Fellowships and Sadness

So, this week has been a weird one for me. I took the time to write the essays for the Insight Fellowship, and I found I had a ton to say! Fitting a whole manifesto into 250 words is really hard to do. So, needless to say they are really dense and often a bit wordy, but I am incredibly proud of them.

I am waiting patiently to hear from Williamstown Theater Festival. They confirmed my application, but I have yet to hear if I am a candidate for interviews or not. I am hoping it will work out, but I know that the competition is pretty fierce (PS: YAY CHRISTIAN!).

This weekend was hard emotionally! Every year before seniors graduate they do this tradition where they insert the word VARB into one of their lines or somewhere in the show during their last performance in the main stage theater here. 9 of my friends Varb-ed in the closing night performance of “Much Ado About Nothing,” and it threw me for a loop so much more than I thought it would. I was in a bad mood all night long. It just really solidified the fact that the end is in sight, and that I really don’t want to leave all of these wonderful people behind…

It’s also time to start working on the JOI cover letter, which really shouldn’t take me that long, and is a really great opportunity to stay in Boston, while still doing some great work with non-profits and being supported by a great fellowship program.  I know lots of people who are alumni of the program and I really would like to join their ranks if the opportunity works out that way. Gotta get moving if its gonna work out, though! Only got 4 days!

Back from NYC

So, it is the morning after I got back from New York City for my interviews and visiting friends. The trip could not have come at a better time for me, emotionally and professionally. My informational interviews with Brent Sudduth and Leisha went GREAT! I really felt like I had a good chat with both of them, but because we weren’t able to speak about any specifics related to particular positions it was hard to gauge how they were feeling. Brent gave me some really good advice about how to navigate the hiring website, and how best to use it as a tool to focus my interests into a possible department or position, and Leisha suggested that I look into The N, as their team seemed like a “good fit” personality wise.

I got through to the second part of the Schusterman Fellowship!! YAY! Now, I have very little time to collect recommendations from people who I haven’t asked for recommendations before: an employer (Idit Klein), a friend (either Kelsey or Beebe), and a colleague from a volunteer/community project (Dona, probably). I also have essays of my won to write for the second part of the application.

In other news: my Williamstown Theater Festival application made it to New York while I was there. I asked at what point I would know that I wasn’t a viable candidate, and waiting to hear back from them. I am going to work on the JOI application tonight and try to get that done sooner than later.

I had a fantastic time in New York. It was not as intimidating and overwhelming as I would have thought. Living in Brooklyn is like living in Somerville, and the walk from where Beebe lives to the subway is about the same as the walk from Davis to my house. Navigating the subway, with its expresses and such, takes anyone time to learn. But, I did it myself a few times and I didn’t get too lost. I really really like the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, and Beebe said that if I moved to New York she would live with me (warmed my heart beyond belief) and that the Burg, as they call it, would be her ideal place to live. I came home and looked at the price of living there, and its within my price ranges, but I am not sure that it will be for Beebe. Discussions to have AFTER I have a job secured. I really liked her friends, and they all told her that they really liked me as well! All of this worry about living in NYC seems so dumb now, and I definitely could see myself there in the next few years, even if its not next year.