Discovering a Sense of Adventure

Above: EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow)

Below: Animal Kindom

Above: Laugh Floor in Magic Kingdom!

Below: The Castle
Below: Our resort, Caribbean Beach

For my Senior Seminar in Theater, my professor is having us read a book called Walking in this World by Julia Cameron. Dustin and I refer to the book as a self-help book, which it kind of is...except I guess you could say it's geared towards 'artists'. Like most self-help books, there are moments in Cameron where I cringe because the reading is so fluffy, for lack of a better word. However, there are some thoughts and ideas she offers that really get me thinking. As I was writing my weekly journal for the class, I came across a line in the reading that I thought would make a good blog so, here goes..

Cameron talks about the importance of discovering a sense of adventure in an artist's daily life. As adults, we tend to suppress our inner-child which leads us ultimately to suppress our creativity (stick with me here, I know I'm getting fluffy, but there is a point). We need to avoid doing this by taking risks, argues Cameron, and finding adventure in the world.

Immediately, I thought of London. Not only was being abroad an adventure in itself, but it was so easy to find adventure every single day. Every time I ordered coffee was different. Every train, bus, plane, and boat I took led me to meet someone new. I saw new cities every weekend. I tried new foods. I made new friends and learned new skills. I loved the adventure and I loved the sense of bravery I had when I tried these things.

Now that I'm back at SMC, I think I've managed to slip into, not so much a depression which is what Cameron argues will happen, but I've certainly fell into some kind of slump. The weather has been less than lovely lately and each day it seems like spring will never come. Midterms are here so I'm stressed about school. I feel like I know everything there is to know about this campus, which is great because I love it, but at the same time this makes it hard to find the adventure in my everyday. The excitement from abroad is gone and all I know is that I want it back.

The line in the book I mentioned was this: "What is pivotal to her is not so much leaving life as she knows it as knowing that she could." Sometimes, I do feel trapped on the SMC campus and I think that this concept that Cameron speaks of really applies to my life here. Sometimes, I feel this urge to go back abroad and although realistically I know that I can't just up and leave tomorrow, I'd like to know that the possibility could be there. I don't want to leave SMC, trust me. But sometimes, I need to know that I could.

What Cameron suggests the artist do to cure this slump is to challenge oneself to find adventure in your everyday even if it's not a huge one. Adventure should manageable but not overwhelming, she says. In other words, just because I can't jet to Paris on Friday doesn't mean I couldn't hike a mountain with the Wilderness Program. Just because I'm not gorge crossing in the Lake District doesn't mean I can't go see a new movie. Or explore the new Goodwill on Route 7. Or try a new restaurant. You get the picture.

There is so much to do in Burlington and VT in general and lucky for me, I have access to a lot of these activities just by being an SMC student. The challenge for me will be to recognize that sometimes it's ok to ditch school work on the weekend for a mini adventure. Sometimes, that's what I need to stay sane. While I was abroad, I didn't worry about school as much as I do here and frankly, I was a lot more fun to be around. I actually enjoyed spending time with myself exploring new places. I can do that here but it's going to be a little more of a challenge.

Even if I can't leave, I need to realize that I can even if this means a brief visit to Church Street. I've got to rediscover my sense of adventure because that spontaneity sometimes saves me from the monotony of my campus life. It's easy to slip into a slump...if you let yourself. My challenge for myself this week is to find an adventure and embark on it. I should mention that this past weekend my family and I went to Disney World. Now, I realize this was a really fun trip but the trapped feeling I mentioned when I got back to campus Sunday night which inspired me to write this blog. Check out the pictures (note the sun and blue skies!) and I'll keep you posted on how my quest for adventure in Burlington unfolds.

Cheers! Abby

So, you think you can sew?

Hey Everyone,

How crazy that we're already in the last week of February?! Mid term season is upon us and everyone here at SMC is feeling the stress of midterms. This past week I had a bunch of papers and portfolios due in addition to leading class discussion (tomorrow). It's been pretty hectic. Last semester I almost forgot how fun midterms can be since we didn't really have them at Royal Holloway. Today, I took my first real exam in almost a year and I bet you'll never guess what subject it was in...yup, Costume Crafts.

The course is mandatory for theater majors and we are supposed to learn the foundations of costume design and construction. There is a textbook from which we read in addition to practical sewing skills we must complete. Last night, I sat in the costume lab, alone, with only the whir of my sewing machine to keep me company. I was attempting to perfect some of my stitches for the booklet I had to hand in this morning.

This class is particularly frustrating for me. I've never learned basic sewing skills and frankly, I never wanted to. If I need a button sewn back on, I just bring it to my mom or figure out how to get the thing to stick on somehow (hot glue, velcro, etc.). Over the past few weeks I've incurred more pricks to my fingers than necessary and I've realized how hard the skill of sewing can be.

In the lab last night, I found myself wondering what I was getting out of this class. I was frustrated and all I could think was, "I'm never going to use this skill again...EVER." However, in retrospect, now that I've taken the exam and turned in my booklet I'm realizing that even though I may never work in a costume shop I am glad that I'm challenging myself in a new way. None of my other classes require hands on work and I find that it's a nice break from all the papers and textbooks. If a button falls off, I can fix it on my own now.

I think a lot of us feel this frustrated feeling about a lot of the courses we "have" to take in college; however, in the long run those classes that challenge us the most are often the ones we remember best. I know I'll continue to struggle in Costume Crafts and I know there will be many more moments like the one I had last night; however, I hope I can remember to relax a little bit and enjoy the challenge. Not every skill in every class is going to come easy and I think it's good to be reminded of that once in awhile.

For those of you also taking midterms this week in classes you think you'll never need after this semester, I encourage you to try and appreciate some aspect of the course. It might just be the ray of light you need to get you out of the midterm tunnel alive.

On a happier note, this weekend is Mardi Gras in Burlington which is always a really fun time. There's a giant parade around Church Street with lots of candy thrown around. I know a lot of alumni come back each year for the celebration so it's kind of a big deal. I won't be around this weekend, however, because...I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD! I mean, it's no Mardi Gras in Burlington but I can't wait. My family is pretty obsessed and we planned this trip kind of last minute but I'm excited to take a break from work and travel to warm weather. As I've been packing, I feel kind of like I'm abroad again...leaving for exciting weekend adventures. Heck, I'll even make it to eight different countries in EPCOT all in one day!

I'll be sure to post pics of the warm weather and I also want to try and have some of my friends get some shots of the parade so I can post those too. Good luck with midterms and all the other mid-semester craziness that surrounds this time of year.

Cheers, Abby

Time flies...

Hello everyone,

So as you can tell by the title of this blog, I am quickly realizing how fast this semester is passing me by. This tends to happen every semester but this one seems to be going especially fast. It's already midterm time on campus and I feel like I just moved in. Along that same note, it's also time to choose housing for next year and as I was reminded this is the last time I will be participating in the SMC housing draw process. My dad came up this weekend and asked me which hotels I thought were nice so he could start looking to book one for graduation. What is going on?!

I feel like just yesterday I was a first year moving in to Joyce. I was choosing a First Year Sem and I hadn't even chosen a major yet. Now, I'm looking at Senior Sems for one of my majors (and I'm taking on of them this semester) and I'm moving into a town house next year. I was warned that college goes by fast but I had no idea how true that would be. This fall we're welcoming the class of 2014 to campus and it's going to be the last first year class I meet at SMC.

The reality of the situation is that real life is quickly approaching and I'm not ready to leave yet. Granted, I still have the rest of this semester and an entire year afterwards; however, I just can't believe how fast it all crept up on me. This time next year I'm going to be looking for jobs and preparing to venture out on my own. I don't feel scared about the moving out on my own part (talk to me in a year though). I think what scares me the most is just how fast my time in college went by.

It's exciting and scary to know that in a relatively short amount of time I will be thrust into the world and told to use all the skills I've acquired here. SMC has prepared me more than enough for what I expect to encounter. Going abroad taught me I can literally plop myself anywhere and manage to find my way to some extent. The other day I was looking at job positions that were opening at The Globe Theater in London. One of the positions particularly caught my attention and I thought how perfect it would be then I quickly told myself that I was too young and that it was a job for grown-ups. Fun fact: a year from now that grown-up job is something I need to be thinking about and applying for.

I feel like this post is a year early. These are feelings I should be experiencing at this time next year but how can I not think about graduation when sashes are being ordered and I'm choosing my housing for senior year?! Thus far, I've had the best college experience I could have asked for and I fully intend to make the most of the rest of my time at SMC and in Burlington. I hope this quarter-life crises passes soon. I think it's also a good thing time seems to go by so fast because if it wasn't that would mean I wasn't loving every minute here.

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day! Since there were no classes Monday and today, I was home for part of the weekend. It was a nice break and it was great to see family. It was also nice to relax and watch the Olympics! Hope everyone is having a great week!

-Abby

February Contest/Update on Life

Hey guys,

So first and foremost, I wanted to tell you all about the contest we bloggers are holding for the month of February. Essentially, we want to know what YOU ALL want to see us blog about (you all being high school students).

Just leave me a comment on this post with a creative, fun, unique topic for a blog post. All of the SMC Bloggers will get together on February 28th to decide which ideas we like best. Don't hesitate to leave as many ideas as you want. If we choose your idea, you'll get a sweet prize! Then, check back to see what we had to say about the idea you submitted.

Also, the first SMC Blogger Chat of the semester will be this Thursday so please stop in and introduce yourself. It's my first Blogger chat ever since the time difference in London made it impossible for me to be there first semester and I really would like to meet you all! So remember, Thursday night (Feb. 4) from 7-9 pm: www.smcvt.edu/bloggerchat.

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Between the blogger chat and SA meetings, my life is definitely back in full swing here at SMC which explains the two weeks between blogs. I have no cool pictures to post yet but I promise I'll start photo documenting soon. I feel like I'm not nearly as interesting when I don't have Paris or Amsterdam pictures to share. However, I do want to tell you about my senior sem project for Theater that I'm working on this semester.

I decided to do my Senior Seminar in Theater a year early for two reasons: 1) I am a double major and I didn't want senior year to be too bogged down with work for both sems at the same time. 2) I wanted to work on this specific project with one of my best friends and fellow blogger, Dustin Hunter who is currently a senior. So, the project we chose involves going into an elementary school and working with a third grade class on what they call Reader's Theater.

Over the course of the semester, we'll go in to the classroom twice a week and teach them how they can turn stories that they read in class, into theater they can share with an audience. Right now, we're just starting out with basics. Monday's lesson included "Where, Who and What" (working on Setting, Character and Plot). By the end of the semester, we hope to have the kids creating their own scripts and bringing the skits to SMC for a mini performance in the recital hall.

I love that I have the opportunity to do this. The project is unique in that we're choosing to reach out into the community instead of working with other SMC students to create a piece of theater. I'm excited to be part of the project and it's really great to be able to do something I'm actually really excited about. Funny story of the week: We asked the class (3rd graders) to name some things they might see at the beach. This exercise was to get them to focus on the setting of a story. Before I even finished the question, I saw a hand shoot up. I called on the little boy and asked him, "What do you see at the beach?" His response: GIRLS.

I'll probably talk a lot about this project over the course of the semester. I'm really excited to share with you guys the experience I get to have. I hope everyone is hanging in there with the cold weather we've been having. Remember, Blogger Chat Thursday!!!

Cheers, Abby

Back in Action!

Hey everyone,

So I've officially been back at SMC for a little over a week now. I've had all my classes, been to Alliot, been to the library and generally reestablished myself here at school. As briefly as I can, I'll try and let you know what the first week back has been like.

First and foremost are my classes. Obviously, that's why I go to school so I try and make sure they take precedence here (at least most of the time). This semester I'm taking mostly Liberal Studies Requirements with one English (Critical Theory) and two theater courses (Costume Crafts and Senior Seminar). This first week is has been the basic syllabus week. In other words you go to your classes, get the syllabus, the teacher introduces him/herself and then you're done.

Overall, pretty easy week. The only stressful thing about it is that you see written down on paper all the work you have in front of you for the entire semester. While this can be overwhelming, I try to remind myself that I've done it five times now and things always do manage to get done. Right now, I'm most excited to get my Senior Seminar in Theater underway. Dustin Hunter and I are working on producing a piece of theater with kids in a local third grade classroom. This project is something about which I really feel passionate. We have our first meeting with the teacher this Thursday morning!

Yesterday I gave my first tour since being back. Since it was MLK day a lot of prospective students were milling about campus. It was great to give a tour again. I was super nervous and I'm sure I talked fast (which I tend to do anyway) but I think overall it went well. I didn't trip or anything so that's a plus. Giving tours always reminds me how much I love this place so again, I was happy to settle into my weekly routine.

On a personal note, I've seen all my friends that I missed while I was away. I saw professors I've wanted to catch up with. I even got to Church Street and saw a show (Camelot!) at the Flynn this weekend. As happy as this has made me, I still do get the occasional moments where something reminds me of London or someplace I traveled while abroad and it kind of hits me in the gut. I suddenly miss digestive biscuits and referring to my pigeon hole instead of my mailbox.

I feel like I've already said this a million times on my blog so I apologize for again telling you all that I miss London but I know that I do because it was such a great experience. One really awesome thing I got to do on my tour this week was not merely point out the Study Abroad Office on campus, but I got to tell my tour about my experience abroad. I think that's going to be a fun way for me to keep the experience alive.

I'm waiting for 'real work' to kick in this semester. Right now I just have a lot of reading. I'm sure once it does kick in I'll be wishing it didn't. Plans for the rest of this week include a Founder's Society meeting tomorrow and a meeting about housing for next year (YIKES..I just moved into my suite!). This weekend, I may snowshoe with the Wilderness Program depending on the weather. I'll let you know how that goes. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!

Cheers, Abby

PS: Here are some pictures of my new room Pontigny at SMC! Remember when I first posted pictures of my room in London?...how time flies.. :)

Winter Break

Hey everyone,

I apologize for the giant gap between blogs. Being home has been a bit of a distraction for me so I haven't written much lately. As you may know, classes as SMC resume Monday and this weekend I'll be making trek back to Burlington for the first time since May! I can't believe it's been that long since I've actually been a 'real' student at SMC.

My break has been really nice. I've spent a lot of time with family and friends. I think most college students (SMC students in particular) will agree with me when I say that after a couple weeks home, the thought of going back to school is incredibly exciting. Don't get me wrong, I do love my hometown, but nothing much changes around here. You're home for a week and you go to all your favorite places and see all the high school friends you want to see and then the excitement wears off real quick and suddenly all you want to do is pack the car and head to Church Street for an afternoon of shopping.

It's been almost a full month since I've been back from London and after my exciting semester, Queensbury has been even less thrilling than normal. Last night I went to see Sherlock Holmes with some of my friends. The movie takes place in--go figure--London. I became quite nostalgic during the 2 hour, 15 min movie. I'm pretty sure my friends wanted to kill me for constantly interjecting with , "Ooh I've been there!". I can't help it...I still get excited when anyone mentions Piccadilly Circus or the London Bridge.

Despite my 'homesickness' for London, I'm both excited and nervous to head back to SMC. I'm most excited to get back into a routine. I sound like a huge nerd but I'm also ready for classes because I feel like I've had the whole summer + a semester of break. My courses abroad were much less involved than my classes as SMC have been and I missed knowing my professors. I even missed the SMC library with individual cubbies! (PS: talk to me in three weeks when I'm up to my neck in course work and I'm sure I'll tell you I never missed a thing.) I'm excited for hockey games and nights hanging out in the dorm watching Wife Swap with my three best friends. All in all, I'm really excited to be heading back to SMC.

This being said, there is a part of me that's nervous to go back. I wonder if I'll be able to adjust to the coursework. In London, I had a lot less class time and a lot more time to travel and basically do whatever I wanted to do. At SMC, my priorities have to change and I hope I make the adjustment. A small part of me wonders if I'll slip right back into the social scene or if I'll feel slightly out after being away a whole semester. Will I still be able to give a tour? What are the freshmen like? I tend to be a worrier so I know I'm probably stressing for no reason but I hope my transition back to the SMC community is easier than I'm making it out to be.

For now, I should probably get out of my pajamas and start packing. Yikes...I keep forgetting that I actually have to entirely move into my suite this weekend. Check back in a few days to see how classes are going. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and that you're ready for Spring semester!

Cheers, Abby

Party in the USA

Hey guys,

I just couldn't resist using Miley's song title as the name of this blog! Anyway, here it is, my first blog back in the States. I've had a really hard time sitting down to write this because I figured that when I did, I was acknowledging that my time in England was really, truly over. Now that I've back back a little over a week I've come to realize a lot of things about this past semester and my experiences across the pond.

First of all, it has been awesome to see my family and spend time with them. I'd been missing them so much those last few weeks in London and I was very ready to just be back home to see them. Since being back, I've visited most of my favorite American food joints: Dunks, Moe's and Libby's (up in VT). I drove my car again for the first time which was wonderful although I do miss being pressed against a random, sweaty stranger during rush hour on the Tube. However, Christmas is coming and it's true what they say: there's no place like home for the holidays.

This being said, I've had a really really hard time accepting that this semester abroad-the one I planned for so long and looked forward to since before I even came to SMC-is over. I went to visit SMC friends during finals week and although it was AMAZING to see everyone and be back on campus it was a bit of a reality check. Next semester won't include weekend trips to Paris, seeing West End theater on a random weeknight or even going to the pub for quiz night. I told my parents this and they had little sympathy. Friends from St. Mike's who didn't and aren't going abroad also don't seem to understand how hard it is for me to let go of this great experience I had. It's hard because I don't think they quite understand how much this semester changed me.

I don't want to sound all dramatic here, but I truly learned so much about myself in London. Who knew I could maneuver public transportation systems in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Vienna? I can cook Peruvian dishes (thanks to my flatmate and best friend abroad, Jo). I know where to go when I need medicine in England (Boots, their version of Rite Aid). I know how to grocery shop for myself (something that sounds simple but really isn't until you practice). I took boxing lessons! I adapted to an entirely new academic system (at least I tried) and spent 80% of my time with British students. I gained a sense of independence abroad that I never thought I would and I think that's probably the best souvenir I could have hoped to bring home.

What I learned from being abroad was not something I could have learned if I stayed on campus this past semester. What I love about SMC is that you're strongly encouraged (at least I was) to get out in the world and have these experiences. Peggy and everyone in the Study Abroad office works to make sure that you can go anywhere you want and have the experience you hoped to have.

I realize now that writing this blog isn't the end of my experience in England. Being away from everything I've known my whole life changed me. It was an experience that I'd never change. I saw the world and I did it on my own terms. This experience is one that will never leave me. Writing this blog isn't my acknowledging that my time in England is over; I think instead, it's me realizing that my experience in England will be with me forever. I strongly encourage anyone who can go abroad to do so during their time at SMC.

For now, I'm enjoying being home for holidays. I do think of Hyde Park and Leiscester Square covered in snow and become nostalgic but I'll always have London and I have a feeling that I'll be back there again rather soon (Olympics 2012 anyone??). I hope everyone enjoys the break. Be sure to check back in January as I readjust to life at SMC. Happy Holidays!

Cheers! :)