Rambling: My life...the three ring circus.
Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! It's the wild and crazy, three-ring adventure that is...my life.
So, last year saw a lot of changes for me. I went back to grad school, continued working as an adjunct instructor, and added in a lot of volunteer hours as Programming Coordinator for the Arizona Costume Institute. Easy peasy, no problem. Yeah, right. All year was a constant scramble to keep at least one step ahead of everything, and at least a couple steps ahead of my students. Seriously, give them an inch and they're take a million miles!
This year promises to be just as much of a high adventure. So, to catch some of you up and give you the tour of the circus and some of the changes step into ring number one with me.
In the first ring...grad school.
I'll be entering my second year as an MA candidate in Rhetoric and Composition in the English Dept. at Arizona State University. My first year went far better than I could have expected, though there were definitely a few intellectual meltdowns along the way. This year I'll be finishing my coursework requirements and writing my thesis. Fortunately I know what my thesis will be about, so for the moment I'm a half step ahead of the game. My classes this semester are varied and seem interesting, and (yay!) I've managed to make some new friends in the program so when the semester starts I'm not totally alone. Yay for friends!
In the second ring...teaching.
Last year was so much fun, I love my students and know that teaching is what I want to do. So nice to feel like I have a purpose! The spring got a little crazy when I taught three classes instead of my usual two, but it went well. This year there will be some changes. I'll now be teaching at a different community college and am really excited by the opportunities ahead of me. This semester I'll be teaching Introduction to Theatre and Modern Drama (if I can get at least one more student, fingers crossed!). I'm excited for the change of scene and to teach a class I haven't taught before, even though that means I need to get to work developing that class, yikes!
In the third ring...ACI Programming.
Last year was awesome. Seriously awesome. I still can't believe I met Deborah Landis! :) This year will be pretty amazing as well. I'm still serving as Programming Coordinator for the Arizona Costume Institute. Though it's a lot of work, I love this group and the work they are doing in support of the Fashion Collection at the Phoenix Art Museum. This year I'm lucky to have three wonderful women helping me. I'm excited about the speakers we're going to be welcoming this year. More details on that once they're made public.
But wait folks, that's not all. There's a couple side shows going on outside the Big Top.
Side show #1...Costume Design!
As some of you know, I designed The Scarlet Pimpernel for Paradise Valley Community College. That show was the first of several that I'll be designing this season. It's going to be a lot of work but I'm excited to be designing again.
Side show #2...PhD applications!
It seems I've only just gone back to school but now it's time to start the application process all over again. Joy. Deadlines will be this winter so I'm trying to get them done before I go to London after Christmas. (More about that later.)
So, overall, it's going to be a busy year, just as busy, if not more so, than last year. But I'm excited. If I drop off the Internet periodically this year just assume it's because of all of the above.
Alrighty, there's your update. Now you know what's going on and why I might sometimes have a slightly crazed look on my face.
So, last year saw a lot of changes for me. I went back to grad school, continued working as an adjunct instructor, and added in a lot of volunteer hours as Programming Coordinator for the Arizona Costume Institute. Easy peasy, no problem. Yeah, right. All year was a constant scramble to keep at least one step ahead of everything, and at least a couple steps ahead of my students. Seriously, give them an inch and they're take a million miles!
This year promises to be just as much of a high adventure. So, to catch some of you up and give you the tour of the circus and some of the changes step into ring number one with me.
In the first ring...grad school.
I'll be entering my second year as an MA candidate in Rhetoric and Composition in the English Dept. at Arizona State University. My first year went far better than I could have expected, though there were definitely a few intellectual meltdowns along the way. This year I'll be finishing my coursework requirements and writing my thesis. Fortunately I know what my thesis will be about, so for the moment I'm a half step ahead of the game. My classes this semester are varied and seem interesting, and (yay!) I've managed to make some new friends in the program so when the semester starts I'm not totally alone. Yay for friends!
In the second ring...teaching.
Last year was so much fun, I love my students and know that teaching is what I want to do. So nice to feel like I have a purpose! The spring got a little crazy when I taught three classes instead of my usual two, but it went well. This year there will be some changes. I'll now be teaching at a different community college and am really excited by the opportunities ahead of me. This semester I'll be teaching Introduction to Theatre and Modern Drama (if I can get at least one more student, fingers crossed!). I'm excited for the change of scene and to teach a class I haven't taught before, even though that means I need to get to work developing that class, yikes!
In the third ring...ACI Programming.
Last year was awesome. Seriously awesome. I still can't believe I met Deborah Landis! :) This year will be pretty amazing as well. I'm still serving as Programming Coordinator for the Arizona Costume Institute. Though it's a lot of work, I love this group and the work they are doing in support of the Fashion Collection at the Phoenix Art Museum. This year I'm lucky to have three wonderful women helping me. I'm excited about the speakers we're going to be welcoming this year. More details on that once they're made public.
But wait folks, that's not all. There's a couple side shows going on outside the Big Top.
Side show #1...Costume Design!
As some of you know, I designed The Scarlet Pimpernel for Paradise Valley Community College. That show was the first of several that I'll be designing this season. It's going to be a lot of work but I'm excited to be designing again.
Side show #2...PhD applications!
It seems I've only just gone back to school but now it's time to start the application process all over again. Joy. Deadlines will be this winter so I'm trying to get them done before I go to London after Christmas. (More about that later.)
So, overall, it's going to be a busy year, just as busy, if not more so, than last year. But I'm excited. If I drop off the Internet periodically this year just assume it's because of all of the above.
Alrighty, there's your update. Now you know what's going on and why I might sometimes have a slightly crazed look on my face.
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