Memories or almost-real dreams?

Still recovering from jet lag, even though I returned to this country on Friday. One unexpected benefit is that I'm actually able to go to bed at a reasonable hour, which causes me to wake up earlier than normal. It's rather nice to wake up 1-2 hours after sunrise because the day seems to last longer ... and I don't feel as though I'm wasting the day by sleeping in later.

The second part of my Summer Adventures (or third part, if you count the brief visit to the Hot But Not Coastal State on the other side of the country for my cousin's wedding as summer travels part 1) was delightful! (I did learn, however, that it is NOT easy to travel with 70+ other people for nearly two weeks.)

Anyway, starting from the beginning: We began in European City Known For Its Musical History, and we visited a certain yellow summer palace and an interactive musical museum. I went to both of these places last summer when I was backpacking around by myself prior to my studies in the country next door. It's lovely but strange to recognize sights and places which are thousands of miles from home. We sang a concert in a nearby suburb with a local choir at a magnificent place of worship, and the choir took us out for an authentic ethnic meal afterwards. (I believe this was Schnitzel #1 ... and we ended up having that same meal about 5 more times on our short trip.)

From there, we stopped by another summer home of another royal ... and this is where a certain famous classical composer (and by classical, I do mean classical era, not just another dead guy who wrote music at some point in the last 500+ years *grin*) was employed for quite awhile. His employment there led to innovations in genres, and he influenced others who became even more famous and influential. We performed a brief informal concert in the performance hall, and I got to conduct one of the pieces from my recital. Sweet!

We then enjoyed the bulk of our time abroad at a competition in the area which is home of origin to a certain politician/actor/etc. whose key phrase is, "I'll be back!" We had some amazing aesthetic experiences, singing at a higher level than I'd ever known. We bonded with groups from other nations, and, due to our success in the competition, we were greeted/treated like celebrities by many other people who heard us perform.

Our time was on a very strict schedule, but finally, on my birthday, we were actually given a few hours of free time (our first free time on the trip). Westley and I explored the old town (a castle, streets, a cathedral), ate pastries with coffee and tea for lunch, and shopped for souvenirs. In the evening, there was a celebratory dinner in honor of the end of the competition, and my birthday twin (another girl on the trip who shares my birthday, though not the same year) and I were serenaded by our former classmates. Lovely.

Our days were a little freer after this part of our trip had ended. We were still on a tight schedule, but we had only 1 performance in our last 4 days, as compared with 1-3 performances per day for the first part of our trip. We stayed in a lovely capital city in the country just south of where we had been up to that point. Loved it. Walking tour was pleasant and so was the free time we had to meander through the streets, soaking up the beautiful ambience. Westley and I both remarked that its character was rather similar to that of the famous Riverwalk in the U.S. state which used to be its own country. We have decided that we must return someday!

On our way to the final city, we spent a long afternoon in a small Italian city on the coast. Walking tour was fine but tiring ... and free time in this city was not nearly as inspiring as in the other places we visited. Westley and I passed the afternoon in a museum which featured an exhibit on opera diva Maria Callas and multiple exhibits on other musicians (performers, composers, conductors, etc) and musical instruments (older models, world instruments, etc). Certainly an interesting experience. I believe we were the only ones there that day, so we had our own personal tour guide for each of the two floors of the museum. Neither of the two adorable older ladies spoke any English, but somehow we managed to understand each other.

Our final stop was at the city with gondolas. Again, it was lovely but strange that it was familiar to me, as I'd been there with BestFriend in March '07. Loved it then ... and enjoyed it this time with Westley. No gondolas for us ... but wandering along the ancient streets, over the bridges, along the Grand Canal with him was romantic in its own way. (Having to fight the summer crowds, on the other hand, made me realize that BestFriend and I were wise to travel in the springtime rather than in the summer!) In our free time, he put up with my quest for the perfect glass jewelry, and we also visited a church which housed Monteverdi's grave. One of the highlights in the trip took place in the enormous 900 year old church in the main square. We sang parts of the service, and I got to conduct the Offertory (one of the pieces from my recital). Who would have thought, when I'd visited there less than 18 months ago, that I'd be returning there to sing and conduct for one of their services? That was an incredibly special and memorable experience.

Thus ends the GradSchool chapter of my life. Full focus is now on finding The First Job. I was disappointed that DreamJob didn't choose me ... but ironically, the day after I got that email is when I was contacted for what will become Interview#5. Perhaps I will know by the end of this week where I will begin my career. Now, I've got to set up the pre-screening interview with the district and call the other district which offered me a position I don't want (Interview #2). Onward!