich for a couple days after we were finished in Vienna, and my best friend from home, Matthew, flew out from California to see me! It was our first foreign country experience together in our many years of friendship, and he was fantastic to have along for the few hours that we were in a new city. He had never been to Munich before either, but he arrived in the city five hours before I did so he had some time to scope things out and show me around. We walked through the city center, had dinner (epic German mac & cheese) and beer at a local place, ate giant pretzels, and turned in early both nights. Then we hopped on a plane and flew ourselves back to the US. I have never been so happy to see a water fountain in my life as I was in the Chicago airport that afternoon.
Second semester started all too soon. I was very glad to be back from Europe, but I had gotten used to the routine of 3 hour rehearsals in the morning, shopping and museums in the afternoon, and concerts in the evening. Homework and practicing were not a welcome return to post-Vienna life. Anyway, it's been almost 6 weeks since school started. Still as busy as usual, but this time with a different approach and routine. The awesome contemporary string ensemble that we started last semester has accepted five gigs this spring, and we're working with numerous student composers on compositions and arrangements! We've played at two basketball games, the BSU talent show, and a couple things in Marty's so far this year. I have great things in mind for this ensemble. Also, I opted out of the concerto competition this year, which I spent many evenings stressing and worrying over. Some things just aren't worth that stress and worry, you know? Besides, a very deserving friend of mine won this year, and I will be honored to play in the symphony while he rocks out on the cello as a soloist next fall.
Other than that, school is pretty much school. Waiting for the snow to melt so I can buy a bike. Scored an internship at LSM this summer, so I'll be in Decorah from graduation to August. Met a boy back in December who I may or may not have vaguely mentioned in a previous post. Trying to keep up TenString Serenade because I miss that music.
How about A Life Lesson with Karla? Brought to you by Nike. Just Do It.
Life Lesson #1: Things always work out. And there are usually good reasons behind why they do.
Sometimes it really irks me how many times in my life I have worried and lost sleep over some issue for weeks and then come to find out that 3 months later everything turns out just fine. It's nothing short of annoying, only because I have yet to embrace this fact and continue to unnecessarily freak out.
Scenario: I am so good at making plans and thinking about things and how they will play out in the future. Then when things go wrong and all my ideas are shot down, I'm left stewing over what happened. A couple days go by and things seem okay. I realize the true meaning behind my feelings and intentions and spend a few more days just feeling dumb. Then a few more weeks pass, I'm figuring myself out again, and before you know it it's December. Christmas at Luther, finals, two blissful weeks of break looming over head, aka Prime Stress Time. Usually this is where Life shoves one too many servings of college on the plate and you overload, right? And yet... this time around Life said, "Hey kid, you've been struggling. I've looked into the past 6 months and PHEW what a ride! Sorry about that, really. Looks like you pulled through though, eh? Anyway, I've got something for ya that I think you'll like. It's a bit different from your usual, but I think you'll find that it's exactly what you need..."
Here's when it gets good. Obviously you can tell that this scenario involves relationship issues, and golly gee, wouldn't it be just like Life to throw another relationship at me when I had just sworn off them to better connect with my Self?? This is a joke, right?
The Punch Line: After a four hour conversation with a certain Trevor Maloney, I felt more like myself than I had in months. I had spent most of August through November coming to terms with and figuring out how to live with myself, and this kid just walks into my life like he's clocking in for work study. No big deal or anything - he just takes in everything about who I am, where I'm from, my favorite chord progressions, past pet history, everything. He simply took my heart from my own hands where I was working so delicately on piecing it back together and just made it whole. In four hours. I've never met anyone like him.
Moral: Trust your instinct that things are going to work out. I know what it feels like to be in the midst of an absolute pile of crap with no clear way out. I now know what it feels like to be on the other side of that, and I am so happy to be where I am. Boys are not the answer to life's problems, but somehow even after what seems like the worst of the worst in life, things smooth themselves out and you are so much better for it. And sometimes someone who just happens to be a boy will come along at the right moment in the right place and turn the world upside down.
I'm sure there will be more of these in the future, but for now I'm outta here. I've got 8 hours of sleep and a lovely weekend ahead of me. Cheers to work study, really nice boys, and my favorite beverage of the week, Highlander Grog coffee. :-)
