Alas, spring break has come and gone, as quickly as usual. I am glad to say I had a very relaxing break back home in Cincinnati. I had not seen my family since I left at the start of the semester, so it had been almost two months since I had seen them. I was definitely starting to feel homesick, so the break could not have come at a more perfect time.

Being away at college makes me realize how much I love my friends and especially my family. My words of advice to any high schoolers looking to move away from home: don’t take your proximity to your family for granted-you will miss it! Don’t gripe when your mom wants to go on a “Family Day,” or your little brother asks you for a favor, because you’ll be missing it soon enough. And lastly (and most importantly): spend as much time with your dogs and cats while you can!

On the same note, being back home also makes me realize how much I love Chicago. I have become so accustomed to such a fast-paced life that slowing it down can be difficult for me now. While I do complain about how busy I am, I actually love it. Without my job, rehearsal, school and the city to keep me occupied, I tend to go a little stir-crazy. I was not too disheartened to come back to Loyola when spring break was over.

My week back has been happily jam-packed with theatre! I recently auditioned for the Directing Showcase and New Plays Festival. Every semester, the Directing class chooses scenes to direct for their final capstone project. These scenes are cast through auditions open to any Loyola student, which makes the scenes a fun learning opportunity not only for the directors but also for actors. The New Plays Festival uses Loyola actors to perform in original shows written by students in the Playwriting class.  It was a bit nerve-wracking to audition for forty of my classmates, but a good experience none the less.

And, of course, I can’t forget Frankenstein. Tech rehearsal started last night! Anyone who has ever been involved in a show is familiar with the crazy, exciting stress of tech week. Our crew came in yesterday to see the show, which meant we finally had an audience! I’m excited to see all the elements of the show come together. We open a week from tomorrow, so wish us luck!

 

I got to come home to this little guy last week!