Nobody panic! I'm still here :D

It's been a crazy few days, that's for sure. Saturday was spent full of knitting, and an unexpected date with Olivia :) I got this lovely text Saturday morning asking if I wanted to go to tea, and maybe take a jaunt up to Greenwood to get some yarn. You can't really appreciate how wonderful it is to do two things so unrelated to music, until you get off campus and get to pursue a fun hobby like that :) I bought a huge book of lace patterns (44 of them!) that I want to start trying out, since I've started knitting lace, as well as some beautiful merino worsted yarn that I used to knit a cowl for my aunt in thanks for her teaching me how to knit all those years ago. Good conversation, good environment, and excellent tea made for what may end up being one of my favorite memories from this year. I got a little obsessed when we got back on campus, and finished the cowl at about 8:30 that evening, and was so excited about it, I just *had* to call Becky and ask if I could drop by the house. (Long story short, she loved it!)

Then came Sunday--the Reconciled tour. *Insert ominous music here* I got up at 5:15 so as to be up, ready, with all my stuff at the bus at 6:30 to check in all of the wind symphony people. I was running on about 2 hours of sleep, which made for a very tiring day, but I think it got me all emotionally prepped for what I was playing. It was actually really beautiful when we played the two services at the Presbyterian church down in the Auburn-ish area. God was definitely present for both services, and it caused me to almost cry (I had to concentrate just enough on playing that I didn't) in just the sheer joy of being so close to God. The concert back at SPU that night, however, was the icing on the cake. It was loud, but glorious. For all my whining about how tired I was afterwards, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Yesterday was just full of practicing and normal Monday stuff. It's kind of hard to enter the real world again after such an experience (post-camp feelings, anyone?), but by today, I think I've settled back into the routine.

As for what reflections I've done in the last few days? There's been a lot of prayer involved, and assurance by those close to me, but I'm finally beginning to see how far I've come these last few years. I feel as though there's not much left of the girl I was in high school, and I'm not sad about it. I like who I am now much better. I'm more respectful, mature, and honestly, a lot happier. I've become closer to God, and I actually care about what I'm doing, in school, and definitely when it comes to my horn. There's lots left to learn, but I know I'm on the right path to figuring it all out as it happens.

~Allie