Where has the time gone?

I feel like I blinked and it's October. I do love October, though. The weather, especially in the first weeks, is absolutely stunning. It's such a wonderful time to be a student at Alabama. This campus never looked prettier than it does today. (Plus, it doesn't hurt that we have the best football team in the country and are currently in the throws of our second "perfect season.")

I obviously haven't written on here in a while. Life has gotten very busy and taken me on quite the adventure this semester, but you won't find me complaining.

I'm in the rehearsal process of a fantastic show called "The Bourgeois Gentlemen" in which I play a character WITH A NAME! Which has been, up to this point, unheard of for me at this university. The cast is incredibly talented and handling the very funny, very difficult text quite well. Our director is absolutely amazing--I've never seen anyone direct with as much energy or enthusiasm. He's everything I would want to be as a director. And we open in 13 days! It is crazy exciting. I can't wait to get started.

I've been able to hold on to my awesome job despite having rehearsals every day, which has been a blessing. I'm obviously not making nearly as much money right now because I work one morning a week, but I'm very lucky to have a job to return to after the show is finished. Especially such a great one where I get to work with my best friend.

Classes are difficult but not overwhelming. I'm enjoying my Dance 210 class, which is full of the new musical theatre students. I am the only upperclassman in the class, and it's been a wonderful opportunity to get to mentor some of the younger students and get to know them better. We dance together outside of class once a week just for fun, to stretch and help each other out. I love getting to spend time with the freshmen. They're all so vivacious and silly. A breath of fresh air. My Italian class is challenging, which is exciting for me because I feel like I'm being pushed to learn quickly and put a lot of effort into the class. It will definitely help me in preparing for my Italian Language Certification in the flight attendant application process.

I've gotten to spend a lot more time with my friends this semester than I have in the past, and it has been AMAZING! I love having free time to meet up with Rebekah for lunch or dinner before rehearsal or with Donna at the rec to kick our butts into shape. I've never had an easy time forming friendships with females for a long list of reasons established in high school, but this summer and fall have been wonderful for me in that area. Rebekah, Jordan, Donna, and Rachel are such blessings in my life. And I've been able to form closer relationships with the kids in the theatre department, which hasn't really happened until this year. It's been a fantastic change of pace. I have especially loved getting to know Michelle better. We run a "Member/Pledge Family" in Alpha Psi Omega where we get together with some of the freshmen and just get some quality time in. We're the mama bears to our bear family. And she's awesome.

And speaking of awesome friends I'm getting to know better, I've recently started a new relationship with Mister Norman Frank, who is handsome and wonderful and oh-so-good to me. It's a new situation so I don't have a whole lot to report on it as of now, other than that I'm very happy.

Between rehearsals, work, classes, friendships, Alpha Psi Omega, and a budding relationship, it's no wonder I find myself halfway through the semester without realizing how fast time is flying. This senior year is going to be over before I know it. And then what? Maybe flight attending, maybe getting a second bachelor's degree, maybe going to grad school...the options are endless. The world is wide open, and I'm so excited about seeing where it takes me.