happy to be home

I'm done with my first semester of college!! What?! After many stressful finals, recitals, and juries, I myself have no idea how I got here. It's just crazy!

After just a semester I have learned/ been apart of things I never could have dreamed of!

• I debuted in my first professional opera.
• I survived finals week.
• I completed my first college juries.
• I found new, wonderful friends.
• I performed in a record amount of recitals.
• I learned and memorized eight songs (four of which were in a foreign language.)
• I discovered a new love for opera.

With all these new experiences, I honestly cannot WAIT for next semester to start. And I'm applying to be an RA! Being a freshman has given me a new passion for helping others, especially while watching a lot of my new friends struggle in the very unfamiliar environment of college.

I'll be posting pictures soon of my adventures so far and how much I have been absolutely BLESSED this past semester.

So excited for what's to come!

the big u

Well, here I am folks: a college kid. I feel bad that I haven't had any time to blog, but college is HARD!! I really didn't expect it to be like this! Sure, I thought I'd have a little more homework each night, but NO. Try TONS more along with hours of practice time, endless recitals and a plethora of boring seminars to pick from. I know, I make it sound horrible, but you haven't even heard the beginning of it. I'm pretty sure CAVEMEN lived better than us college kids do. We're talking terrible food, dirty toilets, walking five flights of stairs to get to class, and lukewarm showers (if you even get that.) Not to mention finding somebody else's underwear in your laundry-- yeah, it's happened.

Despite all this, I'm actually starting to LOVE it. After being home for fall break (for an entire week) I have discovered that Webster has truly become my home. My new home. Which is really surprising to me. I love the classes, the teachers, and most of all-- the people. I have no idea what I would do without those kids in West 2 South!! There is a sense of community and acceptance that I have never been apart of before-- I love it. And I can't wait to go back.

Belmont Auditions: CHECK

And so it begins! The crazy process of college auditions has commenced! I only hope that I will be this enthusiastic in a couple of weeks!

First audition: Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

I was so happy and relieved to find out that my first audition was the one closest to home. I am already very familiar with Belmont, which proved to work in my advantage!! I felt so comfortable and relaxed (something that almost never happens at auditions for me.) In fact, it was probably one of the best auditions I have ever given. Normally I have this weird swallowing thing where I get so nervous to the point that I can't control when I swallow. I'll do it in the middle of songs, while I'm talking... Yeah, It's awful, and it makes me looks like an IDIOT.

But for the first time ever, I WAS SWALLOWING NORMALLY!!! Praise GOD, otherwise I'd be in some serious trouble. I can only hope that my other auditions go as well!

So, many of you may be wondering what I actually had to do, so here's the breakdown.

1. Arrive at 8:00 am. (blech.)

2. Receive Itinerary. (Up until this point I had no idea when my actual audition was. I could have been first at 9:00 am, I could have been last at 1:00 pm. Unfortunately for me, it was the former.)

3. CHILL FOR THREE HOURS. (this one was hard because you literally just sit there thinking about everything that could go wrong in your auditions. It's. Bad.)

4. Basic Musicianship Test (I got to clap rhythms. What? Am I in preschool? I thought this was college!! BRING ON THE AUGMENTED CHORDS!!!)

5. WAIT ANOTHER HOUR.

6. Audition time! (It really sucks to think that I put all this time and effort into something that literally lasts five minutes, sometimes shorter. But oh well, that's show biz!)

So....that's pretty much it! Auditioning is actually a very boring process, (Aside from all the drama that revolves around it.) and also one I don't like to practice. I really hate auditions with a burning passion and just wish auditors could just look at you and know you were the right choice for their school. But of course in my perfect world, everyone would poop rainbows...

All I can say now is, one down, one million to go.

Literally.

till the rainbows aren't runny,

lindsey

And I thought 2012 was the end of the world...

This is the first time EVER that I have never wanted a new year to start. Normally, I'm all for "starting over", but this time it's a literal term.

Once it turns January 1st, my life basically won't stop being a giant mess until I get into college. So basically... August. WHY do I dig myself so deep? I really want to know. My parents do it, and I guess I thought I was always really good at juggling things. I have never in my life though, had so much on my plate. I literally want to shoot myself in the foot for doing this to myself. I absolutely hate how I have pushed a lot of people away with my hectic schedule. In reality, I don't make time for friends at all. Sure, I'll meet up with someone for coffee every now and then, but truth is, It's all about me right now. All the decisions I have been making recently will directly effect what the future holds for me...

...Which I really need to stop thinking about. I start to go into extreme bouts of anxiety when I think about the future. It literally makes me sick to my stomach. Uncertainty is something I have never been able to deal with and it honestly scares the crap out of me.

Now that I have completely scared all of my lower classmen friends...

till the view is clear,

lindsey

random update.

LOTS of things going on right now, so I'll just cover every thing very briefly. :)

FALL-it's finally here, and I couldn't be more excited. I wore a sweatshirt today! First time in a long time. Oh, and my hands and feet were freezing all day: a sure sign of cooler weather.

MAKOS- yay! It's swim season!! (well, almost anyway.) It's about time I got back into shape. I think I gained at least 10 pounds this summer. Oops! Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-a-a-alco...nevermind.

SCHOOL- ew. I hate it. Nothing new here.

SWIM LESSONS- I actually taught a kid how to swim! Big surprise, I know. I think the kids are starting to like me a little too much though, they won't even let me get out of the water! I guess I just have to cut down on the lovable factor. ;)

FRIENDS- oh boy. This one is a toughie. Saying that I've had some friend drama the past couple of weeks would be an understatement. It's hard to really get into things here, but prayers would be SO helpful.

CHURCH- Speaking of prayers, I've really felt convicted in church a lot recently. Our youth pastor, Matt has really been laying down some messages that really hit home with me. While talking on the subject of Spiritual Growth, I've realized that I haven't really been having much of that going on lately. And that's not okay.

Being a christian is not about kicking your feet up and letting God do all the work. Being a Christian means to strive to be more like Christ every single day, and it is hard. work.

One of the examples he used is when a child gets a puppy. Now, if you truly want a puppy, you have to take care of it. You have to feed it, give it exercise, and let it out every now and then. If we don't, it dies. Yeah, you heard me. It DIES.

Believe it or not, the same thing happens to your faith. You need to feed it, (with the Word) you need to exercise it, (practice you faith) and let it out. (share it with others.) Without this, your faith just kind of shrivels up. Kind of weird to think of it that way though, but it makes perfect sense.

so, that my friends, is what has been happening my life recently. welcome to the utterly randomness of Lindsey's brain. :)

till the autumn leaves fall,

lindsey.

september say whaaat?

I refuse to believe that it’s September. Cuz that means that my life is really hectic and busy and I have a lot of crap to do.

• It means that it’s officially fall, which is when all my applications are due.

• It means that I have spent all my summer money and have nothing left for the winter months. (how am I going to stay WARM?!)

• It means that the outdoor pool is closed and i’m STILL a lifeguard.

• It means I have ONE MORE YEAR OF FREAKING SCHOOL AND IT’S ONLY THE FIRST SEMESTER!!!

blah, I hate september.

till the calendar burns,

lindsey.

school, piercings, and the end of Bye Bye Birdie.

I am very sad.

Bye Bye Birdie ended yesterday and I can already feel the hole in my heart getting bigger. This cast has been the most talented, hilarious, heart felt, stylish, adorable, dedicated and FRIENDLY casts I have ever been involved with!! I have made so many good friendships, and now I hate to actually put them to the test; can you say long distance relationship? I know they don't work out most of the time, but these kids are my family now, my brothers and sisters, and I have to make it work somehow.

Maggie, Michelle, Abbey, Hayley and Ali (a.k.a. my "blood sisters") I will definitely miss the most. These girls are so beautiful in every way, and I'm so sad that I won't be able to see them constantly anymore. To think that we spent every hour of everyday together and we never got sick of it! You guys truly are my sisters and I will never forget you. I mean, I got my cartilage pierced with you!! Love you girls!!

Speaking of cartilage piercings...(i know, seamless right??) I GOT MINE DONE!!! :D And of course, because I am a responsibly 18-year-old, I didn't even need my parents permission!! I know, I'm so BA. ;)

It's still a little sore, but only when I touch it. Most people say that when you get it with a gun (which I did) that it stays sore for a longer period of time, but it seems to be getting better each day! And although my parents weren't absolutely thrilled, they still liked it. :) Up next: NOSE PIERCING!! :D

and NOW comes the part of the show when Lindsey talks about SCHOOL.

can I just start by saying EW?? Seriously, I hate school with a burning passion. I really don't know how I'm going to get through high school, let alone four more years of college. I mean, we spend half our lives in school!! (or something like that, anyway...) I'd rather be out in the world actually learning things from real people then sitting in a classroom (or in my case, on my couch) and just reading about them! And now that I'm a senior, it's really crunch time. Since I'm going to college for theater (i think) I have to get my lead role before the year is through, and it's SO much harder than it sounds. I have some hope though, The Center For The Arts is doing "Hairspray" in January and I actually think I have a shot to be Tracy! Being in Bye Bye Birdie really helped me in getting to know everybody at the Center, including the Director for Hairspray. And since I'm a little bigger than the other girls, I think I have a leg up with the physical appearance. Now, I KNOW from past experiences that I can't get my hopes up but a girl can dream, right??

till the song ends,

lindsey.

Chicago and College

What is it that I love about Chicago so much? It could be the towering skyscrapers, the sparkling night life, the downtown beaches, the fun festivals, the quirky tourist stops, or maybe just the fact that I was born there.

Whatever it is, I have always had a love for Chicago IL, even more so now that I live almost 500 miles away. I find myself in awe of this amazing city every time I visit it. For quite some time now I have dreamed of returning to this wonderful city and starting my (hopeful) acting career. Although many of these types of endeavors usually fail, I have more than a hunch that is where I'm supposed to be.

But it's all easier said than done.

Getting there is the hard part. And as much as I would LOVE to attend Columbia College of Chicago, I have a feeling my parents will do everything in their power to keep me in state. Though I may not totally hate the idea of staying in Tennessee, my biggest fear is that I'll never get my dream: performing on the 'big stage'.

Now don't get me wrong, Tennessee has so many things to offer me, including careers like being a recording artist, a musician, an opera singer, and a music teacher, but Chicago has always been part of the dream, and I have to at least try.

Fortunately, Columbia doesn't even require an audition to apply for the school, which makes my whole college application process a LOT easier, but also harder since my acceptance/rejection wouldn't be based on talent at all; but sheerly by my resume.

Oh boy, thinking about college hurts my brain, but I can't help but get so excited! Dreaming of going to school in a city like Chicago makes me so giddy and ready to jump into the next phase of life. Auditions start this fall!! :D

I. Can't. Wait.

till the applications are sent in,

lindsey.

Because This is What homeschooling REALLY looks like...

As a homeschooler, I am constantly getting hailed with questions like "Where do you do school?", "Who is your teacher?", "How do you make friends?", and the ever popular "Do you get to do school in your pajamas?"

Although I do all of my schooling in my living room, my regular routine is not all together different than the normal high school student. I get up, I shower, I eat breakfast, I do school, I eat lunch, I do homework, I go to bed.

Disappointed? Sorry, no tweetie bird pajamas here! ;)

Here's a funny clip that describes us homeschoolers PERFECTLY. ;)

till the school bell rings,

lindsey.