Mission: Chocolate Croissants

We went to the public library last Sunday to study, and found it to be a beautiful building. Next door to the library is a small cafe called Provence, which advertised many delicious looking pastries in their window. They were sadly closed that day, but we resolved to come back this weekend to enjoy a cup of coffee and chocolate croissants. And this we did this morning, after a few setbacks and one or two minor meltdowns (we're always so tired by the time the weekend comes) . . . but at last, we found ourselves in the attempting-to-be-European-and-not-failing-too-badly-type cafe, eating wonderful paninis and . . . chocolate croissants! Now we are in the library, but after just wonderful food, all I want is to lay my head down and sleep. We didn't sleep too much last night, as we stayed up late cleaning the house and watching Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett version, my favorite Holmes of all).

This has been a rough week for me in many ways. I do believe that graduate school has humbled me to such a degree as I have never experienced before . . . I suppose that is a good thing. And there are many good things that are coming out of our experiences right now, but they are the "tough but good" lessons in life. Academically speaking, I have been raized to the ground and found that all I really have to cling to is self-motivation and my work ethic. I being to wonder now if further post-graduate work after this master's is really what I should do. I'm afraid that my academic interests have always been to increase my own knowledge - but a member of academia needs to constantly have more to offer others, by way of papers, books, articles, classes, etc. I want to continue, I want to learn more. But to what end? For myself, or to enrich others and offer something to the greater academic community?

Being away from family has also been hard, but again it has been a positive thing. Moving away does teach you that you don't really have much to depend on but the Lord, and the support systems He chooses to put in your life. I have said before how thankful I am to have Daniel right now, and I will say it again! Our marriage has provided a constant companionship that I find necessary to being happy and centered, and just generally sane. And what is more, he is an unfailing source of unconditional love and acceptance. Every time I walk onto campus I feel judged and measured up and criticized in countless ways, but Daniel is that voice that says, "It doesn't matter what they think, because I love you." And he doesn't care how many grammatical mistakes I make in my translations . . . :)So I feel much more at peace this weekend than I have for a few weeks. In a very strange way, I was brought to my lowest point this week only to discover that it isn't all that bad, and that I'll make it through. (Does that make sense?)

Of ziplines and public humiliation

So Sunday night was very interesting. The Classics department held a party in honor of the new grad students at the house of one Tommie Corlew - the Classics secretary. Most everyone was there, except two of the more anti-social grad students (can you believe they didn't come to their own party?!). And the evening was centered around food, alcohol, and a zipline that the Corlews put up for their grandchildren. There is nothing quite like seeing all your intellectually intimidating and personally frightening professors whizzing by on the zipline . . . Daniel of course went on it, but I was too scared. The food was very good, and conversation was also good. Daniel made friends with my Latin professor, who seemed to gravitate toward him - they spent probably an hour absorbed in conversation. I did my best to keep a couple of the more shy people feeling comfortable. All in all, a good evening, and it was nice to have everyone meet Daniel.

Other than that, the weekend was just busy with sleeping and homework. Daniel started at Omni yesterday, and sounds very positive and excited about it. I think I'll have him post to let you all know how that is going for him! We found out yesterday that the studio is within walking distance of the Vandy Classics building! So we were able to WALK to meet up for dinner before he went in. I'm a little sad that he'll be gone now almost every day from 5-11, but I suppose it will force me to be more productive . . .

As to the public humiliation, well . . . let's just say grad school is kicking my butt. I feel like there are a couple others who are in my boat - the one that's rapidly sinking - but others are infuriatingly ahead of us in terms of knowledge. Right now the problem is mostly vocab, and the time it takes to translate. I'm averaging about 20 lines per hour (the average weekly work load is approximately 400-500, so that's what, 20 hours a week), and that's just for the two grad seminars. There is one student who basically comes into class unprepared and sight reads beautifully every time. Who the heck sight reads ancient greek?! As a first year grad student?! I feel like ripping his intelligent little head off . . . Okay, just kidding (sorta). :)

So life has been busy, but Daniel have enjoyed our time together cooking and planning our trip to Europe next summer. I'm going to focus on getting into the Rome program at the American Academy in Rome. So right now we're trying to decide whether he'll come stay in Rome while I'm in the program, or if we'll meet up before/after to travel together. I just found out this weekend that they are as of now requiring all participants to stay on-sight, with no housing for spouses, so we would have to live separately for the six weeks I was studying. That's not really very fun, I think. So we're looking at what kind of trip we can make together after I'm done. Hurrah for trips to Europe!

Dreaming about being in Venice with my hubby . . .

On a Thursday night, wishing it was Friday . . .

Another week is winding down - and I'm ready for the weekend. But I had a good night last night. I met up with Anna Molinari and we went to the Reformed University Ministries meeting on campus. It's a pretty large group, around 100 students, and I enjoyed it. It's a typical sort of meeting of singing and then a brief message. Again, I am struck by the quality of the musicianship. They sing mostly hymns and more subdued contemporary songs (much like Midtown), but it was a powerful experience. A hundred voices echoing in the chapel, singing beautiful and powerful music. . . amazing. But more than anything else, it's just wonderful to see such a large group of God-loving students. A friend of Sean and Cate's who is also studying at Vandy said that the campus is spiritually dark, and I understand now what she meant. So after a week in such an atmosphere, seeing the students gathered at RUF or at Midtown is very encouraging.

This has been a tough week for me. I find myself slipping under the homework load. I find myself behind the other grad students, and have to work twice as hard to keep up. But my wonderful husband planned a wonderful night last night for me to relax - pizza, beer and a movie! I shudder to think how awful being here in Nashville right now would be if I didn't have his love and encouragement.

Evidently Daniel's district manager at the store said that she liked him so much she wants him to stay on at the store, even if it's one day a week. And the greatest part is that he gets to choose the hours! So he'll have the freedom to choose when and for how long, to fit in with school and internship. Honestly, I am blown away by the Lord's provision.

Good News!

Sorry it's been so long since I've written - on top of just generally pulling my hair out over the amount of homework I find myself with, our internet was shut off (cause as yet unknown). But now I have a minute to catch my breath and write from school.

So, as to the good news! Daniel has an internship at OmniSound Studios!!! He starts next Monday, so details are forthcoming. But this is a step in the right direction, and a good place for him to be at right now. It is a typical internship - he'll be answering phones and such - but their emphasis is to give the intern a full picture of how the music business side of it all works. So he will be interacting with clients, etc. Yay for Daniel! If you want to check out where he'll be at, their site is: http://www.omnisoundstudios.com/home/

As for Classics, they're not being very nice to me right now . . . :/ I've never had so much to do in my life. But one positive point is that all Classics grad students went out this last Friday, and got to know each other. The four newbies went out after this, and just generally had a good time searching for sushi and ending up at a sketch taco bar (where everything you ordered, no matter what it was, all looked and tasted alike). I feel a little more like part of a cohesive group now, and like we were able to relate on a personal level.

In other news, I finally got to see the 40 foot statue of Athena inside the Nashville Parthenon! She's just as big and gaudy as I thought. People actually donated so that she could be gilded (with real gold!) like the original! And I'm looking forward to Wednesday of this week when I'll be going to Reformed University Ministries with Anna (daughter of Mom's good friend that just started at Vandy). I'll let you know how that is.

And, Daniel started helping out with sound at Midtown this Sunday, as well. It's been a very sound oriented week for him, no? He'll be in rotation with a team of guys, and he'll start out doing monitor mixes. A little sad for me, because I have to be without him, but I'll find Anna to sit with. And it's wbat he's supposed to be doing.