Alright, I'm knocking out this week in one go because it was kind of uneventful (except for that little thing called graduation).
The week consisted of:
- 2 bird surveys with an ornithologist who works at the Museum of Natural Sciences. He is leaving for a trip to Guyana and Suriname, and Vanessa and I offered to continue doing weekly surveys at Prairie Ridge Ecostation. He's been doing this for almost five years, so he can see the trends of birds populations there. The only downside to doing these surveys is that they are at the crack of dawn, so waking up even earlier than in the mountains. It's a great opportunity for me though, because I am getting more experience with ornithological work.
- Dance practice. Vanessa and I are in a hip hop and lyrical dance class, and our concert is Saturday and Sunday. So Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we went to a two-hour rehearsal. The infants and little ones were so cute and enthusiastic!
- The gym. I love the gym. It's so fun to work out, especially with free weights. Vanessa taught me some techniques because she's an expert; she took two year of weight training at Millbrook :)
- READING. Reading is life
- Graduation.
Graduation was surreal. I went out to eat at Fiction Kitchen with Vanessa, my parents, and my two wonderful uncles. Fiction Kitchen is a) freaking amazing and b) has the best freaking fake chicken and waffles I have ever had. Their root vegetable fries are also freaking awesome. I am a serious foodie, and I also happen to be what I call an ethical vegetarian (I eat humane chicken and fish) so I really appreciate that restaurant! Graduation itself was insane because all of my friends and the other 500 or so people were sitting restlessly in chairs before walking through a tunnel of teachers and smiling for the crowd of parents watching us walk to our seats. I walked across the stage and shook my principal's hand, getting a case for my diploma. They don't put the actual diploma in there yet to make sure that you don't leave before the ceremony is over. Nice, Millbrook, nice. It was pretty great, because afterward I took pictures with all of my friends and we hugged and some cried and it was crazy.
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| Let's not forget the wonderful salted-caramel-chocolate-ganache-with-graham-cracker-crust dessert :) |
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| Me, Vanessa, and our best friend Olivia at graduation |
The dance concerts went well, and I had a senior piece that I did with Vanessa and our friend Josh. There were many tears shed between us and our dance teacher on the last day. I am going to miss that class, since it wasn't dancing so much as laughing for half the class period and trying to do cool dance moves.
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And then there's Orlando. I was driving alone to the store, and NPR was in the middle of covering the horrific story. I was literally numb, a blank slate of shock as I realized again what people are capable of, and that I was in a terrible historic moment that would be remembered by all of us and others after. It is so awful. After the last dance concert, I went to a friend's house for a few hours, then Vanessa, Josh, and I went to a vigil to remember the victims. It was at Legends, the gay nightclub in Raleigh, and there was a crowd of a few hundred people milling about the parking lot, crying, touching each other, passing around candles and matches. All kinds of people were there, making me realize how, if people were willing to, we could all unite in the face of this tragedy. We can love, not hate. Several people made beautiful, mournful speeches, some laced with anger, some glowing in peace. A dozen white doves were released from a cage, flying up and elating all of us.
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