I'm blogging from my bed at home in cold, snowy Scotland!
I'm so happy to be home for Christmas, words cannot even describe! Actually getting home was quite a challenge though... the second of my trains to the airport was cancelled, meaning I had to get a replacement bus service, on which I freaked out as I'd convinced myself I'd be late for check in. Of course, I actually got to the airport in plenty of time...
I'd checked in online, so I just had to put my case through the do-it-yourself baggage drop. Stress free, right? Nope. My case was 6kg over the weight limit. They charge £15 per kilogram that you're over. So I end up wearing 3 jumpers at once to get it down to 5kg over, meaning a £75 fine. I figure ok, I'll have to pay this, put my card in - declined. Twice. I check my account, and I have £15. I swear I had £90 in there a few days before, and I had NOT spent anything since... long story short, I called my mum crying in the airport, and my fantastic, supportive parents covered the £75 so I could fly home!
Then of course my flight was delayed about an hour and a half.
And I cried when I we started the descent into Edinburgh.
I really didn't realise how much I missed home until I got back. And now I'm trying to catch up with  and see EVERYONE I've been missing! So far I've seen two friends from the year below, my best friend and her family, and my darling choir friends. Just a few more to go... it's a good thing I've got four weeks!
Wishing everyone reading a merry Christmas (and a happy new year if I don't have a chance to blog before then)!
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Since my last post I have turned 18, been punched and kicked in the face (some people need to know their spacing better in dance routines...), seen a student written and produced musical, turned in two assignments, and watched my first Christmas film of the season! (Elf, in case anyone was wondering)
I get to go home in one week and five days, and I can't even express how excited I am, it's been so long since I've been home - almost 3 months! But before that, I've got to finish another 2500 word portfolio, and I have rehearsals every night until Thursday, a Rogers and Hammerstein concert tomorrow night, my voice assessment on Thursday afternoon, then a musical theatre showcase the same night (which may or may not be followed by a night out drinking), and finally a choir concert on Saturday. Which, again, may be followed by a night out. So not too much to be getting on with at all...
At least classes are off for now, meaning that I actually have time to focus on everything. Or alternatively, I have time to watch more TV and procrastinate on facebook. I'll let you work out which one I've been doing...
Typing this has made me feel like I've done work... I think that means it's time for a lunch break!
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I spend a lot more time over weekends in bed watching American high school movies than I thought I would. When people talk about uni they tend to tell you all the wild drunk stories, rather than mentioning that Netflix will sometimes be your best friend. I personally still have no wild drunk stories - BUT it is now less than two weeks until my 18th birthday! I really can't wait to actually be allowed to go out and have a social life again. As much as I love my halls, spending every night in them is getting a little wearing...
I took a little bit of a knock the other day at musical theatre society - after what I thought were reasonably good auditions I ended up with a very VERY small part in our winter showcase, which is always disappointing. I think I handled it with dignity though... (just kidding, I cried and considered throwing a tantrum.) Still, the show must go on. I'm just hoping to do better when we put on a full musical next semester.
It feels like forever since I saw my friends and family back home, so I can't wait to fly back to Scotland at Christmas - but before that I have a whole load of assessments, performances and coursework! As well as decorating our flat as much as we possibly can without being fined for creating 'fire hazards', watching Christmas films, and going on a few too many nights out. I know I have a lot of work to do, but I am looking forward to the next month and a bit; I'm sure I'll be so busy that it'll fly by and I'll be getting on the plane home before I know it!
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Getting out of bed at 7am again after reading week was difficult. Very difficult. It doesn't help that it's suddenly gotten really cold here, and my bed is so very warm and cosy...
First day back of classes was good though - ballet and jazz technique in the morning, musical theatre repertoire, and then performance development before a couple of hours of audition practice for musical theatre society tonight. We did find out that in December we've got an assessment and a concert on the same day, and then a showcase a few days later, AND all of our portfolio work is due in the week after... it's going to be a little hectic around then.
As soon as that's all done, I'm going home for a month for Christmas though, so that's motivation! I can't believe that I'll have been away from home for three months without seeing my parents or friends by then. And I'll be having my first birthday away from home soon as well. I'm so looking forward to finally being 18 and actually being able to go out with everyone instead of waving them off as I put my pyjamas on and watch another film in the flat by myself.
Well, tomorrow's another 7am start for tap and jazz, so that means that it must be bedtime about now... what I wouldn't give for another lie in right now!
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I've made it to reading week in one piece. Covered in bruises, exhausted, feelings hurt somewhat in places, and completely baffled by music theory, but in one piece!
I'm still in love with our contemporary classes, which have so few people that Tarrant can come round and do individual corrections. And make me plié ridiculously low because he knows me well enough to push me in exercises now...
My singing teacher is amazing too - I know some people have been working entirely on technique and not singing any songs, but I've been getting two songs to learn a week, and then working on technique through them. Which I really prefer. And she let me work on Dyin' Ain't So Bad, which I've been wanting to do FOREVER.
So over reading week I'll be singing, writing essays, starting my Introduction to Musical Theatre portfolio, generally being lonely for a few days while all my flatmates are gone, AND seeing Les Mis with my sister, who's coming down to visit me for a few days because I can't afford to go home. Oh, and sleeping. With no 7am starts for dancing, I'll be doing a lot of sleeping...
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I just got back to my halls after a day out in London, and oh my god Once is stunning! I went to the matinee, and it's the first full standing ovation I can remember ever seeing at an afternoon show. It was definitely worth the hour and a half on the train there and back (and my friend Ben's two hour journey from the opposite direction), and the money spent on our amazing seats (stalls N9 and 10, and we only booked 6 days ago!)... and all the money I spent on merchandise. I do this every time...
Seeing the show - and having a chat about the industry with a guy dressed as a zombie on the train back (apparently it's world zombie day - fun fact!) - has really inspired me and reminded me how important it is to be multi-talented in theatre. For anyone not familiar with the show, the actors play all the music themselves on stage, some of them playing up to four instruments. There are several shows that I love that require the actors to be actor-musos, and tours often require actors to be able to stage manage or act as resident directors. There have even been productions where actors operate light and sound boards on stage.
So I'm determined to not get pigeon holed into only acting, singing and dancing. I want to have as many useful skills as I possibly can for my work, because at the end of the day that's what makes you employable, and I want to work;I want to work a lot, on loads of different shows in different genres, requiring different skills. Obviously I want to act in musicals, it's who I am. But I want to direct and design and play music and make an impact! I want to try everything, and that's what's so exciting about doing what you love.
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It's been a while - apparently we actually have to do work at uni, so I've been busy...
As well as half eight dance classes, I've been doing gospel choir, musical theatre chorus, musical theatre society, singer's acting workshop, one to one vocal lessons, AND my four lectures. I've just finished the second essay that I've been set, and I'm listening to the songs that my voice teacher has sent me to work on. Wow. Thank god for weekends, otherwise I'd never sleep.
I'm aching everywhere after my first contemporary class on Friday, but I absolutely loved it - only seven of us (out of forty two..?!) turned up, so our teacher Tarrant was able to push all of us really hard. And boy am I feeling it. I've never been told off for having turn out before, but apparently after ten years of ballet, my right foot naturally turns out of its own accord, and I find it really hard to stand in parallel - oops! It was absolutely my favourite dance class that I've had so far though, and it was totally different from the kind of dance I've done before. And if the way I'm aching now is anything to go by, I'm going to have KILLER leg muscles by the end of this!
We had a flat pizza night last night, and totally stuffed our faces with four pizzas, two loaves of garlic bread and a pack of potato wedges between five of us; I love that the girls all like food as much as me, we really have an amazing flat. I've got a bit of an issue with my room though - since I moved in, there's been a dead spider on the ceiling. The cleaners killed it, but didn't move it. Thanks, cleaners, real helpful. Matt (who lives in the flat across the corridor from us) decided to try to get rid of it for me, but somehow ended up scrubbing a patch of paint off the ceiling. So there's now a brown patch where the paint used to be. At least the spider's gone I suppose... He has promised to buy paint and touch it up though, so hopefully I won't be charged for it.
I suppose I should go back to singing practice now - it's that or go next door and ruin Matt's ceiling as revenge...
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Who wants to have a guess when my dance classes are each day......?
Prizes for everyone who guessed 8.30am, woohoo, well done you! And they're about 30/40 minutes walk from my halls.
I. Am. Not. A. Morning. Person.
But I suppose I'm going to have to become one. I AM looking forward to dancing for an hour and a half five days (mornings...) a week though! Jazz, ballet, tap and contemporary technique, routine classes, and body con with zumba or pilates. I think I might get quite fit somehow... although I did have chicken dippers and chips at 10.30 this evening. I'll start burning it off as soon as dance starts! I'm so ready to finish all these inductions and just get stuck into classes properly!
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I am currently typing from my halls! Today has been totally insane - got up at 7 to catch a plane to Southampton, then got two trains into Chichester, walked to the halls, dragged everything upstairs - with the help of the very friendly freshers team - and then had to go to fire safety and welcome talks before I could even unpack anything. The girls in our flat all went to dinner on campus together before heading to the SU, where what I'd already guessed was completely confirmed - I am 100% not allowed in the bars on campus at ALL until I'm 18. Awesome. So I trecked back to our halls (about 20 minutes away) with one of the girls who'd forgotten her ID, and have been unpacking and organising all night. It's all totally done now, so that's less to stress about, but I am knackered and definitely need to head to my bed. The girls I'm sharing a flat with are just so lovely though, and everyone who's a part of the uni seems so welcoming. It's all going well so far! And now... sleep.
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I move on Saturday. My stuff moves early tomorrow. So tonight has been frantic packing! I think I may have blisters on my fingers from trying to zip up suitcases, not to mention bruises on my knees from falling off the one I was kneeling on... Three suitcases, four boxes and a couple of bags later - and a guitar case - I've actually managed to pack up (hopefully) everything I'll need! And everything apart from one suitcase will be going in the car with my dad tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to lugging all the cases up the stairs to my first floor flat... but I'll just have to deal with that on Saturday! I'm sure it'll all be fine. I hope.
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This time next week I'll be in my university halls for my first night! It still all feels like it isn't happening. But that's probably because I still haven't bought anything I need. Well, apart from a wok. I didn't realise that I'd need a wok. Apparently I do. My dad came back from food shopping and appeared in my doorway brandishing a half price wok. I don't really know what I, as a student, will cook in a wok, but we'll see!
Aside from the wok, I suppose I should really get some bed linen. And some other kitchen gear. And some stationary. And some more sheet music. And maybe actually finish off all the work we were set. Hopefully I'll have everything done and sorted before moving day. Can I not just do a degree in procrastination? I think I'd be a natural at it...
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Under two weeks to go - wow! Safe to say I'm panicking. BUT I'm typing this on my brand new laptop! It's literally the only thing I've bought for uni so far. Unprepared is a major understatement! And honestly, I'm not 100% sure how to work it... I'll figure it out as I go along!
Currently I'm the sickest I've been for quite a while - full blown cough, no voice, sniffing etc. I don't want to paint too much of a grotesque picture for you, but let's just say it's not pretty. The thing is that because I'm not currently in any shows or rehearsals I'm not really forcing myself to get better. I'm so used to catching something before a big audition or show, and forcing myself to get better as quickly as possible. This usually involves steam, manuka honey, hot water, vocalzones, and pretty much any other cure I can get my hands on. And while I'm not enjoying being sick, the fact that I don't immediately have to get better this time has made me a little bit too lazy to do anything drastic about it. It is driving me a little mad that I can't sing right now though, especially since I've found the perfect song for me... hopefully I'll get a chance to sing it soon,  when I sound less like a 90 year old lifelong smoker. *sniff*

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So it's now just under three weeks to go until I move. To the other side of the UK. 600 miles away from all of my friends. It's only really starting to sink in that this is happening. It's all been made a teeny bit less scary by the fact that I've been chatting to other freshers on my course, and other courses, as well as my new flatmates, and everyone seems genuinely lovely. So I won't be going in feeling like I don't know anyone at all. Phew.
A few days ago I went to visit the theatre company I've been doing shows with for a couple of years, and sat in on the kids doing a rehearsal for Godspell. It's so strange seeing them getting ready for a show without me getting to be a part of it, but I'm so proud of all the work they're doing, and hopefully I'll make it back to see the show. Leaving them all is going to be hard, but they're excited for me. I guess I just have to go and do them proud now! And visit whenever I can, of course. It's like leaving a little, crazy family behind. Fingers crossed I go on to gain a new theatre family at uni.

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Well, it's official! I've got the grades, I've had the UCAS letter, and now I've had a letter from my university - I'm going to study music with musical theatre in England for the next three years. It'll be bizarre to leave my native Scotland behind, and all my friends with it, but I've always known that musical theatre is what I want to do with my life, and now I'm one step closer to making that a reality.
Of course not knowing anyone is a little terrifying, as is the fact that I'm basically a baby... 17 is not the ideal age to start university at. But it's worth it to go and - attempt to! - live my dreams. So I'll keep you up to date - 5 weeks to go!

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