Today has officially been one of the best of the year. It all started with
an eye doctor appointment that involved me avoiding having my eyes dilated. I
absolutely hate having my eyes dilated and I didn't have the luxury of lounging
around the house all day encouraging my pupils to shrink. I did however decide
I had the perfect amount of time for a mid-morning siesta. It is never too
early to start practicing the Spanish way of life. Unfortunately, I discovered
that pop tarts are not the best pre-siesta snack and therefore my nap was
tainted by a restless sugar high.
I was finally awoken shortly after noon by the blazing sun and jetted off to
the gym. Then it was off to caffeinate with one of my favorite coffee dates. We
discussed the irony of the people we tend to spend much of our time with, our
career and life ambitions and the challenge of sharing our religious/spiritual
beliefs without alienating others. Then I was off to the dentist, which was
slightly awkward since I had run into my dentist at the gym and I hadn't yet
had a chance to shower...thankfully he either didn't notice or refrained from
pointing it out.
I haven't yet heard back from grad schools so forever the planner I've quickly
moved on to generating a Plan B list. My backup plan of late has been to
reapply for a teaching assistant position in Spain. There are numerous reasons
why I turned down the chance to teach in Spain this past fall but I feel like I
would finally be ready to go abroad for the 8 months required. In fact, if
pursuit of a PhD is not in the cards for me this fall, I don't believe there is
any other place I'd rather be than Spain. Of course, the Rick Steves podcast I
recently heard may have me swayed--a Seattleite discussing falling in love with
a Spaniard and marrying and relocating to Spain. I can't say any of the men I
met over there were even close to marriage material (especially those 30 year
olds who still live with their mothers, which there are an abundance of), but I
am refusing to give up hope.
But the biggest highlight of my day by far was attending "The Lion
King" at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle. I was a little wary (not to
mention dizzy) when we arrived at our seats way up high in the 3rd tier--row T.
This wasn't helped by the woman sitting next to me who smelled reminiscent of
the kids on the psych unit who refuse to bathe during their entire stay. I
didn't know if I'd make it, and under any other circumstances, I would've
demanded that my sister change seats with me. However, I had bought the tickets
for her as a birthday gift and I knew that vomiting into her purse from the
unbearable stench would not feel exactly "celebratory." So I settled
into me seat, accepted the fact that I'd be breathing through my mouth for the
next 3 hours and waited for the lights to dim.
I'd heard rave reviews of this performance, but nothing prepared for the tears
that fled from my eyes during the opener of "Circle of Life," as the
animals spun on the stage, drums beat along the sidelines and life-size
elephants rumbled down the aisle ways. I was on the edge of my seat during the
entire performance, wide eyed in suspense the same way I had been back in 3rd
grade as I absorbed the sights and sounds of the Lion King on the big screen
for the first time, my eight year old mind trying the best it could to make
sense of the elaborate themes hidden behind the storyline. At 24 I still don't
think my mind is fully capable of grasping the potential significance behind
the storyline. I was in awe at reading my pastor's reflections on the parallels
in the storyline (which you can read here::
http://raincitypastor.blogspot.com/2009/02/king.html). But with a big
transition fact approaching there is much to be taken away from the melodies of
"Hakuna Matata" and "Circle of Life." And I walked away
from the musical with a new love for the storyline. For Rafiki's words of
wisdom that "Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can
either run from it, or... learn from it." Who knew that back in '92 my
mind was being filled with such powerful lessons by a Disney flick?
Unfortunately no day can be without its disappointments. Hearing young
Simba's voice wasn't nearly as exciting as the first time I heard the JTT
speaking through the movie version lion cub. And saddest of all I learned on my
drive home that my favorite after hours dancing establishment, Contour, has
closed its doors. Thankfully, my night ended on a happy note. I discovered a
recently translated book by my favorite author, Paulo Coelho, is now in
paperback (and so of course I couldn't resist the impulse buy as we made our
way in from the cold through Barnes and Noble and towards the car). Also, on
the way home I noted that I was really craving a glass of red wine. However, I
didn't have the money to indulge in buying a bottle (especially after the book
purchase) and so I thought, "I really wish someone would just appear with
free wine." I was a bit nervous that a homeless person would soon after
appear tapping at my car window, bearing boxed wine, but something even better
happened. I came home to discover my parents had picked up a couple of bottles
of red wine at Costco. This is certainly something I'll miss when I move out.
So here I am, one day closer to getting over to Europe where more plays, opera,
musicals and live music await. Where I will have plenty of options for dancing
until dawn and although I am unlikely to be greeted by free wine, I may
be lucky enough to score a few free "chupitos" (shots) or a cheap
glass of wine with a side of tapas and plenty of ambiance.
