Day 45-47: Work & Workouts

 
Alright folks, let’s see what I’ve done so far this week.  Monday was Project Monday.  We worked hard on striking the set for How to Survive a Fairytale, because it closed this past weekend.  I mostly helped with washing and putting away costumes. 

Tuesday morning was really fun!  Dorothy got complimentary tickets to see Nancy Drew and the Sign of the Enchanted Candles at the DePaul Theatre School.  They adapted one of the Nancy Drew books for an interactive kids show.  It was really fun to see how Nancy’s character talked to the kids and asked them for their help, like to warn her when someone was sneaking around behind her.  I also really liked that all of the actors made the sound effects.  They would sit on the side of the stage where they had all sorts of gadgets that made sounds of footsteps, thunder, or even a car driving on a gravel road.  It was neat to watch them paying attention and timing their sound effects to the actor’s actions.  It was a really cute show, and the kids really seemed to like it.

After the show, we had our “writing jam” with some of the Storytelling Project.  Again it was really fun to hear all of the different stories and directions that one word of phrase could be taken in.  After our writing jam, Georgia and I had a meeting with Allison about interviewing, because we are going to be helping them to hire some new employees.  We will be in charge of pre-interview projects and also meeting with the Lifeline staff as they discuss the interviewees and help them decide who to hire.  They are trying to expose us to as many of their processes as possible, which is great!  They are putting a lot of trust in us with this, and it’s great to know that they value our input.
 

Today we had class.  We had a speaker come in to talk to us about Shakespeare, because tomorrow night we are going to see Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  I was a little bored, because I have recently been involved in a production of this play already, so when she was trying to explain and ask us questions about the language, I already knew it all.  It was kind of nice to sound intelligent when I spoke up on occasion, but other times I just felt like I was back in Shakespeare class hearing the same stuff I have heard several times.  It was also similar in that in both scenarios, my classmates know that I am a theatre major - which means that any time there is a discussion about plays or the performing arts, they expect me to do all of the talking.  I am passionate about the theatre, but I do not claim to know everything.  And even if I did, I do not like looking like a pretentious know-it-all; so sometimes I refuse to answer just for the principle of it. 

Tonight is a chill out night.  I just had some mac & cheese for dinner.  Kailee and Cara have started making me work out with them lately, so I may be doing that.  They are both really good at it, because Kailee played volleyball and Cara was a dancer for like ten years,  and I haven't been an athlete since I was 16, so I feel really pathetic when I work out next to them.  But, who knows?  Maybe with their help I will have abs by May.  Haha.

Thanks to all of you for your support and prayers!  Keep me updated on all of your goings-on! 

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~

Day 40-44: Let’s Have Some Fun!

Alright all, so once again I have been neglecting my blog.  I apologize.  I know that you all have been going nuts wondering what I have been up to these past few days! (note the sarcasm here)  Don’t worry, Thursday was nothing too special.  I spent the entire day working on a financial report for Friday morning’s staff meeting.  This means I spent all day doing math.  Yes, I Julie Wiltjer, did math for over 5 hours straight.  I can’t believe it either.

Friday began with a staff meeting, followed by odd jobs around the theatre and in the box office.  Nothing too exciting to report there.  It was Friday night that was wonderful!  Jon B, Calob L, Sasha B, and Sam H came to town for a visit!  We went out to dinner and ended the night by going to Improvised Shakespeare in Wrigleyville.  For those of you who don’t know about it, or have never gone, you HAVE to see this improv company!  They are so spectacular.  They take a phrase that will be the title of their show, and then they improvise an hour-and-a-half production.  And it’s all done in ye old English.  They even improvise monologues in iambic pentameter.  It is so amazing!  Long-form improv is such an art, and these guys are such great artists!

Saturday afternoon I house-managed the matinee production of Hunger, which the entire CS program attended.  My roommates were super excited to watch me work (although I wasn’t doing anything particularly amazing).  After that, we all went to McFadden’s to have a few drinks.  I had some more Trinity friends come out that night to visit:  Shannon, Paige, and Willie.  It was really fun to get to see them again and to see them bonding with my roommates and some of my CS friends.  We had a great night full of fun and laughter! 

We spent today lounging around, doing homework, and being bums.  It was good and bad.  Procrastination seems to always be gnawing at us.  A lot of us seem to have multiple papers due this week, and we work full time.  *sigh.  Well, life can’t be all fun and games I suppose.  Right now we are having a good time watching the Oscars together.  Homework aside, life is going pretty well.

Thanks to all of you for keeping up with me and for all of you thoughts and prayers.  I think of you all often, and miss you very much!

Always,

~ Julie ~

Day 39: Bingo ‘n Booze

Today was class day.  That’s all I can really think to say about the school portion of the day.  Sitting.  Listening.  Discussing.  That’s pretty much the gist of what went on there.

After class, I headed straight to Rogers Park for Lifeline’s “Bingo & Booze” benefit.  We held the event at the Morseland, which is a local restaurant/bar a few blocks away from Lifeline.  The way the event works is like this:  We sell bingo cards and “doppers” (big markers) to customers.  We use the markers so that each bingo card can only be used one time.  People have to pay either $3 for one new card or $5 for two of them.  Georgia and I walked around with “cigarette trays” wrapped around us that held new bingo cards and change.  So between each round we would collect used cards and sell new ones to people who wanted them.

There were some really cool prizes!  Someone won White Sox tickets and a White Sox toaster.  Another prize was a pair of tickets to see the Blue Man Group.  The final prize was a basket with a variety of Pride and Predjudice themed gifts (in honor of our upcoming  production, and Pride and Predjudice benefit being held this summer).  We also offered certificates to local restaurants and gift baskets that were donated to us for the event.  It was a really fun event to be a part of!  After the benefit ended, we stuck around and had some food and drinks.  I had a cosmopolitan (because it sounds classy, and I have always wanted to try one) and Georgia and I split artichoke dip followed by a big slice of chocolate cake (as a reward for all of our hard work).  It was delightful!  It was really fun to sit and chat with my co-workers about the event and other random things.  They are such a charismatic, wonderful group of people!

It’s Wednesday, which means I am already looking forward to the weekend.  But this weekend in particular cannot come soon enough!  Jon (Jacqui’s fiancé, and my good friend) and my darling friend Sam are coming to visit!  They will be here from Friday evening until sometime on Sunday.  Jacqui can’t wait to see Jon, and I am so excited to see my Sam!  It’s been far too long since I last spent some quality time with him.  So, I’m a little impatient this week.  Hopefully the next couple of days will pass by quickly.

I hope that all you are happy and well.  Honestly, keep me posted on all of the latest goings-on!  You can reach me via e-mail, text message, phone call, Facebook, carrier pigeon, whatever!  I love hearing from you!

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~

Day 38: Paper Files vs. Nail Files

Today I got to work alongside Dorothy, the Artistic Director.  She had a lot of files for books and novels that she had requested play rights from.  She asked me to help her to make a spreadsheet in order to organize the information.  I got through the Kidseries file, and then it was time for lunch.  There was a lot to go through.  Later this week I will attempt the mainstage stuff. 

After lunch, Georgia and I joined in on Dorothy’s group, the Lifeline Storytelling Project.  This is the group of writers who take turns reading their stories on Monday nights at The Glenwood.  On Tuesdays they meet for an hour and a half doing what they call “writing jams”.  Someone comes up with a word or phrase and then we have to write for twenty minutes, telling a story from our lives in connection to that theme.  For example, the words today were “twigs”, “adrenaline rush”, and “if I were a fairytale character, I would be . . .” It was fun to write and share stories with everyone.  Everyone has their own train of thought and random anecdotes to tell that either strongly connect to or stray from the original theme.  Everyone has their own style of writing.  For the most part, we write like we speak and our readings are essentially monologues meant to be read interpretively, or rants read at a rapid pace.  It’s really fun, and I enjoy it a lot!

After our “writing jam” Georgia and I went down to the Glenwood with Dorothy to help her bring back the sound equipment from the storytelling session last night.  All in all, it was a good day.  Tomorrow I have classes again.  Hopefully something fun or interesting will happen during the day; but if not, I still have tomorrow evening to look forward to.  Tomorrow night Lifeline is holding our “Bingo & Booze Benefit”.  People will be coming to The Morseland (a local restaurant and bar) to play bingo and win different prizes.  Lots of people have made some pretty cool donations to offer as prizes for winning certain rounds.  With every round, the prizes increase in value.  Players will have to pay for bingo cards and markers and have the chance to make donations in order to raise money for our theatre.  I have been invited to help out with the event, and it sounds like a ton of fun! 

We ate homemade buffalo chicken pizza (compliments of Cassie) while watching Glee.  I tell ya, you gotta appreciate the little things in life.  These are the nights that you remember: sitting, eating, and reacting far too strongly to fictional stories on TV with your friends.  Jenny literally screamed at the end of this episode.  Now, here we sit: watching Baby Mama.  Cassie, Jacqui and I are painting our nails, and Cara is baking cookies.  Life is good.

I hope all of you are doing well.  You are all in my thoughts and prayers.  Thanks for your support!

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~ 

Day 37: Work and Stories

Today is President’s Day.  Four of my five roommates had the day off.  Needless to say I was a little sad to be one of the only ones who had to trudge off to work this morning.  But, as Georgia said to me today, “The arts never sleep!”  I had to laugh in agreement.

I spent the day entering survey data into a spreadsheet and doing other odd projects.  This afternoon Georgia and I helped Dorothy set up mics and speakers for the storytelling event tonight.  I was surprised to learn that my other supervisor, Allison, is in a band and they would be opening for the event.  She is in a band called “The Cain Mutiny” and they were really awesome!  They sang a lot of covers of different songs (a lot of awesome selections from the 80’s).  It was fun to sit and listen to the stories written by the Storytelling Project group.  They are some seriously talented writers! 

I’m find myself running around like a chicken with her head cut off.  There are so many times lately when I feel like I never see my roommates.  All of the things I am doing and the events that I am helping with are wonderful!  I am not complaining about my work at all!  But now that we are all getting deeper into the semester, and class, and our jobs, it’s a lot harder to make time for one another.  Hopefully we will get back to our roommate bonding soon!

Life is falling into a routine lately, which is why my posts have been getting shorter and shorter.  I’m sorry for any short, mundane little stories that I have been boring you all with.  I promise, when more exciting things occur, I will describe them in more detail.  But, as many of you understand, school and work are not all fun and games.  Sometimes life is just routine.  But that is what makes everything else more exciting!

Thanks, as always, to all of you for your support and continued prayers.

I miss you.  I love you.  Always

~ Julie ~

Day 32-36: Some Work, and Some Play

 

Yesterday was a pretty full day.  We had classes, as we do every Wednesday.  My arts class was mostly about discussing the show that we had seen the week before.  For my Metro class, we went to see Jane Adam’s “Hull House”.  We had a tour of the building and learned a lot of interesting things about Jane and her work with children and immigrants. 

After classes, I went up to Skokie to see a play with Georgia at Northlight Theatre.  Georgia used to intern there, so she had complimentary tickets to see the show Black Pearl Sings.  I absolutely loved this show!  It is a play about two women: a white woman named Savannah who works with the Federal Music Project collecting old songs to be saved for future generations, and a black prisoner named Pearl who teaches Savannah old slave songs in trade for the Savannah's help in finding her daughter.  Pearl was played by E. Fay Butler, and her voice knocked my socks off!  She sang straight from her toes!  The play was truly powerful, moving, and I loved every moment of it.

On Thursday, I house-managed the Kidseries show and worked on making subscriber phone calls .  It was a typical, uneventful day overall.  That night we went to the Cultural Center for my arts class.  It was fun to walk around and look at all of the different art work. 

I had Friday off of work so that I could spend President’s Day weekend with my family.  My dad picked me up in the morning and I went to Trinity to visit the choir.  It was really great to see some of my old friends and sing with them again.  The TCC choir is singing some great pieces this semester and I hope that I get to go to their concert to hear the rest of their selections.  After class, I had lunch with my friend Paige.  It was awesome catching up with her and having some really good heart-to-hearts like we used to.  Then that afternoon my parents and I headed out to Michigan City. 

I spent this weekend with my family and it was wonderful.  My sisters, my cousin and I went to the outlet mall and had a great time shopping.  President’s Day offers some pretty awesome deals!  I got a pair of $120 boots for $19.  Needless to say, I was pretty excited about that.  We all spent the weekend playing games and being loud and crazy (as usual) and it was really fun.  Although I was not technically at home, it was great to spend a weekend with my family.

As great as it was to be with the family, it’s also nice to be back with my other family (also known as my roommates).  Here we are, sitting and watching TV together and enjoying our last couple of hours before it’s time for bed and then another long week at work.  It’s time to get back to business.

Thanks to all of you for keeping up with my blog and for all of your prayers and support.

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~

Day 30-31: It's Our Party

Yesterday was opening night of Hunger at Lifeline Theatre.  Opening night, of course, means an opening night party!  We spent the day preparing for the festivities.  Of course, there was a lot of cleaning involved.  But, the first assignment of the day was for me and Georgia to go into storage and see how much vodka we had in stock.  My supervisors thought that since the play is set in Russia, serving vodka shots would be acceptable.  So, I had to search through all of the liquor and find vodka and wine.  That was fun.  Then we went grocery shopping at Sam’s club to get snacks and beer for the party too. 

Georgia and I spend the rest of the day arranging twinkle lights and finishing any cleaning that needed to be done.  Then we got to go home to eat dinner and change into our fancy clothes and come back to help with opening.  We sold concessions before the show and during intermission, and then during Act II is was time to transform the lobby.  We turned down the lights, set out table cloths and food, and liquor, and set up the stereo and were ready to go! 

Georgia and I got to enjoy the party while my supervisors bar tended.  Of course, we had to troll for plates and empty bottles and throw them away, but other than that she and I got to sit together, mingling and sipping wine  together.  It was really fun!  It was great to watch the Lifeline community together.  Actors and crew and friends all seemed to know each other and were laughing and enjoying the celebration.  It was a great night.

Yesterday was also a pretty good day to be at Lifeline.  I had to help clean from anything left from the party and do some filing work.  But the afternoon was the really fun part.  One of the crew chiefs at lifeline had written a first draft of a play and wanted us to have a table-read with her and give notes.  I got to read a role along with my supervisor and a couple other professional actors who came to help.  It was really fun to be a part of a read-through again.  It was also really great to hear all of the insights and suggestions of the group.  Everyone here is so creative, and supportive, and always willing to give both compliments and constructrive criticism.  The people here really seem to be a family - always rooting for each other to achieve.

I went to dinner with a friend last night.  We went to Patrino’s, a really cool place.  All of the walls were covered with caricatures of actors and other celebrities.  It was really fun.  Then I came home and had one of those awesome, random, unforgettable chats with not just one but all five of my roommates.  We talked about all sorts of nonsensical things and I laughed until my stomach hurt.  Those are the kind of nights that you know will stick with you forever: when you don’t have to go anywhere or do anything special.  You just have to be together and you end up laughing until you cry. 

Overall, it’s been a pretty good couple of days here.  I have to go to class this morning, which I am not looking forward too much; but hopefully it will be fun.  I am going to a show tonight with Georgia, so that will be great.  I will fill you all in on that later on. 

Thanks again to all of you for all of your support and prayers! 

I miss you.  I love you.  Always. 

~ Julie ~    

Day 29: When Worlds Collide

Today was a really good day.  I got to sleep in nice and late this morning.  I woke up to find Kailee starting to watch Beauty and the Beast (my favorite Disney movie).  We watched that together, and then Cassie and I decided we needed to go grocery shopping.  We found a Jewel close by, and right by a red line stop, so we grabbed this little "granny" cart that was on our fire escape and took it along with us.  It was awesome because we could fit a bunch of food into it so we didn’t need to carry it all home.  Although, it didn’t really help when we needed to go up and down stairs to the train, but we teamed up and worked it out.  Haha.

Then this afternoon, some of my friends from Trinity Shannon, Paige, and Willie came to visit me.  We hung around the apartment catching up.  Shannon and Paige gave me Valentines too, which was super sweet (although I felt really bad that I didn’t have any for them).  Then we played a game of Rook with Kailee, Cassie and Joe.  After that, we all went out to this little Mexican restaurant down the street from our house.  It was really great to spend time with both my old and new friends together.  Then we hung out at the apartment until it was time for my friends to head home.  They all thoroughly approved of my apartment, and my friends (not that I expected anything less, but it’s nice to know that they approve).  They promised that they would come back again soon to visit, which I really hope they do. 

It’s days like today that remind me of how lucky I am.  I have friends that care enough about me and miss me enough to travel up to see me.  Willie also continued to make the comment to me, “You were so worried before coming here, and I told you that it was going to be great and you were going to love it.”  And it’s true.  I was terrified.  But things have all worked out so wonderfully.  Along with my Trinity friends, I have roommates and friends here that I truly love as well.  My internship gives me so many opportunities to learn, and it is such a great community to be a part of.  I feel that I have been so blessed through this experience, and I still have another two months to go.  I cannot wait to see what else God has in store for me here!

Thank you to all of you who keep up with my blog.  Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for sending me the wonderful Valentine’s gift (which I got in the mail yesterday).  I am so grateful to all of you for all of your support and prayers.  You are all in my prayers, and I hope that God is smiling on you today!

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~

Day 24- 28: While I Was Out

So I just realized that it has been almost 5 days since my last blog post.  I hope that those of you who read this daily were not too worried about me being dead in a ditch somewhere.  I suppose I have just been absent minded lately.  Though I cannot say that you've missed out on anything riveting. So, let me give you a brief overview of my week so far.

Tuesday was a typical day at work, mostly helping out in the box office.  I can’t remember anything particularly exciting.  On Wednesday, we had classes.  For my Metropolitan class, we all piled into a 15 passenger van and drove around the city looking at various ethnic communities.  When we were being dropped off, some of us had to get our things from the back; and as I was pulling my backpack out, our instructor decided to start driving down the street.  With the doors still open.  My friends had a good laugh as I chased him and managed to shut the doors as he continued to be completely oblivious. 

Thursday I had a meeting with Allison (something that I will be doing weekly from now on).  We talked about the projects that I have worked on so far and about the types of things I was still hoping to learn.  She is going to try to make sure that my work is evenly distributed throughout all of the different departments in the theatre; I’m really excited about all of the different opportunities that are going to be offered to me.  Later that day, I went out thrifting with Dorothy.  We were looking for some "new" lamps for the lobby.  We went to a bunch of different thrift stores and had a ton of fun trying to match up different lamp stands and shades together.  When we got back I helped Alex, the Director of Development, with the program for the Bingo n Booze benefit that we will be having in a couple of weeks.  It was a very busy but productive day.

That night, my arts class went to The Court Theatre to see their adaptation of Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man.  It is the first theatre adaptation ever done for this particular book.  It was a long, but powerful play.  It’s all about a black man and his search for identity.  I enjoyed being back at The Court and seeing some actors that I have watched in other productions.  The Court always puts on a fabulous show.  I am never disappointed when I go there.

I had a staff meeting yesterday that started at 8:30.  I had to take minutes/notes for the meeting while we discussed about mission/visions statements, as well as budgeting and development strategies.  It was a long meeting, and I felt a little behind in parts of the discussion, but as an intern that is to be expected. 

Last night Kailee and Cassie and I went to see The Vow, the movie with Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams.  It was a really good and kind of sad movie.  Total chick flick, which made it an awesome girl’s night.  Like I said, the movie was really good and romantic.  We all loved the movie, but we all agreed that Hollywood needs to stop giving us girls these super high hopes and expectations of men, because the main character was just too perfect for words.  Haha.

Today I house managed again for the Kidseries performance.  Tonight is going to be fun.  The CS program is doing this thing called the Progressive Dinner.  People who wanted to could sign up to cook.  Certain people make appetizers, others make dinner, and the people in the Uptown apartments make desert.  So we all walk throughout each other’s apartments eating food that we’ve made for each other.  For my room, we made chocolate chip cupcakes that are filled with eggless cookie dough and frosted.  They are sitting on our dining room table right now and look so so good!  I’m really excited about them.

It’s also our roommate Jenny’s birthday today.  She signed up to have her birthday at McFadden’s, a bar next door to the Canterbury apartments.  She gets free drinks for 3 hours while her friends get half priced drinks.  After that, depending on how late it is, some of us really want to try and find somewhere to do karaoke.  It’s going to be a very busy and super fun Saturday night!

I’m looking forward to tomorrow too.  My friends Paige, Shannon and Willie are coming to see me in the afternoon.  It will be really great to spend some quality time with them. 

I know that this was a lot of random information in one post.  Again, I’m sorry that it has been so long, but as you can see, I have been quite a busy bee this week.  I love you all and hope that you’re doing well! 

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~

Day 22-23: Let Me Tell You a Story

Yesterday was another Project Monday at Lifeline.  This time, we painted some of the walls in the front lobby, as well as some general cleaning.  I also did laundry for the cast of the Kidseries show again.  Manual labor is a big part of what keeps a professional theatre running.  I really don't mind it, because I don't do it alone.  I get to chat with Georgia while we work.  She's a "military brat" so she has lived all over the world, and had some really interesting experiences.  She also always manages to meet the craziest people on Chicago public transit, and we always have a good laugh!      

Then we helped Dorothy, the Artistic Director, move some sound equipment down the block to a bar called The Glenwood to set up for a Storytelling event, or “writing jam”.  Dorothy leads a group of people at work to write  and tell stories about their lives in a creative way.  The group members get together on Monday nights at The Glenwood (a local bar) to read their stories.  After the pre-prepared works have been shared, the group members take a word or phrase from the audience and have about twenty minutes to write an impromptu story in connection to that suggestion.  Georgia (another intern) and I were invited to participate in this portion.  The suggested phrase was “I like marshmallows.”  It was a little weird to write a quick narrative and share it with everyone; but I’m an actress, so I just pretended to be confident about it and pulled it off.  It's really funny to hear how people can take a simple phrase and use it as a segway to something completely different.  It was a blast!

Today was a not-so-busy day.  We worked on making phone calls and re-configuring the lobby displays.  Then the interns and I had another meeting with Allison.  This time it was about finance and budgeting.  Those of you who know me well can only imagine how much of that information I actually retained.  There was a lot of numbers and spreadsheets and all sorts of mumbo-jumbo that was a little foreign to me; but Allison assured us that any of these types of projects would not be rocket science and that she too finds it complicated sometimes, so she will be more than happy to help us. 

Now, here we sit: doing homework.  It’s so hard to get back into student-mode.  Especially when we only have classes one day a week.  We always seem to forget that we actually have to go to school while we’re here.  It's very common around here to hear see us scrambling on Tuesday night to complete assignments that we forgot exhisted (as we don't often feel like students anymore).  Wednesdays are by far my least favorite days here; but it’s all a part of the process.

Again, I apologize that my stories are not more interesting.  I know, it’s shocking to think that the life of an un-paid intern is not a glamorous one.  Sometimes our days are actually a bit mundane (not the sarcastic tone here).  But, all in all I am enjoying my work and the environment that I’m in.  Life is good.  I am missing the familiar faces of family and friends, but I hope to see you all again sometime in the near future.  In the meantime, you’re all in my prayers.

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~

Day 21: House manager / Hostess

Today was my first day working as a house manager for Lifeline Theatre. 

There were two productions of How to Survive a Fairytale this afternoon, so I helped with a lot of different things to get the place ready.  I helped to set up concessions, instructed the ushers on their jobs, made the pre-show announcement, as well as a bunch of other house-keeping duties during and after the performances.  There is quite a long to-do list, and it was a bit overwhelming at first; but after a while I’m sure that it will all become second nature.  I will be house managing most weekends during my time here in Chicago.

After work, the girls and I prepared for our Super Bowl party.  Some of us cleaned while others cooked buffalo wings and dip and set out other yummy snacks.  One of the boys from the CS program interns with Eli's Cheesecake, and he brought a bunch with him to our house.  We sat around together eating way too much junk food while watching the football game (well, some watched while others of us socialized), followed by The Voice.  All in all, it was a really good night.

Tomorrow I begin another full week at my internship.  There will be some manual labor tomorrow for Project Monday, like organizing and possibly more painting.  And Tuesday, I know that I am meeting with the technical director, so I am sure I will be doing some construction-like work with him.  I will be meeting individually with different department heads, as well as attending staff meetings.  And of course there will be classes, and we will be going to a play at the Court Theatre on Thursday.  It’s going to be a very busy and productive week.

I wish that I had more interesting things to write about today, but hopefully I will make up for that later.  Thanks, as always, to all of you who are reading this blog and supporting me during this time!

I miss you.  I love you.  Always. 

~ Julie ~ 

Day 19-20: But You Gotta Have Friends

Yesterday at Lifeline, I spent the majority of the day making phone calls to subscribers to remind them that they had tickets to see our upcoming shows.  It was kind of like when the dentist calls you to remind you that you have an appointment.  My years of working in the Admissions office as a tele-counselor really prepared me for this job.  1. Dial the number.  2. Leave message from script.  3. Repeat. 

I also did the laundry for the Kidseries show.  Yes people, I got to touch the actor’s costumes.  I know it would be cooler if they were super famous, but hey they may be someday!  Dream big!  I also helped prepare programs for the shows this weekend.  Tomorrow will be my first time being a house manager.  There are two performances of How to Survive a Fairytale tomorrow, so I will be taking care of pre and post-show duties.  There is a lot that goes into being a house manager, so it’s a little scary; but Erica will be there with me to show me the ropes.  This will be something that I will be doing on a regular basis during my internship.  I’m looking forward to the learning experience!

Last night the girls and I went down the street to this really cool sushi restaurant.  I have never had sushi before, so I was a little nervous.  I had this spicy tuna roll thingy with crab and avocado in it, and it was really good.  I surprised how much I liked it.  I can take that off of my bucket list now!  Then we had some friends of the CS program come over to our apartment to hang out for a bit before we wandered around Wrigleyville. 

It’s interesting to me how people on the outside pick up on things.  One of the boys we were with brought a friend from home along with us, and she asked me if my roommates and I had known each other before coming to Chicago.  I explained to her that a couple of us went to the same schools, but we weren’t really good friends then.  She was shocked and said, “Wow, I never would have guessed that.  You girls seem so close!” 

The girls and I talked about this later that night.  We talked about how we’re so grateful for one another and that things worked out the way they did.  I came into this program worried that I wouldn’t find a roommate.  I worried that I would have trouble making friends.  And here I am, with five of the coolest girls I have ever met!  We realize that we are all so different in so many ways, but in its own way it works.  We complement one another so well.  It was fun to hang out, and have a conversation with these girls in which we all said to each other that we know we have made friends for life.  We are all from different places, so there will be distance, but I will always cherish these girls and I know that they will always be there for me.  God brought us together, and we are so grateful for one another!

Of course, this doesn’t just go for my roommates.  I have made friends with other people as well.  The girls and I are thankful that we have made friends with some pretty terrific guys who watch out for us.  Some of my roommates and I have internships that will require us to stay late for certain events, and there are a number of guys who have made us promise that we will call them so that they can take the train up to our work and meet us so that we won’t be traveling alone late at night.  Of course, we are tough and not incapable of looking after ourselves, but it is really great to know that we have people who are good enough to watch out for us and will go out of their way to make sure that we’re safe. 

I am so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends, both here in Chicago and back home.  God has blessed my life with so many wonderful people.  He is so good to me, and I am so grateful to Him so blessing me with all of you!  You are all in my thoughts and prayers, as always.  Thanks to all of you for all of your support and encouragement!

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~

Day 18: Enter, Fill Out, Package, Repeat

Today I went back to work at Lifeline.  I spent the majority of the day dealing with certificates for complimentary tickets.  I had to read letters of people and organizations that requested tickets for auctions and fundraisers, and enter the information into a spreadsheet.  I had to fill out forms for the corporations with Lifeine’s contact information and a description of the certificate.  Then I had to package the tickets with brochures and letters and address them.  I did this almost all day.  It reminded me of my work in the Admissions office at Trinity.

Then Georgia and I walked around a little bit handing out tickets and postcards to local businesses for our upcoming show.  Then I went to the local school down the street with Lea (the education director).  She was organizing some things for an after school program there, and she had to bring her little boy with her.  I helped to keep him entertained while she dealt with registration forms and students.

It was a day filled with less exciting work, but I still had fun siting in the box office and talking with people.  Also Jordan K, the lighting designer for TCC theatre, stopped by Lifeline today.  She designed the lighting for How to Survive a Fairytale and is also doing it for the next kidseries production.  It was nice to see a familiar face. 

Now, we are all home and sitting around the apartment.  Some are doing homework, some are on the phone, Cassie is attempting her first crossword puzzle, and Kailee is studying for her LSAT.  We are trying to help both of them—needless to say Cassie’s questions are a little easier than Kailee’s.   

It has been a long week for all of us, and we are excited that tomorrow is Friday.  We are planning to head out on the town (possibly back to Wrigleyville) with some friends and unwind from this past week.  This is not to say that I don’t like my work.  Quite the opposite.  I really enjoy the vibe and Lifeline, and all of the people are charismatic and sassy (similar personalities to my own) which makes it a really comfortable environment for me.  I am just very tired these days.  Being a grown up is quite exhausting. 

To all my friends and family who are reading this blog, know that I’m thinking of you always.  I am loving this experience.  Chicago is wonderful, but nothing compares to home and the comfort of my family and friends.  You are constantly in my prayers. 

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~ 

Day 17: A Day in Ameriville

Today we had classes again at the CS office.  For our Fine Arts class, we split the class in half between the two instructors.  Unfortunately, all of my roommates who are in the class with me will be taking it with the other instructor which made me sad.  But we had fun going around the room introducing ourselves and talking about our art backgrounds (for those of us who have them).  We spent the second half of the class being led in a workshop by some folks from the Victory Gardens Theatre (where we would be seeing Ameriville later that night).  They had us do some “story telling” exercises that were really fun.

For my Metropolitan class, we discussed a reading that we had done for the day, and then we spent the last hour and a half taking a walking tour of the city and its architecture.  It was fun to take a closer look at the ins and outs of some of the buildings throughout the city. 

Tonight, for our Fine Arts class, we went to the Victory Gardens Theatre to see their production of Ameriville.  It was AMAZING!  It was a show all about different political issues in America (like race, poverty, war, etc.), looking at them based on the events of hurricane Katrina.  And it was directed in such a different style.  They used very little furniture and set them up to make different pieces (sort of like when TCC produced As It Is In Heaven).  The four actors took on the roles of numerous people, personifying those whose stories they were depicting.  There was also constant music throughout.  Some of the monologues were sung, and even when they were spoken, the actors sang and stomped beats and danced in the background.  The woman in the show had such a powerhouse voice!  She was incredible! The different genres of music and the way that they portrayed all of these stories and issues were so powerful and moving, and I absolutely loved it! 

Seriously, you should all go see it! 

Today was a long, full, but wonderful day overall.  I am so looking forward to all the other cultural opportunities that will be offered to me over the next three months!  As so many of you already know, theatre and music (and other kinds of artistic expression) are like nourishment for my soul.  I love to see things that make me think and touch my heart; and this city can offer that nourishment to me in so many ways!

Thanks to all of you, as always, for your love and encouragement.

I miss you.  I love you.  Always.

~ Julie ~