All You Need Is Love.

Holy crap. What happened to all of the time we had just one week ago as we were all asleep in anticipation for the craziest week of our lives. My mind hasn't stopped spinning since I first stepped into the airport in Minnesota, and now as we prepare to head back, my mind is in a completely new state of overdrive. So many new things that I have learned. So many new things TO learn about myself, and as a result of all of this thinking, one thing has become pretty clear to me. 

I love this city. 

People kept warning me about how much I would love this city the first time I came here, but the "love" that I share with NYC came in an entirely different form than I thought it would. I don't love this city for all of the tangible things it has to offer -- tourist sites, more food, coffee, and cheesecake than humans should have in such a condensed area, nor for the diversity. Although all of those aspects are fantastic areas to experience in this city, I love NYC because of the way I have grown as a person just through BEING in this city. New York challenged us as students and future performers to stand face to face with the fear of what our lives will be like if we chase after our dreams. It's hard to understand someone's passion for living off auditions, small paychecks and outside work to merely pay the bills. Who would have known that after just one week in this city all of those crazy ideas would actually appeal to me! The thought of performing is the drive that gets me out of bed each morning, and quite frankly nothing else really matters if you wake up thinking about that which you truly love. 

As I hear the horns of taxi cabs outside my window, I'm reminded of how different this city is compared to anything I'm used to back in Wisconsin. I think that the change might be just what I am looking for once I am done with my undergraduate studies, but it's scary, really scary, to think about packing up my things to move out here and live life as a performing artist in New York City. I have met so many amazing people this week who have played their cards right and landed great acting jobs right after their undergrad, and some of them who are years into the process and are still waiting for that "break" in their career to really get them going. All of their stories have given me different perspectives of how I hope to shape my life and career as I start to begin carving my own career path. 

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return. I love this city, and I can only hope that when I return in the future, this city will love me back too. 

Katherine