"some days are much more interesting/ than others." - Charles Bukowski

Well, as Mitra said, we had an extremely eventful first day!  Today was also filled with adventure.  Our group went to the Mount Neboh Baptist Church this morning. (I didn't go - because I was running on a few days of not very much sleep.  I decided sleep was more important because I am a total grouch without sleep!)  

So Sam and Seth and I met everyone at the Opera America headquarters.  It was amazing. We had a coaching with David Sytkowski - who is from Wisconsin!  I sang "Quando m'en vo" and I think it went well. :) Kelly and Laura also sang too - they were awesome too! After that, we talked with David and one of his singer friends, Vince B. Vincent.  He was so helpful - he got his master's at Yale and from what I heard, it sounds like a great program.  I'll definitely have to look into that one this summer when I finalize my grad school application list. 

After the coaching, we booked it to the Lincoln Center to see the Paul Taylor Dance Company.  Mitra's college friend Rob Kleinendorst is in the company.  But getting there, we had an interesting adventure.  Half of our group texted us saying they were in the lobby of the David Koch theatre, and as my group was walking up to the stairs of the Lincoln Center Plaza, we were stopped by a police officer.  We weren't allowed to go onto the plaza.  The reason?  There was a bomb threat in the parking lot at Lincoln Center (which is right below the theatre.)  Everyone in the theatre was secured into the building, so there couldn't be any more entrances or exits.  So, we were terrified that something bad would happen to them.  From what I can gather, the ushers acted like nothing was wrong and kept seating people.  We all eventually got into the theatre (the police dismissed it after checking it out and finding it to be nothing) to see the show.  It was incredible.  I had never seen a professional dance performance (live) before and it was completely different than everything I had ever known.  Julie was telling me after ballet last week that Paul Taylor's style is drawn from the ballet tradition (which is amazing - I didn't know that the founder of modern based it on ballet).  It was so obvious - even me, with my extremely limited dance knowledge could see it!  We also had a small group that went to the stage door.  The guard there asked if we were there to see someone and we said Rob and he let us past!  So we got to meet him in the green room! Awesome! 

After that, Mitra, Katherine, Sam, Kayla, and I went to the Strand bookstore.  It's the best place on earth, it really is.  It's 18 miles of books.  I felt like I was in heaven again.  I love that bookstore! 

Then Kayla and I went to an awesome Vietnamese place before we explored a bit.  It's her first trip to the city, so I went with her and we wandered around Times Square and saw the Empire State Building.  We took pictures, ended up randomly chatting with some of the police officers there, and saw the M&M's world!

On our way back, we got a few blocks away from the touristy area, and we came across four or five guys who were very forward towards us.  Obviously we're alright.  But there was a few minutes when I thought I was going to have to beat them up (I could have too, I was taller than them).  Luckily, we got away safely and back to our hotel, where we checked in for our nightly group meetings. 

Well - ballet homework is calling Katherine and I.  

I'm feeling so alive - I feel like I belong here.  

Jordyn Beranek