Love is Louder.

Tonight I heard that there has been another person in my community that has committed suicide. I don't know her, or her family, but I still find myself effected by this untimely loss. It's not only upsetting that this poor girl was bullied, but infuriating! How could someone torment another person so endlessly and not see the destruction they are causing?! One part of me hopes that the people who instigated all of the bullying has this death on their conscious for the rest of their lives...

...but on the other hand, I am grateful for all of the love and support the Chaparral community is showing for one another. Chaparral has always been a welcoming and caring community, which makes this incident even more unbelievable. Our principle has always said "take care of each other." My senior self always thought it was tacky and sappy, but his parting words are greater than even he really knows. If this girl had been shown how much people love her before her death like they are now, imagine how differently her life, and ours, would have turned out? We have to take care of one another in this crazy life experience; because, let's face it, we can't always make it on our own.

Enough is enough! Instead of broadcasting hate, anger, and disapproval, is time to start shouting love from the rooftops. Love always has, and always will be louder.

Rest in peace to those recently lost, and prayers to everyone effected by the losses.

Love,

Steffanie

Go Forth and Prosper.

Let's celebrate! We're young, we're happy, we're single, we're shit-faced, we're well-protected, we're healthy, we have better-than-adequate access to capital, we take what need and we use what we take. Life is good, my friends.

Feeling Alive.

"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Howard Thurman

Lighten Your Load.

Just some quotes I found that made my day. As always, use them if you need them.

"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze that it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time."

-Jack London

"No man ever followed his genius till it misled him. Though the result were bodily weakness, yet perhaps no one can say that the consequences were to be regretted, for these were a life in conformity to higher principles. If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal,--that is your success. All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. We easily come to doubt if they exist. We soon forget them. They are the highest reality...The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as tangible and indescribable as the tints of the morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched."

-Henry David Thoreau

With Love,

-Steffanie

Homesick.

I think I've finally gotten homesick.

I've been missing London: a lot. Most days I get by just fine; but, then there are times when I feel like there is a gaping, aching hole in my chest. And I don't want to do anything other than lay in bed and look through the pictures and talk to my mates. It is the strangest feeling...I was in London for a mere six weeks; and, as soon as my plane left the runway something didn't feel right.

Don't get me wrong, it's lovely being back in Colorado. I missed my family and friends like crazy while I was away. It's been great reconnecting and reliving my incredible adventures; but, now I feel completely foreign and out of place. I cross the street without looking or pausing, I consume an ungodly amount of tea, I still use British slang, and desperately wish to take the Tube instead of driving (which I have come to despise)...

This may sound like a list of bad things, but it depends on your point of view. For me, it has been the greatest motivation ever. I feel like I belong in London. Although the words are bland from being used endlessly, it is one of the most amazing cities in the world. And even though I don't know how, I am getting back there soon. I've been putting a ton of energy into the monologues I'm going to use this year, I'm going to work my little butt off to save up money to hopefully make it back to London next summer, and the new game plan is to attend a university across the pond to get my master's in acting. Looking towards the future helps make that gaping hole ache less.

So, don't worry friends. I won't be homesick for much longer.

The Temporarily Bed-ridden,

Steffanie

London Update.

I wish I had some cool newsroom-style music to insert after the title. But anyways...

It's been awhile since week two, but hopefully you have been staying updated through pictures. So, if I leave anything out, you can go to Facebook and see it. Week 2 was another adventure-filled week. We did a backstage tour of the Globe, went on a walking tour of the 2012 Olympics, had a party boat cruise on the Thames, saw Doctor Faustus, checked out the original Hard Rock Cafe, went to Harrod's, and on Friday (June 24th) I went to Amsterdam!! Holy hell, what a crazy place. Vegas doesn't even hold a candle to Amsterdam. It feels like the city where everyone goes to flesh out their vices. We drove there through the chunnel, and stayed there all day Saturday. On our way back, on Sunday, we stopped in Bruges, Belgium which was absolutely gorgeous. Which reminds me, if you haven't seen it yet watch the film In Bruges. It's fantastic.

Week 3 was another whirlwind. We went to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, Abbey Road and took the classic Beatles picture, and we went to the theatre exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum. One of the highlights of the first three weeks was seeing Kevin Spacey in Richard III. Ahhh, "my kingdom for a horse"!!! It was the BEST piece of theatre I have seen to date. Simply brilliant. I saw it twice, and the second time I was in the second row. He looked RIGHT AT ME as he started the show "Now is the winter of our discontent..." I get chills just thinking about it! We saw Much Ado at the Globe which was also amazing. Eve Best was Beatrice, and she was Geoffrey Rush's wife in The King's Speech. For class, we went and saw the exhibition sight where the original Rose Theatre was. The Rose was the direct competition of the original Globe, and they were literally right across the street form each other. But our last class and final performance was on Thursday. We had so much fun and it turned out pretty well. Everyone left on Saturday and it was really hard saying goodbye. Thank goodness David, Julian, and Tyrone stayed behind or else I would have been a complete mess. I spent Saturday in Crawley again with Jack and had some time to get my mind off of the fact that my little Shakespeare family had left.

This week was nuts. I started my new class, Script Writing. We get a lot of hands on experience and my professor, Murray Woodfield is a playwright, director, and used to be an actor on the West End. So that's really cool. He knows what he's talking about and a lot about the business. Monday was the 4th of July and we partied like right Americans. We started at Trafalgar Square at the George Washington statue, went to Parliament and Big Ben by the Abraham Lincoln statue, went to Piccadilly Circus, and all of the other big spots where obnoxious, intoxicated Americans could show off their patriotism. It was one for the books people. Tuesday night we went and saw Othello at the Rose Theatre. It was a tiny stage, but the exhibition sight was right behind the performers the entire time! It was an awesome experience to say the least. Wednesday night Tyrone and I went and saw Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre. It was fantastic, and all that jazz (sorry, I had to). Thursday was the Harry Potter premiere. SHEER MADNESS. But we snuck in for a little bit so I can formally say I was there. :) Then we went and saw Hamlet at the Globe. Friday morning Julian and Tyrone left so now it is David and myself left. I saw Betrayal Friday night and met Kristin Scott Thomas! And this weekend I've been catching up on some much needed sleep and doing homework.

Another London Update to come soon :) Plus, it will include my upcoming weekend in Paris!!

Cheers,

Steffanie

Friends.

Aren't relationships an interesting thing? Whether we want them or not, relationships have a way of sneaking up on us. Going into my study abroad experience, I knew I was going to make a couple of friends to have some good times with; but, I never expected what I got. As cliched as it sounds, it was a life-changing three weeks. During the first half of my amazing trip to London I have made some of the best friends I could have possibly imagined.

We were discussing this last night, and it's so unreal that a friendship so strong could develop in such a short amount of time. It just adds to the meaning of our incredible experience. If standing on the Globe stage, working with incredible mentors, meeting some amazing actors, and being in London wasn't enough, I was lucky enough to meet 10 amazing people. They are all talented, funny, happy, and compassionate people. Thank you so much for filling my life with such joy and incredible memories. Our last night was truly a send off in the usual fashion. Some drinks, good music, good pasta, and dancing of course. Saying goodbye this morning was really hard, but I know that we will stay close and see each other again sometime.

"Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow,

That I shall say good night till it be morrow."

London Week 1

Yo yiggity yo! Sorry it's taken me so long to write: so much has been happening here it's been hard finding time to update you. But for those I haven't been Skyping regularly, here is my trip thus far...

I arrived in London on Saturday morning and got settled into my flat in Kensington. It's basically one of the nicest Burroughs in London (out of 32). We did a little tour of the area to get our bearings; and, of course, all went out to a pub in Piccadilly Circus for a pint or two. Strongbow is officially our drink of choice. It comes HIGHLY recommended if you can get your hands on it...

Sunday was a general orientation. Where classes are, course policies, basic laws during our stay, etc. Afterwards we went on a sightseeing tour and saw a ton of major landmarks. The tour guides here are awesome! Russell, our tour guide for the sightseeing tour and our trip to Oxford, knew everything. It's incredible...and can I get a "mmm girl!"

We started class on Monday. We are at the Globe Theatre in Southwark right on the Thames, and have classes mostly in the education center. The class is comprise of 10 other crazy cool cats: Sarah, Tim, David, Alan, Stephanie, Natalie M., Julian, Tyrone, Charlotte, and Natalie P. We pretty much clicked right away and know how to have a good time. We spend Monday through Thursday, from 2 to 6, working with the professionals who work at the Globe. For the final project, our group is doing the Beatrice and Benedick scenes from Much Ado About Nothing, and combining them together to tell the entire story of the play. It's complicated to explain, but I'll try to get a video of it. And Monday night we went to this insane club called Tiger Tiger. People in England dance COMPLETELY different than Americans at the club. Everyone was staring at us because apparently we dance like "people in the adverts."So it was a little bizarre at first, but we had a blast.

Tuesday was class again, and then Natalie, Alyssa, and I went for a late night stroll through Hyde Park at like midnight. It's absolutely gorgeous. And, unlike Central Park, it is completely safe at night.

After class on Wednesday, Natalie and I went to see WarHorse at the New London Theatre. Holy crap, what a way to start off the theatre madness. For those who haven't heard of it, WarHorse is about Albert and his horse Joey in England during World War I. The British Military uses Albert's horse in battle...and I don't want to spoil the rest. It was absolutely beautiful; there was not a dry eye in the room by the end. Each of the horses are puppets, manned by three people, and they look so life-like! Youtube clips of it if you can, but you must go see it.

Thursday our group was a bunch of groundlings (standing on the floor at the Globe) and saw As You Like It. I can't get over how amazing the theatre in London is. The audience was from all different walks of life, and we were all connected by a play over 400 years old. It was fascinating, and humbling at the same time.

We don't have class on Fridays, so Charlotte, Tim, Natalie and I went to the British Museum. That was bananas. The British Museum can be summarized as the museum of human history. The rosetta stone is in there, Cleopatra's mummy, the first human tool, pieces of the Parthenon in Greece, and I think you get the idea...Then we grabbed a pint at this pub called The Red Lion, across from the Houses of Parliment and Big Ben, and went on the London Eye. It was really awesome. It was raining so the pictures aren't that great, but the gang and I had a really fun time. That evening I went to Much Ado About Nothing in Leicester Square with David Tennant and Catherine Tate from Doctor Who. The setting was...interesting...but together they were phenomenal. And they were both so nice! I met them after the show and told them how I was studying Shakespeare abroad and they both started talking to me about it and wishing me luck.

Saturday was my birthday!!!! WOOT!!!! We took a day trip to Oxford, which is gorgeous. Oxford is comprised of 38 separate colleges, and we went to Christ College. If that sounds familiar, that is because all of the Great Hall scenes in the Harry Potter films were shot there. It is also where Alice in Wonderland came about. We had lunch at a pub called The Eagle and Child, where C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, and J.R. Tolkien would hang out and come up with ideas for their stories. Pretty cool, huh? And Saturday night we went on the town to celebrate my birthday. It was a successful evening if I do say so myself. Our movement instructor, Glyn MacDonald, said to me "if you remember your birthday, you didn't have any fun." Haha :)

On Sunday morning, I rolled myself out of bed and went on my first train ride ever, to Crawley. It's a suburb of London, and is about an hour south of where I'm living. My good mate from elementary and middle school, Jack, lives down there. We lost touch after I moved to Colorado. But, after 8 years (ish) of not seeing each other, spent most of the day together. I got to see his lovely mum, Beverly, and kick ass sister, Lucy, as well. While I love London, it was so nice getting out of the city and seeing them again. Then Jack and I went to this arcade type place called the Hollywood Bowl for a couple of pints and some pool. I showed him how we play pool in the States. :)

Yesterday morning we went to this store called Primark which is kind of like Forever 21: super cute stuff, and all super cheap. But the best thing was, that we had class ON THE GLOBE STAGE. HOLY SHIT. It was the most incredible feeling in the world. The energy in there was unlike anything else. It felt like literally stepping into another world: the air was buzzing, anxious, and ready to host a play. Words don't do any justice. The crazy thing was, that after a few minutes I wasn't intimidated by it. It felt like the space was going to adapt to me and the energy I brought. I'm sure this sounds weird to anyone who hasn't been onstage before, but we know. Wow, I get chills just thinking about it. Haha and there were tour groups walking through taking pictures of us like we were the actors.

This morning we went to the Tate Modern, which is a modern art museum literally right next to the Globe. We only got to go to 3 exhibits because of time, but it was still pretty awesome. All of the museums here are free, so it's pretty easy to find stuff to do instead of sleeping in :). In class we worked on our scenes a little bit more and are starting to piece our show together. My scene partner is Tyrone, and he is the coolest. Our scene is going to be so much fun, and I'm so lucky to be working with such a talented guy! After that we went and saw The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre in Piccadilly Circus. Its like the essential show in London to see, yeah? It was fantastic. We seriously got chills throughout the whole show. And of course, we stayed after to meet the cast and snap some pics. The guy who played the Phantom, John Owen-Jones, has been the Phantom for the most amount of shows on the West End, and is also the youngest Jean Valjean in Les Mis in history. So, you know, that was kind of cool too. :)

I know this is really vague, but we have done so much stuff already that it's kind of hard to keep track. I'll try and work on blogging skills, and will have more pictures to post from tomorrow. We have an early class tomorrow, starting with a backstage tour of Dr. Faustus at the Globe, a stage combat class, seeing Dr. Faustus, doing a walking tour of the Olympics for next year, and then of course, we are going out on the town! We'll be at Tiger Tiger or the Sport's Bar, so if you see us, run in the other direction.

Cheers,

Steffanie

The Best Part of Waking Up, Is Disney In Your Cup.

Hello everyone! I started my morning off by watching World of Color, so here it is for you to enjoy if you so choose!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o0Icz6ExiM

The first two days in London have been SO much fun! It's Monday morning here...9:05 am right now to be exact. I have already made myself some tea, skyped my love muffin, and my seesters as well. My class starts today at 1:30 and I am sooo excited! But, we have until then to see some sights, so we are about to head out on adventure! I hope you are doing as well as I am. I will report back soon.

Always Yours,

Steffanie

Denver International Airport

Hello!!!

I am so excited! I'm currently sitting at the gate waiting for my flight to London. I would say that I've been relatively calm up until about twenty minutes ago. I'm shaking because I am so excited!!! I mean, I will wake up in an entirely different country tomorrow morning! It's kind of a funny thing to think about. I have to make a short stop in Atlanta, but I will be there soon enough! So this is the first post of my trip. I will be sure to keep all of you lovelies updated with pictures, videos, blogs, etc. It will be like you are right there with me :)

So for those of you in Denver, I'll see you July 23rd. Londoners, get ready. I'll be seeing you bright and early!!

Always Yours,

Steffanie

Blue Valentine.

Blue Valentine. Holy shit. It may be the most beautifully tragic film I have ever seen. It is simply brilliant. By the end, I looked like this:

Maybe not as dramatic... But, as if it needed to get any better, the soundtrack is Grizzly Bear. RIGHT?! So, moral of the story is that Blue Valentine is kick ass. Know it. Love it.

Steffanie.

Holy S***.

This girl knows what's up.

And she has a Coldplay poster. Love it.

Sampling Ice Cream Flavors.

Blogspot...I have something to tell you. Please don't interrupt until I'm done. Because this is kind of hard. Okay. I'm just going to spit it out.

I cheated on you. I got a tumblr.

I'm so sorry. It doesn't mean as much to me as you do. It was late one night over spring break, and one thing just led to another. But I think this could be a good thing for us. It will re-ignite our fire, so to speak, and bring us closer than ever before. I know it will take some time, but hopefully one day you can forgive me.

I made an affirmation for myself today. I was thinking about it, and the words just came out; like word vomit. And it is totally AWESOME. Send it around, and do with it what you will.

I can and will make all of my dreams a reality. I refuse to let other people make me think that my dreams are impossible.

Oh man...it is kind of cool seeing it typed out. It makes my affirmation seem way more concrete, and I kind of like that. But in all honesty, just think about it. Everything that has ever happened came from a single idea. This world is full of abundance! So much so, that there is enough for all of my dreams, and all of your dreams, and even all of everyone else's. It's just a matter off seeing the world through a different filter. I like the looks of things now; it's much brighter.

Seeing Things in a Completely New Light,

Steffffffffffffanie

In Case You Were Wondering...

This is how I feel today.

Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.