Well, okay, it doesn't feel like quite as big of an announcement since so many people already have heard (since I can't keep a secret...except for engagements and pregnancies apparently. And not mine. My sisters'. Let's be clear: I'm not announcing a pregnancy or an engagement. Done.).
Anyway, best to just tell it like ripping off a bandaid? Nah, too easy. Here's some build-up for you all:
Most of you know I spent a lot of time this school year prepping for grad school auditions. I was invited to fly out and audition for all four schools I applied to, but because of the decision that I need to actually graduate with my bachelors before I can even go to grad school, I only took two of the auditions. The second set of auditions would have pulled me out of a full week of school, just before finals. Not happening when you have two classes basing their grades completely on your last couple weeks of work. (On the upside, I did pull a 4.0 that quarter, so I think it paid off.)
As I was doing that first trip, however, I began to realize that as much as I loved the East Coast, I wasn't sure it was for me. It's not just fear of leaving home and the known for the unknown, but more because I didn't feel like I'd fit in, nor thrive in some of those schools. On top of that, they were expensive. Really expensive. I've been blessed to come out of my undergrad with student debt in the teens (of thousands of dollars), and I just can't see being a musician with doubled student debt.
So, I came to a crossroads, about the time I would have had to leave for that second round of grad auditions. I ended up calling my private instructor, and we talked on the phone for nearly an hour, determining what exactly my mindset was, and where I should go with it. Together we agreed that I should skip the trip to spend all that time I had planned to be out of classes at home studying and getting all the stuff ready for my finals. I ended up hiding out on campus (so I could still see friends every once in a while, and because I'm not a very efficient person when I'm at my house), doing tons of work, and then getting done with everything just a bit early. It was a good decision.
Which brings me (finally, I know) to what the big decision is: I'm going to Switzerland for grad school! Yup, it's a bit out of the blue for most people, but it's been in the making (and stewing in my mind) for over a year, and I decided to finally jump on it. Plus, it helps when you're sitting in a friend's apartment, pondering whether to send in the application, and your friends look at you and basically force you to do what you're most afraid of doing. In a very loving, caring, oh-my-gosh-don't-turn-down-an-opportunity-to-go-to-Europe, kind of way. My oldest sister helped a lot while I figured this stuff out.
So there you have it. I leave September 1st (ish...I haven't purchased my plane tickets yet.) so I hope to get to see a lot of you before I leave, and if not, I'm sure I'll have internet and will be posting lots of blogs so everyone can keep up with my adventures! I'm very excited, and also really nervous. But I do think that this will be a great experience for me, and I look forward to seeing where this opportunity takes me.
Allison
