Saturday, July 10, 2010

Bounced Reality Check


Never thought I'd catch this blog up to the current year did ya? Yeah... neither did I!

I spent New Year's Eve in Chicago with Aidan, where we had a lovely dinner with friends before bundling up and trying to head downtown for the fireworks. We just missed the train though, and decided to trudge back and watch the televised ball drop (slightly ironic that I end up watching Times Square coverage after having just left? Perhaps). Then after the festivities, we kicked off 2010 right - with an all night road trip. Yes, it was back to Ohio for us, in preparation for my friend Julie's wedding (!) that Saturday. I was the maid of honor, and after being hundreds of miles away during most of the planning, I was determined to be there for all of the day-before prep.

We pulled in as the sun was rising, and I managed to get in a few hours of sleep before heading to her mom's house (which is exactly 5k/3.1 miles from my house; Julz and I used to run from one to the other for cross country practice)! We got working right away, assembling bouquets, packing up reception supplies, and running errands. The day flew by, but we manged to get just about everything finished. Saturday dawned bright and chilly, with a gentle snow. Of course, there was last minute rushing and a few frantic moments, but everything turned out beautifully. Most importantly, Cory and Julie seemed to have a great time.

A few days later, I packed up and headed back to the city. It was a little surreal; I'd done several internships before in places like Minneapolis and Chicago, but I'd always headed back to Ann Arbor when they were finished. There I was, having just wrapped up MTC... and still in New York. A definite "Welcome to adulthood" moment, made even more real by the fact that I was without a job. I tried not to focus on that though. I still had enough money left from my Dr. Phil gig to survive for a month, maybe two, so I got right to work hunting through job postings for the right fit. I soon got an assistant-director position at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, working alongside Burke Walker (founder of the The Empty Space Theatre in Seattle) on a production of the 1937 play "Time and the Conways". It was only temporary though, and it certainly wasn't enough to pay the bills, so I kept looking for some supplemental work.

And so a routine was born: Wake up, travel to the lower east side, rehearse, come home, apply for jobs. Sleep. Repeat.

After a few weeks of this, my optimism began to wear thin. As did my savings.

It was the first time since arriving in New York that I really questioned myself. Was working in the arts worth all the pressure and stress of struggling to survive? Now, let me be clear on one point: Never during this admittedly low period was I in danger of living on the street, or not eating, or burning my manuscripts for heat a la RENT style. Thanks to incredibly supportive parents, I knew there was a safety net there should I fall. But that didn't make me any more okay with falling. Fortunately, along with the promise of financial support, my family was always there to give me emotional support. At times, that meant listening to my fears. At others, it meant telling me to stop whining and remember that many more experienced people had been out of work for six months. Or a year. And that this is what I wanted to do.

I could not - could NOT - have survived without them. And I can't begin to thank them enough.

Of course, this odd period of semi-employment did lend itself to some unique sort of adventures and mini-jobs. I hawked comedy show flyers for a day, dreamed up a dog-walking business, and trained to be an SAT tutor, among other things. I also went back to MTC for a day and helped them with their Winter Benefit at the Plaza (my duty was to escort SNL alum Ana Gasteyer). But when February rolled around, things took a whole new turn...

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