Well...

...I know it's been a while. Sorry about that... it's odd. It's been long enough at this point that I can barely remember what's news and what isn't... I'll take some educated guesses.

Well. Best to go in chronological order, I suppose.

I'm now on an intramural soccer team! Well, I have been since late October, but anyway. My friend, Ellie, is the team captain, and somehow managed to rope me into it. It's a lot of fun, and I definitely don't regret it, but I'm awful. I mean really awful. Theoretically, I should get better with practice, but... well. We're not playing again until the Spring. I'll let you know should a miracle occur.

Last time I posted, I was about to leave for Princeton, I believe. My friend Brendon goes there, and he invited me to come up for the weekend, so I did, and it was really fun. We saw Illyria, which is essentially the musical version of 12th Night, so I enjoyed that. And... well, it was just really great to see Brendon. I'm forced to admit, however, that I was incredibly happy to get back to Baltimore. The place really feels like home to me now... I miss it whenever I leave, and it's always such a relief to come back. Princeton is a beautiful school (and of course, an extremely good one), but... well. I made the best choice for me.

My classes have been going as well as ever! I just turned in my final paper for Historic Preservation last week, and we'll be getting them back this coming Monday... I really better have gotten a good grade on it. I spent nearly all my waking hours for two weeks on that essay. Not that I'm complaining... it was really fun, to be honest. We got to choose a topic (within certain guidelines), and I chose to write mine on the differences between the Preservation movements in the United States, and the United Kingdom. ...actually, it ended up just being about preservation in the U.K., but since I got that cleared with my Professor, I'm not worried about that. I'm more worried about the fact that she asked for a six to eight page paper, and I handed in a full twelve pages...

I promised I wouldn't complain about that.

Anyway.

Anthropology is great as ever. I'm still enjoying English, and... well. I'll get to my Philosophy course later. I'm still doing very well in European History-- 93% average for the semester. The thing is... this is the first time I have ever, ever, been disappointed in a 93%. I had a 100% average for the entire semester, until I stayed with Nina at the hospital until some un-godly hour of the morning, and subsequently... well. "Bombed" is a bit of a strong word, but I took a test about an hour after getting back from the hospital. Not a very good idea. Especially since the test was on a movie that I didn't see, because I was at the hospital.

...I'm sort of hoping that if I just ace everything else that gets thrown at me in this class (which, although I don't want to brag, I probably will), I might be able to get back up to a 99%.

But that's not it... since we've starting moving into a time period that I'm especially familiar with (Protestant Reformation - French Revolution (which will not be covered in this class)), I've been noticing certain... things... that my professor does. Like try to cram the entire English Civil War and subsequent "Glorious" Revolution into half a class period.

... we spent at least three days on James I and Charles I alone in high school.

So, I'm sorry if this sounds bad, but... I mean, I really like my professor. And of course, I love the subject. But I sorta wish I was learning something new.

Okay, I know that sounded really bad.

Anyway! Speaking of classes, I finally got to sign up for my Spring semester courses! I'll be taking Intro to Art History (which covers pre-historic to medieval art), Modern and Contemporary Europe (which is the second half of my European History class, and covers from 1715 to the present day), American Society and Culture 1607-1876 (part one of two American History courses), Russian History to Peter the Great (part one of three Russian History courses), and Intro to Economics (which I'm hoping I can stitch to something else, since I've already fulfilled that requirement). I was planning on getting my math and language requirements out of the way this semester, but, of course, knowing my luck, I got put in the last slot for signing up. So. Both my math class, and my Spanish class, were both full by the time I got to them.

I am fulfilling literally no requirements outside my major this semester.

...yes, I'm irritated.

Well, not so much irritated so much as I am nervous. I shouldn't be, considering that half my requirements are done with already, and I have plenty of time to get to the others... but still. I can't help but feel a bit anxious.

And of course, there was Thanksgiving. I had a wonderful time as usual... It was great to be able to see everybody (well, almost) and have some down time at home.





I got myself a copy of Atlantic, by Simon Winchester, which was probably a bad idea, since I'd already started Citizens, by Simon Schama. Anyway. I'm almost done with Atlantic right now (I'll probably finish it tonight), and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. After being buried in piles of books about English landscape gardening (I'm not kidding), it's been nice to read something... well. Lighter. I put Citizens on haitus so I could read Atlantic, so I'll be getting back to that soon. So far, I've liked it, but... well. I'll get back to you on it once Robespierre is mentioned for the first time.

Now. Getting back to Philosophy... well. I just gave my final presentation in that class on Wednesday. I can't really bring myself to care how it went-- I'm just glad to be alive at this point. But, anyway, I no longer have to worry about that class! I'm practically done for the semester! So, I am incredibly happy with the knowledge that I will never, ever have to take another Philosophy class ever again.

And that... brings us up to today. I'm doing well, all things said. I went to an AIDS benefit concert last night, which was... well. It's difficult to say how I feel about it. On the one hand, it was really fun: Red Hot Blue (the school a cappella group) was great, and it was nice to just get out for a while. On the other hand... well. I never took the issue of AIDS lightly, but for some reason, I never quite got it into my head that it applied to me, and people I know... that's not quite what I meant. Hang on.

...there are those things one knows mentally, like "anybody can get AIDS," but... it doesn't quite sink in. Well... it sunk in for me last night. Nothing's happened, but at some point, a friend of mine popped into my head for some reason. I'm not sure why. But I started getting all teary-eyed and... okay. I right-out cried. I suppose I started thinking about what it would be like if something ever happened to him, and... I couldn't imagine how devestated I would be to lose him.

I told him that, after a bit of embaressed deliberation on my part, and... I'm really happy I did. Life is too short, and it could be even shorter.

I hope you're all doing well. My love to everybody,

Tasha

Last post for a while...

Well, I'll be leaving for the White Mountains in a matter of minutes, most likely. I'll be returning next Friday evening, but I figured I should write now so I don't have too much to write about when I get home.

I've been working at the local organic farm at Hilltop Hanover (for those of you in the area), mainly counseloring at the day camp, Turtle Island. Now, most of you probably already know that I'm not too fond of small children. Some of you know more than that. And even fewer of you know that there are many small children that I'm actually quite fond of, but those aside, I was pretty nervous about working with 30 kids almost on my own for a week. Today was the last day, and I have to say, I'm really going to miss it. I had so much fun. The kids were wonderful, my fellow counselors were wonderful, and I enjoyed every bit of everything we did. I'll be working there again the week after I return from the White Mountains, and I'm very much looking foreward to it.

I have to cut this short-- time to say goodbye to my parents.

p.s. soccer fans: root for Spain for me. :)

Shakespeare and fireworks

Hello all! (And to my fellow Americans: happy 4th!)

Well, still not much to tell, really. Lots of World Cup and Wimbledon watching... I realized the other day that my ability to speak, write, and generally understand Spanish has diminished in just the past two weeks, so I've been trying to practice. Mainly, that consists of re-reading all my notes, changing the language on my computer and facebook to Spanish, watching the World Cup on univision, and attempting to "think" in Spanish... well, as you might expect, it's a bit difficult to tell how it's actually going.

Yesterday evening, we went to see Troilus and Cressida put on by the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. It was fun, as always. This is, however, the first time I've seen the play interrupted by fireworks. All the actors (as well as the audience, of course) left the tent to watch the fireworks going up across the river, and it was... well. Quite magical, actually. I've never really seen fireworks... the last time we went to see them, I was rather little and too scared to actually look, and whenever I had a chance to see them at camp, we got rained out. So that was quite special for me.

Edit: These photos are from another evening I spent at the Shakespeare Festival, this time seeing The Taming of the Shrew, but I thought I'd post them anyway.

Sorry to cut this one short, but I have to be going: Fourth of July celebration preparations are calling.

My love to all,

Tasha

Summer begins...

So, not much of interest has been happening lately. My graduation was on June 20th (Fathers' Day), and, as you all are probably already aware, I chose not to go to the ceremony. Instead, we had a really lovely party on the 19th, and another on the 20th at my friend's house. Thank you all, by the way, for all the graduation wishes. I really appreciate your thinking of me.

Since then, I've basically been driving my brother back and forth from tennis, visiting the Wesners, singing, learning Elvish (yes. Elvish.), hiking and taking walks, reading, and watching the World Cup. ...yeah. I've been doing a lot of that. I was devastated when the US got knocked out, but I can't say I was surprised. In retrospect, I shouldn't have been surprised that England got beaten out as well, but... wow was that depressing. I was planning on cheering for them if the US got sent home, but now that we're both gone, I suppose I'll just go with Argentina. Eh.

But soccer aside, I'm going to see one of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival's productions on Saturday with my family (both the ones related by blood, and the ones that aren't (:D), so I'm excited for that. I've also been meaning to play more badminton... I may or may not have already mentioned this, but I'm starting a badminton club as soon as I get to Goucher (because there's no way I'm going to survive the last few weeks of summer in Maryland without it), and I need to get "training" for that... heh. I have so many good memories connected to badminton, really. Good friends, good weather (and some not-so-good weather)...

I'm sorry there's not much more I can really talk about. I haven't really been doing anything too dramatic. My sleep schedule is all screwed up now, though... I usually wake up at around 5.30, and go to bed at 10.30-11.00ish, but now, I've started going to bed at around 2.30-3.00 in the morning, and waking up at 7.00ish. (Told you. Not interesting.)

I'll write when something more exciting happens. Until then, my love to all.

Tasha