once upon a sunset

once upon a sunset

the world is set aglow

filled with things that use to be

and things we have yet

to know

-maysa rose-

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And then, there were ten

As I mentioned in a previous post, my family recently moved into a new house, and many exciting opportunities came with the transition… like hatching baby chicks. It was so wonderful to experience, and it has been so neat to watch them grow. We did not expect them all to hatch, so it was a great surprise to end up with ten!

It has been quite an eventful past couple of weeks, and many big projects are underway as we prepare the chicken coop and construct a fence for the goats that we will be getting as well… Overall, it has been a nice change of pace, and this new lifestyle is very fitting for us. My siblings are still so young, and living out here allows their curiosity to run wild in the great outdoors. I am going to make the most of every moment that I have here and cherish every memory… I love my family, and I love this place. Thanks, mom and dad.

December’s last breath

a final exhale

drifts off in the wind

scattering memories like ashes

to be visited once again

the blue sky fades away

and everything becomes new

another year is born

from December’s last breath

The new year is on its way, and I think most of us can agree that leaving 2020 behind is quite a relief. Looking back, it is astounding how much can change in a matter of months, weeks, and even a day. To be honest, I learned more this year than I ever imagined, but I grew so much stronger through every fear, uncertainty, hurt, and disappointment. Although it is easy to focus on everything that went wrong, it is important to remember all the things that went right like welcoming my baby brother into the world, moving to a beautiful new house, graduating high school, and attending a university honor’s program. Overall, I feel like this year helped me become a better version of myself, and I am grateful for all of the things that I learned despite the hard times.

One of my resolutions for 2021 is making the conscious effort to write more even if it is only once a week or so. I do not intend to force words on a page, but I know that reminding myself to frequently write (even in a personal journal) will help me become more in sync with my thoughts and emotions…Writing always use to be the thing that I would revert to when things got hard, but I definitely didn’t do that this year which only made things harder. Nonetheless, I want to continue to improve my writing, so I think becoming more active is a great resolution.

That being said, I wrote a little free verse poem in honor of the coming year that I hope you find enjoyable… Here is to new beginnings, and a Happy New Year!

Baby Boy!

It was a very exciting weekend for my family as this little guy entered the world, and I honestly teared up as I held him for the first time. My new baby brother is so precious, and God has truly blessed my family. I am looking forward to all of the wonderful memories that we will share, and I am so lucky to be his big sister… My heart is so full.

Welcome to the world, sweet Cole!

Christmas Adventure

Hello again. I know it is a little late, but I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas! I spent my week visiting with family almost twelve hours from home, so it was really special because we don’t get to see them very often. I am also thankful that I was able to be there to celebrate three big birthdays this year! This was actually the first winter that we have ever traveled to that part of the country, and the weather couldn’t have been any better. Though it was much colder than it was back home, it didn’t approach the sub-zero temperatures that we were expecting. Everyone kept telling us that it was unseasonably mild, so we were lucky that we could actually enjoy ourselves at this time of the year.

I also ate one of the biggest sandwiches that I have ever had at Primanti Bros. It was delicious, but it was ginormous; I have no idea how I was able to fit it into my mouth. I think my favorite part of the trip has to be snow-tubing with my cousins because I loved the adrenaline rush of racing down those tall, icy slopes. From snowman building to ordering a table-for-twenty dinner, we all had a really great time, and we certainly filled this Christmas with many memories.

Have you traveled anywhere recently? How was your holiday? I am super behind on the Reader, but I will try to catch up to some of your posts within the next few days. Thanks for reading!

musings and music// 12-17-19

Lights decorate rooftops and illuminate the streets to transform an ordinary town into a magical wonderland. Children add the finishing touches to their snowmen, and roads become busy with travelers who eagerly head home for the holidays. Loved ones gather around the fireplace as warm cookies are munched, and special memories are made in the heart of December.

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I cannot believe that Christmas is only eight days away, and 2020 is right around the corner. This year really flew by, and I am shocked that this month is already halfway over. That being said, I hope you enjoy this month’s playlist, and happy holidays from my family to yours!

• A New York Christmas by Rob Thomas
• Carol of the Bells by John Williams
• This Christmas by Donny Hathaway
• It Must Be Christmas by Chris Young
• White Christmas by The Drifters
• Linus And Lucy by Vince Guaraldi Trio
• Candy Cane Lane by Sia
• Let It Be Christmas by Alan Jackson

What is your favorite Christmas song? Do you have any exciting plans coming up? What do you love about this time of year? Thanks for reading, and be sure to not miss my next post for a special treat.

Fall Semester 2019

This semester was harder than I ever expected, but I learned more life-lessons within the past sixteen weeks than any of the other semesters combined. Looking back, I am not really sure how I made it through everything, but I couldn’t be more thankful for the experiences that helped me become who I am today despite the challenges.

I always use to tell myself that nothing is impossible and that I could do anything I set my mind to if I was determined enough. This helped me achieve great things in the past, but this semester humbled me to realize that some things truly aren’t possible. I was pushing myself harder than I ever had before, and I was setting unrealistic expectations for myself. This year, I took a full semester at the college through dual-enrollment while dancing full time as a professional trainee ballet dancer. Though I had done this before, my academic courses were more difficult this time, and the demands were a lot higher. I was only getting about five hours of sleep every single night just to keep my feet on the ground, and the exhaustion/stress really started to take a toll on my health.

I learned that “you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.”

The problem was, I was trying to give 100% effort at both school and dance because I didn’t know where I would end up or what I even wanted anymore. A professional career in ballet is extremely competitive, and universities are also highly selective; I needed to be perfect at both. It was about mid-October when I realized that something had to change because I physically couldn’t do everything anymore, and I was wearing myself out… I had some big decisions to make. After thinking everything through, I decided to no longer pursue a professional career in ballet after Nutcracker which was one of the hardest decisions that I have ever had to make. Even though it is a huge change in my life, I know that I made the right decision, and I did what it best for me. Since then, I am so much happier, and I passed all of my classes!

Through it all, it truly was bittersweet to walk off campus for the last time knowing that some of my friends wont return in January… From the coffee shop shows, Friday morning laughs, “flying squirrel” (inside joke), study groups, and hot chocolate chats, I couldn’t have hoped for a better group of people to hang with. I made some great friendships, and I am so thankful for all of the wonderful memories! It certainly wasn’t an easy semester, but we got through it together. The Fall semester is officially complete. I can’t believe it, but we did it!!

in the end…

“in the end, she became

more than what she expected.

she became the journey,

and like all journeys,

she did not end, she just

simply changed directions

and kept going.”

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*quote: r.m. drake

*photo: richard jean-louis

Golden leaves

do you hear that?

the echo of the trees

conversing among each other

dispersing messages in the breeze…

 

do you see that?

the array of golden leaves

painting the earth’s canvas

 letting beauty run free…

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I was walking to class the other day, but I had to stop to take a picture of this beautiful moment. It also inspired me to write a poem, so I thought I would share it with all of you.

Also, I am loving this song.

I am in the process of putting together this month’s playlist, so be on the lookout for that as well. I hope you all have a great rest of the week, and thanks for reading!

Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving? What are your thoughts on this post? Did you like the song? Has anything inspired you recently? 

Nutty Weekend

Just like that, Nutcracker 2019 has officially come to a close, but I would do anything to go back and relive my moment as the sugar plum fairy…

I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to dance such an iconic role, and it was truly an honor to perform. My second show on Saturday night was better than I had ever expected, and I can’t recall time where I was that happy onstage before. I was overcome with joy, and I truly danced my heart out which doesn’t happen everyday. I am not sure how my dancing was physically, but I think that last show was one of the best ones I have ever done. If anything, it is definitely something that I will remember for a very long time.

However, I am going to be honest and admit that it was not an easy weekend for me, and this Nutcracker certainly had its hiccups. I was in a lot of pain as my muscles kept seizing up in the middle of my dances, my Achilles was hurting, and I had a really bad cough that was a constant struggle. Also, slipping onstage during the pas de deux of my first show was far from the debut that I had envisioned.

Despite the circumstances, it truly was an incredible experience, and I am already missing that theater. It has been an amazing journey to get here, and I have made so many memories that will last an entire lifetime. Thank you to everyone who came out to support me and also everyone who encouraged me backstage. The entire cast danced beautifully, and I am so lucky to have shared that stage with such a talented group of artists. This was truly a dream, and I will always remember Nutcracker 2019…