Great Balls of Fire!

Soooooo....
Here's what I did tonight:

Finished College.

Yep that's right, I just turned in (via e-mail) the very last paper of my college career. Well, my college career at Anderson University anyway, who knows what the future holds? So there you have it. No going out with a bang or anything though, actually that paper was quite possibly one of the very worst things I've ever written. Oh well, I suppose if Senioritis set it, at least it waited until the last assignment. So with that said, I am 4 days away from walking across that stage and grabbing the diploma and running away to Peru! Yay!

I haven't updated my support list lately, but I did have a Peruvian Luncheon recently at Abiding Savior Lutheran church, my congregation in Anderson, SC for the past four years where I got to share a little bit of Peruvian culture with my Brothers and Sisters in Christ here in SC and another 600 dollars or so was raised. I love that congregation so much, they're so encouraging and they have truly been a blessing in my life! I cooked some Peruvian food (specifically Lomo Saltado and Aji de Gallina) and it was actually edible! how about that! Here are pictures of two of my favorite dishes:





Ok, so the Aji de Gallina looks gross, but it really is delicious and one of my favorite dishes. So there's the update, I'll write more later, but it's 12:23 and darn it! I'm done with College!

Downtown Denver.

It's funny- I don't ever forget how much I love Denver, but for some reason, I never remember until I'm actually there how being in Denver makes my heart feel so full . I love this city. I love these people. I love everything about being downtown. Which is where I am currently stationed- Downtown Denver on 13th and Acoma, across the street from the Colorado History Museum, where I spent many an elementary field trip and one block from the Colorado Ballet building, making me quite eager to go spend as much time as possible at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. More specifically I am at the coffee shop at the Denver Public Library, and even more specifically sitting at the window bar sipping some delicious coffee next to a man I dont know that looks like he's got a good story to tell, looking out on busy 13th street traffic, and watching the pedestrian parade that consists of library patrons, businessmen and various other downtown types going here or there, or just going in general. I love people watching, if I could make some sort of career out of it, I would do that without even blinking. Unfortunately within this wonderful capitalistic society, people watching doesn't really pay so well so I must resort to people watching as a hobby and forget those dreams of salary. Oh well.

I'm supposed to be reading about Jacques Lartigue right now and studying his photographic style, but behind me there is a conversation that quickly switching back and forth between English and Spanish and straining my ears to try and translate is much more interesting to me right now. The two gentlemen just met. One is the barista today and the other a younger guy, a mountainesque type. The conversation started out talking about climbing at 20,000 feet and the amazing physique that sherpas have. Then they switched to Spanish and I lost them totally except for a few words here and there.

This is Denver to me. People meeting, conversing and connecting over unexpected things and I'm thankful for it.

Here's the deal...

You should check out my new blog set up specifically for updates while I prepare for and while I'm in Peru.

www.peruviangillian.blogspot.com



What else are you going to do?

A true Renaissance woman...

Every so often, not too often, but just often enough, I have moments in my life where I receive approval and encouragement on my path. And the best encouragement comes from unexpected people at unexpected times.

I hope I don't sound egotistical. I don't believe for one second that I have done any of this on my own. This all completely comes from God's grace. For the past four years though, it feels like I've been given nothing but doubt and discouragement for choosing to study both music and art. It's not always easy when you know that no matter what others say, you have to press on with where God is leading you; there's a lot of self doubt, wondering if you really should quit something you love, because those who know best think you won't do as well. But...

To Thine Own Self Be True.

Today was an Open House at Anderson University, so I got to spend a little time with some of my professors, and today, I received perhaps some of the most encouraging words of the entire past four years. What with graduating, the number one question is, of course, "What are you doing next?" I know that I'm moving to Peru in July and the responses I got were incredible to me. My former drawing professor was happy for me, and on top of that, recognized the diversity in my interests. She understood and complimented me on choosing to develop those talents. I was elated. One of the academic deans went to the Orchestra concert I played in Thursday night, and complemented me telling me that he enjoyed it, and that he didn't know that I had that talent as well. When I told him about my future plans of moving to Peru, The head of the theater department who I am fairly well acquainted with, was very excited for me, and encouraged me as well, and said this

"Ah yes, you've always been a true Renaissance woman!"

This to me is perhaps one of the highest compliments I believe I could receive. They came around, and all I did was just stayed true to my own self and to what God was leading me to do.
How about that?

Whoa January...where'd you go?

So here it is, a week out from February and I'm not sure what happened to January. It's sort of a blur of new classes, authentic frontier attire, and quilts.

I'm playing for Quilters, the musical that the Anderson University Playhouse is currently putting on. It's fun, I'm glad I did it, it's been a good opportunity musically speaking to learn about musical theater scores and how much I hate messy handwritten music. Other than that, It's been great! However, it has been relatively demanding timewise. Beginning last monday I have been devoting my nights to loooong rehearsals and performances. I don't know if I could pull it off on a regular basis. School and gigs is a rough life. But Saturday is the last performance and then I can begin my normal school routine.

Things are going well I think. I'm looking forward to this semester, I've been impressed with all my teachers so far, even though I feel a little in over my head with music history. Dr. Perry is nice and understanding. I adore my photography instructor, he's fantastic and I'm really eager to learn thbe technical side of photography. I haven't had my lit professor yet, because I had a performance for Quilters, but looking at the syllabus, I've read (and enjoyed) most of the books that are on the list so I'm not too worried. I always enjoyed literature class anyhow.

I guess I didn't really have to much to say, but all in all, It's been a good semester so far. =)

Blues....I got the blues...

I got the "Last day of working with a design firm I love and I'm gonna miss them and I hate leaving because I get to do really good projects and they treat me so well" Blues.

Boy, if that's not songwriting from the soul.

Anyway, yes I am a little bummed out that I have to leave Citron WorkSpaces where I love the work that I'm doing, getting my very own design projects that are going great. The people are phenomenal there. So encouraging and so willing to teach me. It's fantastic. But alas, the time has come for me to buck up and put in 5 months of work so that I can earn that 80,000 dollar piece of paper that says Either I now have the ability to do something with my life, or that I just acquired 80,000 dollars worth of debt that will take me two year's salary even to just make that much, let alone paying the debt off. Life's funny huh?

I probably sound cranky right now, but I'm a wee bit sleepy. My best friend Ruth and her Sister Liz and I went to this great place last night called Sing Sing. It's a dueling piano bar in Denver. It's fun, they'll play any song you request, so obviously audience participation is a huge chunk of the show, and the performers are first of all amazing and secondly hilarious. Good combination. As with any downtown entertainment nightclub venue, the humor gets a little racy as it gets later, but hey, have some of their most excellent cosmos, and you'll laugh at anything. Mark, our nice gay waiter recommended the Cosmo to me, they're his favorite. He was right, it was delicious.

Well, not too much to talk about I suppose. I'm still tired from last night, we got back pretty late, and then I worked a full day today. Sniff. I hate saying goodbye. But, I must, because now I am only one day away from attending the 101st annual National Western Stock Show and Rodeo!!! I for one am thrilled, this is the first year since I've gone to college that I've been able to go, usually classes start too early and make me miss it, but not this year. No, this year I will be a city slicker among true cowboys. It's soooo fun. The rodeo is cuh-razy. Completely entertaining, but I can't comprehend bull riders. But I'll have one more shot tomorrow to try and figure it out.

Top 4 All-time favorite Aspects of The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo:

1) This is dumb, but I've been going to the stockshow since I was a kid, and my favorite was always going and seeing the animals, and especially the ducklings at the Children's Ranchland.

2) The ridiculous attire. You can always tell who is a real cowboy and who is trying too hard. Please Note exhibits A-D

3) The Rodeo, duh! Crazy bullriders. Crazy clowns. wait, I'm not sure which one is worse.

4) The Stock Show, duh! Love that Stock show. Where else can you buy the following animals all under the same roof: Cattle, Bison, Goats, llamas, rabbits, sheep, pigs, and yes folks, even yaks.

It's pretty darn spectacular.

coffee shop post

Here I sit once more at Tenn Street Coffee. Though today I am drinking White Peony Tea rather than my usual. It's pretty good, little too "grass-like" for my taste, but good overall. Ipod is rocking, laptop is a-typing and brain is wandering.

I'm watching the UPS truck tyr to back up through the foot of snow that is on the ground. Yes that's right, Denver is currently in what the media has been calling "Round 2" It's nice though. This go round is more relaxed. Last time we had over 2 feet of snow literally dumped on the city within 24 hours. It's still snowing right now, but it's a little bit more of a peaceful downfall. I'll take some more pictures and maybe post them. It's pretty.

So with coffee(tea), my music, my laptop, and my brain, I'm now in the mood to both look back and forward. I think the past four years, by the time New Years rolls around, I start getting excited about going back to school. this year not so much. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the fact that there is still a threat that the school will bulldoze our house. Maybe it's the fact that my fall semester ended on not so great of a note with a teacher and I don't want to go back to that. Maybe it's because I'm loving the place where I work and It's hard for me to pull myself away from the amazing people and company. Maybe it's the fact that this is my last semester of college and since I know I'm moving out of the country in July, I just want to spend time with my family. Maybe it's all of this.

I do want to spend time with my friends though and everyone I love in Anderson. I think I have a love/hate relationship with Anderson. The things I love...I love soooo much, my friends, Most of my professors, the opportunities I've had musically and otherwise have been good. But the thing I don't like are enough to keep me away. It's kind of weird. Of course there will be good and bad wherever I am, likes and dislikes, but Anderson just feels different. Maybe it's just because I know that I'm not going to be there for more than 5 months. If you know that you're going to be leaving something soon, you feel differently about it.

So many changes are happening all around me. Friends are getting married, couples are expecting babies, people are gaining opportunities all over the place, and I am going to live in Peru.

So many changes. But that's good.