So dawn goes down to day...

...Nothing gold can stay.

On October 13th, 2009, I departed New York City. Monday the 12th, my last evening in town, was spent with one of my many roommates, Jinee. We went to dinner at Edgar's (I wanted to try my three-berry pie one last time) and then headed to a place called The Dead Poet. It was a lot of fun. In bed at a reasonable hour, I arose the next morning at 7 AM to tie up any remaining loose strings. I even had to take a quick subway trip to the library to return my books and DVDs! I was fed, packed, and checked out by 10 AM, in plenty of time for my airport shuttle at 10:30. Luckily, this time the shuttle driver did not hit on me and the ride to Laguardia was quiet and peaceful! I had plenty of time to kill at the airport as my flight was not until 2, but the minutes passed quickly and before I knew it, I was boarding a flight to Atlanta. As we flew over Manhattan, I whispered a quiet goodbye with a promise to be back again someday!

I think I left the city at the right time - as I was starting to feel twinges of bitterness. I cussed at a random taxi driver in the street when he honked for NO REASON (also I had nothing to eat the entire day and was very irritable, and I was so sick of them honking for no reason right in my ear!)... I began to get a little mouthy with the bossy older women at my residence. At breakfast one morning, I set my tray on the edge of the table while I waited for my bread in the toaster, and one woman advised me that she wanted to knock it over and I should move it because it was in a precarious position. Well, I thought, surely if you concentrate realllllly hard you can manage to NOT knock my tray off...but instead I said rudely, "I'll take my chances." Another woman was scolding me for using the wrong bathroom, since I lived on the other side of the floor, I needed to use the other bathroom. I had my reasons for using the bathroom in question, but felt I did not owe her a justification and simply told her I would use whichever bathroom I wished as there were no rules against it, I paid rent just like her and correct-me-if-I'm-wrong but she did not work there. She left me alone after that ... :) I think I started to understand why New Yorkers have a reputation for being a little jaded or rude...it's simply a necessary defense mechanism to function in that city!

I arrived in Atlanta about 5:30 - a little late due to delays in New York. However I was able to meet Greg for some dinner at Wendy's and some good conversation! I love impromptu get-togethers. Then back through Security I went to hop on the last leg of my flight to Gainesville. Immediately I noticed a difference and realized that good ol' Southern hospitality truly does exist...ah, home sweet home. The flight home was swift, quiet, and uneventful. I sat by a medical intern at Shands who told me he worked 80 hours a week. Yikes! I felt mildly relieved I had never considered being a doctor. One career option down, 180 million to go. He was married with 3 kids. He was very quiet and would not look at me when we talked. I did not get to ponder this too long, because we landed in Gainesville and I was off to meet Mom at baggage claim! She walked in right as I was exiting the plane - talk about good timing! It was great to see her, and after collecting my bags, it was off to home we went.

Having been in Gainesville for a few weeks now, I can say that I think I made the right decision. I am so glad I went to New York - I got to study theatre in the Big Apple for an entire summer, meet some amazing people, and test the waters of the nation's biggest professional theatre scene. I do not think I am ready to commit to the lifestyle of a professional actress (which means TRYING to become a professional actress) but if I do make that choice in the future, I will be better prepared and know what to expect. In the meantime, I am continuing my pursuits by attending State Screenings for the Southeastern Theatre Conference Auditions next weekend, and trying to get my application together to audition for MFA programs this winter. Only time will tell what the future brings, but I am trying to do my part as best I can. We'll see!