"Living the Dream." Great expression, right?! Inspiration, sarcasm, humor...it can be all of the above and more. You know what it should not be? 100% accurate. At least not in this scenario.
Consider the case study below:
Exhibit A: 28-year-old female (that's right...age happens). We'll call her S-Dawg for the sake of anonymity. And in an effort to unlock her alter-identity.
S-DAWG DREAM DIARY:
Wednesday, 6.20.2012 (All dates are manufactured for the purpose of this post)
Finds herself in a classroom. Studying. Surrounded by fellow pupils. Russian conversation is underway and she joins in. Frequently to expound on the statement "I do not know." Action moves to a bus, still with classmates and Russian teacher behaving as a guide.
Scene Change.
Finds herself in a small, sound-proofed room. Cubical in shape. Containing a piano in corner. Singer enters. Coaching comments. Singer exits. Practicing commences.
Thursday, 6.21.2012
S-Dawg finds herself in Moscow. Is introduced to several colleagues, having realistically abbreviated conversations, and occasionally finding an easy flow of words. Still apologetic on occasion with a "Please, repeat?" or "I'm sorry, I don't understand." Given a brief tour of the facility and then left to her own devices to find her Russian class which is beginning just across town in 5 minutes. As she steps outside to find the new location, a heavy rainstorm commences. S-Dawg is soaked. And slightly vanquished.
I don't think I need to continue.
PEOPLE, I'm living my dream. More accurately, I'm dreaming my life. Which turns out to be not even half as exciting as the first statement. Plus...it's exhausting. What happened to sleep as a reprieve, a retreat from daily activity??? An oh-so-illusive rest?
In case you can't tell, my mind has become virtually one-track. Or perhaps we can say two tracks that run parallel? 1) Work. 2) Russia. The tracks merge come the end of August. And here's the truth: I can complain away about dreaming my life. But in reality, which just happens to encompass both wake and sleep at the moment, I really am blessed enough to be living some of my dreams.
I work for an amazing company during the summer (and several of them during the year!). I'm surrounded by fantastic, talented people who work hard. And play hard. And become friends and a bit of family in the process. I have ACTUAL family in the vicinity, which transforms my existence. And I have a boss and colleagues who care enough about me and what I deem important (since when do individuals matter in opera scheduling?!), to have released me from work every evening on Monday-Thursday for the past month. So that I could go to school. (Yes, homework assignments were a rude awakening). And study...drum roll...Russian.
Why? Because, come September I'll be living Case Study Dream #2. In Moscow. Studying what I love. Sponsored by the government (nothing like helping out the deficit). And working in a pretty stunning environment.
Now...to keep that in mind whilst overwhelmed by Russian language, Russian composers (just when I start feeling comfortable, I turn a page and Stravinsky seems to back-hand me in the face), and the odd lack of restful sleep.
Dreaming life in order to live the dream!
Consider the case study below:
Exhibit A: 28-year-old female (that's right...age happens). We'll call her S-Dawg for the sake of anonymity. And in an effort to unlock her alter-identity.
S-DAWG DREAM DIARY:
Wednesday, 6.20.2012 (All dates are manufactured for the purpose of this post)
Finds herself in a classroom. Studying. Surrounded by fellow pupils. Russian conversation is underway and she joins in. Frequently to expound on the statement "I do not know." Action moves to a bus, still with classmates and Russian teacher behaving as a guide.
Scene Change.
Finds herself in a small, sound-proofed room. Cubical in shape. Containing a piano in corner. Singer enters. Coaching comments. Singer exits. Practicing commences.
Thursday, 6.21.2012
S-Dawg finds herself in Moscow. Is introduced to several colleagues, having realistically abbreviated conversations, and occasionally finding an easy flow of words. Still apologetic on occasion with a "Please, repeat?" or "I'm sorry, I don't understand." Given a brief tour of the facility and then left to her own devices to find her Russian class which is beginning just across town in 5 minutes. As she steps outside to find the new location, a heavy rainstorm commences. S-Dawg is soaked. And slightly vanquished.
I don't think I need to continue.
PEOPLE, I'm living my dream. More accurately, I'm dreaming my life. Which turns out to be not even half as exciting as the first statement. Plus...it's exhausting. What happened to sleep as a reprieve, a retreat from daily activity??? An oh-so-illusive rest?
In case you can't tell, my mind has become virtually one-track. Or perhaps we can say two tracks that run parallel? 1) Work. 2) Russia. The tracks merge come the end of August. And here's the truth: I can complain away about dreaming my life. But in reality, which just happens to encompass both wake and sleep at the moment, I really am blessed enough to be living some of my dreams.
I work for an amazing company during the summer (and several of them during the year!). I'm surrounded by fantastic, talented people who work hard. And play hard. And become friends and a bit of family in the process. I have ACTUAL family in the vicinity, which transforms my existence. And I have a boss and colleagues who care enough about me and what I deem important (since when do individuals matter in opera scheduling?!), to have released me from work every evening on Monday-Thursday for the past month. So that I could go to school. (Yes, homework assignments were a rude awakening). And study...drum roll...Russian.
Why? Because, come September I'll be living Case Study Dream #2. In Moscow. Studying what I love. Sponsored by the government (nothing like helping out the deficit). And working in a pretty stunning environment.
Dreaming life in order to live the dream!
