As I sit in my living room writing this reflection, my dog, Rufus, is craning his head toward my oat-milk. Yes - you heard right. I’ve decided that warm oat milk (don’t knock it till you try it) is now a VITAL part of my writing process. It’s a Friday night and I’m home alone with the dog. Just to set the scene for you, picture two armchairs with a coffee table in between them. Imagine a girl sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce on one of the chairs, a 120 pound dog sitting on the other armchair, and a mug of warm oat-milk resting on the coffee table between them. The dog and the girl stare at each other wondering who will get the milk. Both the girl and the dog know that the dog will win. The girl registers that her oat-milk will soon be gone. So she chugs it all before the dog can make a move and the dog falls asleep and the girl continues to write. Talk about a powerful moment before...
HEY GUYS!! Here I am with another reflection. I’m half way through my first semester of senior year at Otterbein and it feels absolutely unreal. I am now, like, one of the old women within the sphere of college aged kids. A “senior citizen” if you will. I am taking the semester online from my hometown of Austin, Texas. While I would love to be in person, my teachers are doing a phenomenal job of educating us online. I’m grateful that they altered our curriculum rather than just canceling all performance-related activity. We have dance every morning, we have productive class sessions, we have master classes at least once a week, and we are still producing a season of shows. The commitment of my department gives me motivation to look past the challenges of online learning. Plus, my dogs are receiving a free theater education. Lola sits in on all of my classes. She particularly enjoys directing class.
In August, my mom built me a dance floor in the garage. She attached old mirrors to walls, nailed plywood to palettes, and even hung curtains to make the space special.
Lately, I’ve found a lot of peace in spending time with family and friends. Here are a few weekly rituals I have that make me feel grounded:
I listen to the Hamilton soundtrack for hours every week with the little girl I babysit.
My best friend, Lily, and I play basketball at the park, make dinner together, or take a walk every week.
My brother and I watch “Big Mouth” on Netflix after long busy days.
Every Saturday, I run with my mom and my aunt at Town Lake. Afterwards, we get smoothies.
I am learning to slow down, and enjoy the little moments:)
Until next month!!
- Han