Yesterday day started well...
I figured a power breakfast was probably a good idea before getting my brain stuffed to the brim with information, names and new people at orientation, so I fixed up a quick smoothie using a Green Superfood Packet from Amazing Grass (found in my HLS Swag Bag).
Frozen berries, water, ice, soymilk, protein powder, chia seeds, ground flax seeds and some Amazing Grass Green SuperFood Powder! DE-LICIOUS!
I hopped in the shower, packed my bag and then it was off to school! :)
Today was a little overcast, but still pretty beautiful!
I had a bit of time to sit and relax under a tree before orientation- the Brooklyn College campus is pretty!
First my class had a meeting with the head of our department. We talked a bit about what to expect on this journey, got our schedules and went over our first assignments. My program is very small- there are seven first year MFA actors (including myself) and 7 second years. The second years came for an informal Q & A and we got to know each other a bit, which was wonderful. They were so kind and welcoming and helped relieve a lot of our anxiety about starting school.
Next we attended a department-wide orientation (where we got to meet the MFA Directors, Designers, Dramaturgs and Theatre Managment students). It was inspiring and a bit humbling to meet everyone and hear a bit about their story. Our department seems to have students representing every continent, many states, all ages and backgrounds- each of us brought together by our love of and dedication to the theatre. It's a powerful thing to sit amongst so many others and hear what they've been through to get to this point.
After Theatre Department orientation, myself and a few of my classmates skipped forgot to attend the college-wide orientation (which largely didn't apply to our major- don't judge!) and headed out to use my classmate Amanda's Groupon at ZuZu Ramen in Park Slope.
Amanda had hyped the steamed pork buns and they did not disappoint! Sweet and savory pork with crunchy mixed greens and a soft, chewy and slightly sticky. Awwww yeahhh...
Sweet, juicy happy-town.
For my main, I ordered the Garlic Soy Ramen, with bok choy, slow cooked egg and bamboo shoots. Warm, wet, slurpy and satisfying.
We strolled over to BAR(n) afterwards to meet up with the rest of the graduate theatre department!
I got to spend time with my pageant-blog-running-Brooklyn College Theatre Dept friend Aubrie! She has many hyphens, because her awesomeness cannot be contained! She's getting her MFA in Performing Arts Management.
I kicked around with these boys most of the night- Aaron and Jonny are two of my six fellow first years. And they're awesome.
I returned home to this:
My. First. Race. Cancelled. AGGGHHHHHH! I was so excited about it, but had a sinking suspicion that with the hurricane craziness that's supposed to beat down on NYC that it would get scrapped. Hurricane Irene, you crushed my dreams! (Ok- I'm being dramatic...)
But on a more serious note, my home is in Zone A, which is the first evacuation zone. All of the hospitals and nursing homes in our neighborhood have already begun evacuation.
Our area is at extremely high risk of flooding and.... my husband and I live in a basement apartment. We have friends in Jersey who've graciously offered to open their homes to us, so I'm spending today trying to get our valuables and important documents as high up as I can, unplugging and moving our electronics, moving things away from windows, etc. Preparing for a flood/ hurricane is something I've never done before, and honestly it's a bit scary.
FINGERS CROSSED that the storm isn't nearly as bad as it's predicted to be, that I'm able to get back into NYC for class next week, and that our home is spared from flooding and damage. Please keep us in your thoughts/ prayers/ meditations.
