And...I'm back!

So, I just returned from GTC in Savannah. For those that don't know, GTC stands for GA Theatre Conference- where college theatre students audition in hope of getting passed to SETC, where you audition in front of professional companies all over the nation in hopes of getting summer work at regional and summer stock theatres, amusement parks, and cruise lines and the like. There were approximately 300 students auditioning this year- and around 80 something got passed. There was some pretty stiff competition- but thankfully I did get passed on! :)

I also had a really great time in Savannah, going on ghost tours, exploring downtown, etc. Me and Melissa devoured a huge apple covered in caramel, chocolate, as well as crushed M&Ms...then foolishly went to go eat afterwards and realized we both were super full. We ended up giving up our leftovers to people on the ghost tour, which by the way was SCARY. Unlike most ghost tours where you walk around the town and people tell stories- in this one we actually went inside the Sorrel-Weed house, where there were apparently murders and suicides that took place there and was featured on popular ghost-hunting television shows. We used EMF detectors to detect electro-magnetic frequencies..and it was really dark in the house..it was super creepy and worth it!

Today we had lunch at a truly great pizza place, and did some shopping downtown before finding out the results of our GTC scores. After what seemed like a really long drive back home, I'm glad to be back in a way- although I'm a little stressed about what the next two weeks hold for me. I start rehearsals for my directing scene this week and it's Shakespeare so I'm just a little nervous about it. But I'm sure it will be FINE...I just over-react. Sometimes I feel as if I put too much stock into directing when it's not even something I want to do outside of college- but I'm just the type of person that just can't to put forth something mediocre as my work, so I just tend to overwork myself. But it's alright, I suppose that's not a horrible character trait, haha!

But yeah, adding to my stress it the fact that my laptop decided to not turn on once I took it out of my suitcase today. I'm wondering if the fact that the outlets were really faulty at the hotel are to blame, or if my power cord is broken, or (hopefully this is not it-) that my laptop has just decided to die on me. I just have so much information and software on it that it would be extremely annoying for it to just go kaput... but I will take it into Best Buy tomorrow and see if they can test out my adapter and see what's wrong with it. Thank GOD I e-mailed myself my analysis when I went to Augusta, and worked on my scenic progression on Google Documents so that I can still access my analysis since it is due Wednesday and I absolutely HAVE to work on it all day tomorrow especially. My present self is currently very pleased with my past self's thoughts for the future.

I've also LITERALLY gained 5 lbs. since fall break started. I'm completely baffled at how quickly my weight fluctuates! So in order to get back in shape so that I can look good in my Jasmine costume from last year for Halloween, I'm going on an extreme sort of diet, well not really that extreme, but more like I'm cutting out ALL sweets, refined carbs, and the like and going back to my kale/sweet potato/beans/veggies/fruits way of eating that was proving to be so successful for me before fall break began. I'm telling you, in Savannah I just let myself loose, and however nice that was- it's time to SNAP back into reality and get back into shape! So I'm putting it out there right now for you guys- keep me accountable! And don't lure me to my favorite frozen yogurt place in the world Chill...or force me to go to half price margarita night at the Cantina...because however much my heart yearns for these things, my body has paid the price for my reckless caloric abandon these past few days and I must get back to where I was!

But anyways, life resumes.

Envy

Okay, so I admit it- I look at the "2 Hot 2 Handle" and "What Were They Thinking?!" Celebrity fashion slideshows from Yahoo.com frequently. Okay, phew. Glad that's over.

Now moving on, very rarely am I ever really blown away by a specific outfit to where I feel like I must blog about it, but TODAY is the day!

This Robert Cavalli gown worn by Rachel Bilson is GORRGGEEOOUUSSSSSS!! And it looks gorgeous on her! Her pose, the way the strap is draped over the shoulder, the train- everything about this dress is absolutely luscious and I want it.

That is all!

thoughts.

I want Indian food.
GTC isn't even making me nervous at all, suprisingly.
I dislike my cultural anthropology class very much.
Antony and Cleopatra has TOO MANY SCENES!
I feel refreshed and renewed when I am in a big city.
I really really really need a GPS system.
I hate feeling stagnant.
I want to shop at the Augusta Mall...Sephora is calling my name...
I'm ready for this semester to be over already...good thing I'm about halfway done.
I miss being in a show.
Severely disliking that Eurydice falls on ACTF week. Grr.
I want to travel outside of the U.S. again.
Taking showers is a drudgery to me yet I love the way I feel after!
I wonder if I'll ever settle down in life.
Next semester is my last semester in college ever. The excitement is unbearable!
2 words: Pumpkin pie.

Like a g6.

WHY IS THIS SONG SO CATCHY TO ME?!?! I mean this song really makes no sense, has no great message, it's basically about drinking...

but it just is fun to dance to haha. I am really attracted to techno-like beats. Who knows! It's addicting for some weird reason.

Swirls in my brain!

Ahhhh. It's definitely that time again. Crunch time. The time where my brain is swirling around constantly like a milkshake... last night I couldn't even get to sleep because I just kept thinking about everything I needed to do and get done... it really just is the October syndrome.

October is always rough. It's the month of GTC, general auditions, and when all your classes just get really intense. And when times get this way, I just have to sit and hash everything out. Okay.

Well first of all, Directing class is a major, major stress factor. And right now I'm in the thick of it- the Shakespeare scene. Thank God I have fall break to finish it up before I go to GTC. (It's not even due until I get back, but I want to have the majority of it finished so I am not stressing about it at my audition!)

But it's just something that's always in the back of my mind..like.. I feel like I should be working on my analysis right now instead of blogging. But blogging will clear my mind. I need to do it before bed so I can get some sleep tonight. Jeesh.

Along with directing, I have to do my manifesto for Sr. Sem.... which is basically a large paper in which you have to decide everything you think about what theatre is to you..it's like your personal philosophy so to speak. So that's stressful and always in the back of my mind as well...and then this month we also have to do a separate audition which is the day after General auditions for next semester. You know, for my LAST semester here. My last chance to work on my acting here at CSU. No stress or anything.

Thank God my big projects in my business class and world lit class are going to be over with tomorrow. For world lit I had to do a translation project on Dante's Inferno in which we had to translate a section of it in Italian into English- and present it in a creative fashion. I decided to do a MTV True Life episode. You can view it here.

And in my business class I have to do a powerpoint presentation on the business of acting...which will be interesting. That's literally the only assignment I have in this entire class...the rest of the time we watch other people's presentations. It's the biggest waste of my time. But so it goes.

And now I feel like I'm being barraged with requests for photoshoots- which is really cool and lots of fun, but a photoshoot takes time, especially when the photographer is in Atlanta. I'm super excited though about one I'm doing this weekend with Thomas Dodd- please check out his website here. His stuff is phenomenal!

I actually had a photoshoot today with a local photographer named Sam Burnette. It was really lots of fun! It was a studio session, and I think I got some really neat shots, especially some nice full-body and non-actor headshots to have in my portfolio.

But anyways. I'm just trying to balance everything I NEED to do for school (work on analysis! study!) with the things I WANT to do for my career and life (photoshoots! work on my new website! submit to agencies!)

It's just getting harder to remain motivated to do schoolwork...which for me doesn't mean I'm not going to do it, but it means I will do it begrudgingly...but I will still make sure I produce good work because I can't afford to really slack off now after I've made it this far you know?

Ugh. I just want to be done with this! If it's this bad this early on in the year I can't imagine what the month of April will be like, haha! Oh, senioritis.

New Opportunities!

So I know I mentioned earlier that I was trying to get into some modeling- and now that I have stated my Model Mayhem account I have 3 photoshoots from different photographers in the works this month! I'm really excited about that, because that's going to be lots of fun new pictures that I can keep in my modeling portfolio.

I'm about to submit to agencies in the Atlanta area so that I can possibly earn some supplemental income while I am in school, and then when I graduate it will be easy to commute from Augusta to Atl if need be! I'm really excited about these opportunities!

Oh and I decided that I was going to take up writing for the Saber. So CSU Students- look out for my articles coming soon! I will be writing about fashion/relationships/health, basically what I already blog about all the time. Might as well get paid for it, huh! Haha.

But anyways. Today I'm filming my project for my World Lit Class...we have to translate a portion of Dante's Inferno from Italian into English and then present it creatively- I'm doing a True Life: I'm in Hell documentary type video of one of the damned. I'll post it to Youtube. It will be a sensation I'm sure. bahah!

Well anyways. Life goes on around here. It's about midterms already, (SO BIZARRE)! GTC is coming up soon which is exciting....my directing analysis is due after GTC..ahh.. things that are on my mind!

oh, fall.

So I feel the weather is getting cool, and for some reason everytime the weather gets cool again I feel all nostalgic for some reason. I don't even know to what specifically- but it is an interesting feeling that I always get.

And it's really weird...but for the first time I'm not even terribly upset about it starting to get cooler again. Possibly because I have cute fall/winter clothes, but there is something oddly refreshing about the cool breeze in the air that is just rejuvenating me right now. I think the weather just always brings about nice memories of years past.

I am just really excited about like Christmas break for some reason...and knowing that after Christmas break I will be starting my VERY LAST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE.....EVER.

That thought is just unbelievably exciting!

I think it's because there are just so many opportunities out there just waiting on me to finish my classes. I feel like life is saying "Janine, hurry up!" Haha.
And I know I should enjoy these last months of college- but I think at this point I'm ready to just start living in a new city, with a fresh resurgence of hope and possibility. I can't wait until the day I am settled into my NYC apartment and I am able to say, "yeah, I live in New York." And live my life from audition to audition while possibly working as a waitress in an organic vegan restaurant and just being constantly surrounded by people who are driven, ambitious and are making things happen...

But for now I'll finish strong. Its getting closer and closer...