Ok. Ok. There really is no excuse for not blogging for the past 3 months. I'm sorry, but there's not. In my head, the post at the end of May would have said, "I've been just so busy with school!", and the post at the beginning of June would have said "School has just been so busy!" but now, I come to you a month into summer and school has been the least of my problems. So I really have no excuse now. I just suck.
But now that we've gotten THAT out of the way, onto more pressing matters. Like SUMMAH. And TRIPS.
As many of you already know, I just very recently came back from a trip in New York. I think I may have briefly mentioned the Teen Ink Writing Program in a past post, before I was actually accepted. Well, using your wondrous inferring skills, I'm sure if you had not already heard, you realize now that I was indeed accepted and on June 23rd travelled up to NYC with the fam for the program. In case you hadn't already gotten the inside scoop, here's a quick recap:
SATURDAY JUNE 23
-obnoxiously long car ride
-eat nasty food in Jersey
-!arrive! at Julliard dormitory
-take two elevators to the 28th floor
-awkwardly arrive in a dingy hallway with 5,000 suitcases and bags and be stared at by everyone
-unpack and enjoy more awkwardness from stranger-girls and stranger-adults
-have first dinner in Julliard cafeteria, sit with stranger-girls and ignore awkwardness
-participate in a "Get to Know You" workshop and be scared poop-less with prospect of actually having to COMMUNICATE with people in a non-awkward manner, that of course ends up being awkward
-have slightly non-awkward conversation with suite-mates at midnight
-thank your lucky stars it's time to go to bed
SUNDAY JUNE 24
-wake up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 a.m.
-try not to cringe at state of toilet
-try to beat other 6 girls in your suite at getting one of 3 bathrooms
-succeed, leave bathroom for 5 seconds, and then fail
-cause suite to be late to breakfast, hope nothing was forgotten
-decide Julliard cafeteria sucks, especially for breakfast
-realize that wearing flip flops instead of sneakers was the thing you forgot to do
-awkwardly tell chaperon
-fill in a double decker bus and take a tour of the city with hilarious tour guide
-get smacked in the face with a branch
-finish tour, have lunch, and go to first class in a snazzy building called Macaulay Honors College
-enjoy class, go back to dorms and have 3 hours of writing time
-struggle to write and not talk
-end up talking
-try to finish homework at midnight
MONDAY JUNE 25
-beat other girls to bathrooms, mark territory
-have a less awkward breakfast
-go to class, return to dorm and have lunch
-have writing time outside in the Lincoln Center next to Metropolitan Opera House, next to Julliard, next to dorms
-sit on stone benches while facing odd rock-thingy in lake-thingy and watch the most pimpin' pigeons you've ever seen strut
-people watch with soon-becoming friends and laugh really hard
-write a little bit
-go back to dorms and get ready for Broadway
-see The Phantom of the Opera, and die
-meet stage manager and some actors from the show, and die some more
-realize back in the dorm your feet actually did die from walking to Times Square and back in heels
-mourn over the loss of feet
TUESDAY JUNE 26
-wake up, breakfast, class, lunch
-meet with guest speaker R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps
-envy man who says he doesn't know why people find writing "hard" and write over 300 books with only "this finger"
-walk to NY Public Library on killer blisters, be amazed and in awe of size and peace in library
-be disturbed by HUNGER
-eat dinner like an animal, writing time back in Lincoln Park
WEDNESDAY JUNE 27
-class, then walk to NY Times
-talk with four big shots in the NY Times in fancy building and appreciate the lovely exclusiveness of program and watch people pass on the street with envy
-EAT IN NY TIMES CAFETERIA AND DIE
-return to dorm and eat dinner, wish you could live in the NY Times, then actually die from food poisoning
-writing time
THURSDAY JUNE 28
-class, return and meet with author Alyssa Sheinmel
-writing time in Central Park
-get ready for theatre
-dinner, then walk to Love Goes to Press
-enjoy small theatre size and intimacy with actors
-enjoy show immensely
-enjoy talk with actors, get an autograph or two
FRIDAY JUNE 29
-class, walk to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and die because of heat and PAIN
-tour the Met with wonderful tour guide that belonged on a game show
-buy a gazillion stuff from gift shop
-have dinner out...get outvoted on choice between Chinese or TEA SHOP and have to spend next hour and a half miserable while sipping tea in 100 degree weather and eating friggin' SALAD
-writing time, continue to be bitter about tea
SATURDAY JUNE 30
-class, meet Heather Alexander from Penguin Books Publishing
-writing time, attend a Novel Writing Workshop
-dinner, go to Met Opera House for ballet and meet with ballerina
-watch Swan Lake
-be mystified
-be jealous
-be a bit bored
-be intrigued again
-wonder why the ballerinas come out for 5 encores
SUNDAY JULY 1
-decide to attend optional Catholic church mass
-finally have a long awaited Starbucks frapp
-attend a Poetry Workshop with poet Michelle Battiste
-enjoy immensely
-eat brunch
-return for more Workshop, then walk to Museum of Modern Art
-explore the MoMA, wonder how the heck a bright pink plank leaning against the wall is art
-become furious at canvas painted white and rip it from wall and smash it against the floor, go on angry rampage and destroy all modern art
-not really
-returned to the dorm, performed in Open Mic Night and read out a piece that was written during the trip
MONDAY JULY 2
-classes, go on subway for first time during trip and take it to Strand Bookstore, one of the largest bookstores in the world
-wonder how life could be better while exploring 4 floors and over 18 miles of books
-watch shopping basket get fuller and heavier
-hate life and consider suicide after no more room exists in basket
-sit in corner and cry while calculating cost
-feel soul ripping while taking out books from basket
-feel rebellious urge and place them back in basket
-reality slaps face and proceeds to push me in line with 5 books, 1 comic for dad, and 1 Star Wars clonetrooper ice tray for Nick
-return to dorm with empty feeling in wallet
-writing time outside until late, watch friends roll down grassy hill while being obnoxious and loud and lovely
TUESDAY JULY 3
-class, meet with guest speaker Vicky Dann, a screenwriter
-writing time, dinner then musical
-watch Porgy and Bess in half wonder and half disgust
-decide you will never put yourself through that torture again
-keep comments to yourself during chat with actors
-crash in bed
WEDNESDAY JULY 4
-wake up at SIX A.M.
-consider jumping out 28th story window
-take subway and ferry to Statue of Liberty
-shout "'Merica" and "FREEDOM" many times
-walk about Liberty Island and Ellis Island
-collapse on subway
THURSDAY JULY 5
-class, meet with authors Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, writers of the Nanny Diaries
-writing time, begin to pack
-dinner, and then theatre
-watch Wicked for the second time, enjoy and laugh
-sing songs in head for the rest of the night
FRIDAY JULY 6
-feel gloomy because it's the last day
-savor every bit of crappy breakfast
-reminisce on all the good times spent in cafeteria, trying to shovel down food without up-chucking
-final class
-pack-up time
-go shopping with friends
-participate in last Open Mic Night, and perform a choreographed, self-created dance-and-singing routine with friends, dedicated to suite chaperon
-almost cry
-console friends who do cry
-say goodbye
Well, there you have it. Those past two weeks have been the greatest and the most tiring, but mostly the most inspiring and eye-opening and full of laughs and fantastic friendships. What else can I say? I loved every moment of it and I thank my parents for allowing me to go on it and pay for it. I will never forget such an experience!
Hope you all are having a wonderful summer so far!
Love,
Danielle
