Busy busy busy

Sorry I haven't updated this blog in such a long time. I can't believe it's already been almost 2 and a half months! I finished my freshman year at Stressminster (Oops, I mean, Westminster) Choir College! It was quite a stretch, but thank the Lord, I made it through. I did get the internship at the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, so that has kept me more than a little busy this summer. I've been interning from 9-4 Monday through Thursday. I'm also accompanying church services on Thursday evenings, and working for my parents at their gym on Fridays and Saturdays, between 4 and 7 hours every day. It's been quite a stretch, but I'm thankful to be staying busy. I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, I was debating coming home this summer in fear that I would just sit around. Anyway, lately I've been dwelling a bit on the Lord's providence. Like, how things come about that I would've never imagined. Like, 7 years ago, I never would've imagined that I would be a piano major in college. I wanted to be an artist; like a painter, or interior designer, etc. And then a gymnast. But the Lord allowed things to slowly cave in on me until all I had left were Himself and music. I would've never imagined myself at Westminster either. If it were up to me, I'd have gone to Juilliard (okay, this is tossing out the fact that Juilliard has a 9% acceptance rate, and that it is insanely difficult to get into). Yet, that wasn't the Lord's plan. No, His plan was for me to go to some random music school that I've never heard of that just so happens to be a better school than Juilliard as far as vocalists are concerned (the newsflash just so happens to come from my best friend who was a student at Juilliard pre-collegiate). And in the midst of all of these opera-wanna-be's, and in the midst of having extremely close friends, the Lord has allowed me to discover that I have a voice that I can use to honor Him with. Sure, it's not perfect. But it's been improving almost on a weekly basis ever since I started taking mock "voice lessons" from my best friend who just so happens to be one of the (it's been debated as to whether or not he is THE) best vocalist on campus. And even that; I thought about transferring colleges, due to lack of friends yes, but mainly due to difficulties with professors and my piano teacher. The Lord has even worked most of those issues out, and so yes, I do plan on going back to attend next year. I've had some incredible experiences; the good, and the bad. The awkward, and the familiar. But despite the difficulties, hindsight, I can see the Lord's hand in it all. And I think about how last year, at this time, I was looking forward to going to Westminster, but still slightly scarred on the fact that I'd gotten rejected from Oberlin, Colburn AND Swarthmore. And a bit sad that I only had two colleges to choose from. But just like I feel about this summer, I couldn't have asked for any different.

Anyway, on a different note- the internship! It's been going really well. I mean, at first I was nervous. And shy (and okay, I STILL am a bit, but I'm a natural introvert, and I'm pretty sure I always will be). But the staff there have been SO inviting. I imagined the typical story of the "intern" who dumps trash bins and gets coffee. But no. I've been treated as if I'm another staff member. It's been insanely amazing. And yesterday, I even got a basket full of chocolates put at my desk by someone! And I'm curious as to who put them there....but it really has been a great summer so far. I'm already looking forward to being back at school though! My friends have really become like my family, and I miss my closest friends a TON. But it has been good to reconnect with my family in the scattered moments that we get to spend together.

Anyway, time to prepare for another 5:00 a.m. morning!

Later,
Rachel