"someone like you"
-adele, 21

i could listen to this on repeat for a week. in fact, i probably will.
counting down the days until i can listen to the rest of the album.
february 22nd, you could not come fast enough. hurry up, please.

hello from oregon!
i'm spending the winter break at my parents' new place in sherwood.
here's what it looks like from the sky. and yes, all that brown stuff is their back yard.
for now we're staying in that guest house while the big house gets remodeled.(i'd show you pictures from the ground, but i don't have my camera cord)

"that's what i think is love"

“mom, listen, i haven’t been together with topanga for twenty-two years, but we have been together for sixteen. that’s a lot longer than most couples have been together. i mean, when we were born, you told me that we used to take walks in our strollers together around the block. when we were two, we were best friends. i mean, i knew everything about this girl. i knew her favorite color, her favorite food. then we became six, eric made fun of me because it wasn’t cool to have a best friend that was a girl or even know a girl. so for the next seven years i threw dirt at her. i like to call those 'the lost years.' then when i was thirteen, mom, she put me up against my locker and she kissed me. i mean, she gave me my first kiss. she taught me how to dance. she always was talking about these crazy things and i never understood a word she said. all i understood was that she was the girl i sat up every night thinking about, and when i’m with her, i feel happy to be alive. like i can do anything. even talk to you like this. so that’s, that’s what i think is love, mom. when i’m better because she’s here.”

- cory matthews, boy meets world

one week. five finals.
ten minute presentation.
twelve page research paper.

...i. can. do. this.

breathe again

the best
month
of the
year has
begun.

embrace the brisk winter air and the coziness of curling up with a blanket and a good book. sing carols as often as you can, while you can. take in the scintillating sparkle of twinkle lights and the enchanting scent of pine. if ever there was a time to be merry, this would be it. may your december be filled with whimsy and felicity and loveliness.

happy thanksgivingfrom the reinhardt family

i am a regret-er

people like to think they have no regrets. "i don't regret anything; i learn from my mistakes." we've all heard it. and some of us have said it (you know who you are). well, i am not one of those people. i fully admit to having regrets. yes, i learn from my mistakes, but that doesn't mean i don't wish i didn't make them. i wish i had gone to more high school dances while i went to a school that actually allowed dances, i wish i'd never backed into that red convertible that one time, and i wish that i hadn't eaten avocados on my 21st birthday, landing me in the emergency room because of a severe allergic reaction. i regret all of those things. and, most recently, i deeply and severely regret cutting my hair.

last month i bade adieu to six inches, turning my long golden locks into a short shock of hair. it wasn't an impulsive act; on the contrary, i've been wanting to cut my hair for a while now. i did it a few years back and really liked it. i felt it made me look a little older and was a nice change from the long hair i'd had since the 5th grade bob. (every girl gets a bob around the 5th grade; it's just a part of life). this time, however, like is the furthest feeling i have towards my new do.

keeping in mind the mentality of the regret-less, though, i am trying to find the good amidst the bad, and the good that i've found is a lesson in humility. cutting off my hair has been like throwing off a security blanket. i'm realizing that my long hair kept me feeling too secure in my appearance, and amidst this lack of hair lays an abundance of insecurities. sometimes i just feel ugly, i'll admit. but other times, i feel an overcoming sense of humility. not in a bad way. in a good way. in a way that makes me say to myself, "you are human; you make mistakes," and, "let go of your appearance; looks aren't everything."

with all that being said, i do not plan on keeping my hair short for the sake of learning from an ongoing mistake. no, i plan to let my hair grow. and grow. and grow some more. but not letting go of the lesson i've learned along the way. and as a reminder to myself in the years to come: the grass is not greener on the other side, nor is your hair cuter when it's all gone.

see it, love it, eat it

"once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. i loved it. i answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one i lingered over. i sent him a card and i drew a picture of a wild thing on it. i wrote, 'dear jim: i loved your card.' then i got a letter back from his mother and she said, 'jim loved your card so much he ate it.' that to me was one of the highest compliments i’ve ever received. he didn’t care that it was an original maurice sendak drawing or anything. he saw it, he loved it, he ate it." —maurice sendak

happy october!

it's been a busy month of midterms and visitors, rainy days and puzzles. i chopped off all my hair, tried a new recipe, and got a new computer, among other blog-worthy events. i hate that i didn't post a single post all month (until now), and since today is the last day i can say it--happy october! and while i know it doesn't make up for 30 days of absence, i'll still fill you in on the past 3.

on friday, in the spirit of the spookiness of halloween weekend, nathan and i saw the broadway production of beauty and the beast. ...what? beasts are spooky. okay, maybe this one isn't so much. but still. plus, how could i resist the $15 dollar tickets? albeit, they were in the very back row on the very highest balcony. but we had a great time laughing at lumiere (who thought he was borat) and spent most of the two-and-a-half hour show watching the two adorable little girls in front of us bounce around on their seats.
on saturday, sean, lauren, nathan, and i ventured to julian in hopes of picking some pumpkins and eating some apple pie. only one of those things turned out to be a success. we went to the pumpkin patch thinking it would be great. i mean, you get to pick them off the vine and everything; it doesn't get much more legitimate than that. the only problem: there was one pumpkin left in the patch...and it was rotten. how sad. what wasn't sad, though, was the satisfaction of four bellies full of apple pie and ice cream. i don't even like apple pie, but this stuff was really yummy. we also had a blast chasing turkeys, rummaging through a used book store, browsing the town--hot chocolate and apple cider in hand (it was so cold)--and driving through the beautiful countryside. we took a detour to look for some quail to shoot (of course nathan brought his gun), but didn't find any birds. what we did find, though, was a stunning view and a photo op. it was a great double date, and the best part is that there is still some apple pie in the fridge...

turkeys!rotten pumpkin :(
a beautiful view on a beautiful day

mom's apple pie

today was a day of pumpkin carving and pumpkin seed baking. since we didn't get any good pumpkins in julian, i only had my baby pumpkin that i got at the grocery store last week. but i made it work and carved a little face on that little guy. we passed out candy to some cute kids and some who were really not kids at all and much too old to be trick-or-treating. we also had a smoke machine going outside, which a neighbor mistook for our house being on fire. woops. here's my pumpkin and me:

leaning larry and tiny tim

i hope you had the best of octobers and loved every moment of your pumpkin-carving, costume-making, and candy-eating. i know i did...

"there's too many things i haven't done yet"

however, seeing sara bareilles in concert is not one of them. miss bareilles is probably my favorite artist. scratch that, she's definitely my favorite. and tonight, shea and i strolled to the heart of down town san diego to see her play at the house of blues. if i thought i loved her before the concert...man oh man, did i only love her bundles more afterwards. she was incredible. so sassy and fun, and so gosh darn talented. i just want to be her friend, for two reasons: 1) she's cute and likeable and funny and would make me laugh a lot, i'm sure and 2) so that she could sing and play for me any time i wanted. opening for her was greg laswell, whose music makes a regular appearance on one of my favorite shows--grey's anatomy. so how could i not love him too? it was a great night, filled with great performances, and shared with a great friend.

h.o.b.

greg laswell (he graduated from plnu!)
sara bareilles (her bass player graduated from plnu!)

the etymology of me

everyone has seen the cards before. you know, the ones with your name on it and a definition of what it "means." those cards have always told me that allison means "honest," and while i didn't necessarily believe it (not because it's not true, but just because those sort of things are gimicky) i never thought about what it might actually denote. that is, until recently. for my linguistics class, i had to do a little write up on the eytmology of my name...in other words, i had to find the real origin and definition of what it means to be "allison reinhardt." and while it would never fit on one of those little playing-card-sized book mark things, it will definitely fit on a blog post. so here she is, a little heart to heart on the meaning of reinhardt.

A Virtuous, Pure-Hearted, Strong Counselor

Ever since I can remember, I have thought my last name meant “pure of heart” in the German language—rein, meaning, “pure,” and hardt obviously translating to, “heart.” My dad told me this as a little girl, and what good little girl doesn’t trust every word her daddy says? Plus, who wouldn’t want to be thought of as pure-hearted? I pictured my ancestors being named for their innocence and genuineness. I quite liked this so-called meaning of my last name, and therefore never sought out to discover just how true the translation was myself. This ignorance and bliss was wiped away the moment I began my research. Look up the English to German translation of “pure of heart” and you will not get, “rein hardt,” but rather, “ein reines Herz” (“English German Dictionary”). Close, but no cigar. Rein does in fact mean, “pure,” and it’s possible that while hardt isn’t a literal translation it could be more of a phonetic transliteration of the English, “heart”. Still, I must admit that this new information left me full of doubts and questions. Has my whole self-concept for the past 10 years been a lie? What does my surname really mean?
It turns out that its origins aren’t quite as simple as an English to German translation. In fact, its origins aren’t even German at all. It is likely that Reinhardt is merely a German cognate of the French surname Reynard. According to A Dictionary of Surnames, Reynard came from the Old French words ragin, meaning, “counsel,” and hard, meaning, “hardy, brave, or strong” (449). While it might not be as poetic as, “pure of heart,” I can definitely accept, “strong counsel.” In a way, it describes me rather well. I have always considered giving advice one of my strengths, and love listening to my friends in their times of need, offering what words of wisdom I might have up my sleeve. The phrase, “strong counsel,” also describes my dad to the letter. He makes a living as a consultant, providing expert advice to his clients, while also providing fatherly advice to his children. Albeit his area of expertise is not in the etymology of names, he has rarely led me astray otherwise. And despite the fact that I am now privy to the actual meaning of my surname, I prefer a combination of the two meanings, picturing my ancestors as pure-hearted, strong counselors. After all, what is advice if it isn’t honest and genuine?
With the misconceptions about my surname now set right, I can move on to my given name. Bare with me while I take you back through its origins. Alli is a nickname for Allison, which is an alternate spelling of Alison. Alison is a Norman French diminutive of Alice, and Alice is originally a variant of Adelaide, representing an Old French spelling of Germanic ‘Adalheidis’ (A Concise Dictionary of First Names, 6-8). It would appear that my parents were unknowingly consistent in giving me a name with Old French origins to match with the Old French origins of my last name. Adalaide comes from the words adal, meaning, “noble,” and heid, meaning, “kind or sort.” It was borne in the 10th century by the wife of Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great, as well as the wife of King William IV (A Concise Dictionary of First Names, 2). Clearly this name comes with some big shoes to fill, or, in this case, some rather large crowns. Seeing as I have a pretty small head, though, and have not even an ounce of blue blood running in my veins, I don’t think the name suits me in any reference to royalty. Instead, I might consider myself as noble in the sense that I have high moral principles and ideals, stemming from my relationship with Jesus Christ and my desire to follow His ways.
I started the day merely thinking of myself as Alli Reinhardt. Now, I see myself as much more—a virtuous, pure-hearted, and strong counselor. With all that to say, after learning this lesson in etymology, it appears I might need a lesson in humility as well.

Works Cited
"English German Dictionary." Reverso: Free Online Translation Service. Web. 18 Sept. 2010.
Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Concise Dictionary of First Names. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1992. Print.
Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1988. Print.

i am
allergic to
avocados.

it's sad, but it's true. and i haven't always been; apparently you can develop food allergies as an adult. this allergy of mine is quite new. it's only been a couple of weeks since my last avocado, and i'm already having withdrawals. i love them. on sandwiches, on tacos, on chips, and even just plain. they're so darn yummy, and i miss them so darn much.

and although this avocadoless diet of mine stinks, i suppose it could be worse. at least i haven't become lactose intolerant or developed an allergy to grains. i can live without avocados (i'm not saying i like to, i'm just saying i can). but i simply cannot live without milk and cheese, pasta and rice. i just can't.

so while i'm so bummed that i can no longer eat avocados without my stomach feeling like it's going to explode, this whole ordeal has made me extremely thankful for all of the things that i can eat and drink. and who knows, maybe someday my body will become un-allergic to avocados. ...what? a girl can hope, can't she?

one, two, three, four, five, SIX FLAGS

six hours of driving. six hours at the park. six rides. whataya know, the night was just full of sixes at six flags. and also full of firsts, as i had never been there before. friday night was "naz night" at six flags magic mountain, meaning that they close the park for anyone and everyone afliliated with nazarene churches or nazarene schools. seeing as i go to point loma nazarene university, i obviously got an invite, as well as a discounted ticket. so after class we hopped in the car and onto the freeway, where we didn't go over 30 miles-per-hour the majority of the time. four hours later we hopped out of the car, into the eerily empty park (apparently there isn't an abundance of nazarenes in california), and onto the first ride of the night: tatsu. now, i've been on roller coasters before, but this was on a whole nother level. they strap you in and rotate you onto your belly so that you're floating through the air, superman-style. then they bring you up, up, up, and all the while you're forced to look down at the very distant ground below, hoping and praying that your harness holds tight. and before you know it, you've reached the top and woosh, you can't even see the ground anymore because it's all a blur and you're just flying through the air like some oversized, wingless bird, looping up, down, and around in circles and spirals. it's incredible. so was the picture of my face that it took halfway through. (if it didn't cost insane amount of money, i would have bought it and shown it to you all). after that we made our way through the park, seeing familiar faces here, there, and everywhere, eating ice cream sandwiches (thanks julia!), playing frisbee, and waiting in ridiculously short lines for more ridiculously crazy rides. and without the joy of rush hour traffic, we got back in half the time it took to get there, meaning i had to stay up only four hours past my bed time. all in all, i'd say it was a very successful night of sixes and firsts filled with new experiences and great friends.

happy birthday! (to my favorite boy)

no, that's not the boy i'm referring to; just his dog. (and don't worry dad, you're still my favorite man).

today was nathan's birthday! (that's my boyfriend, if you didn't know). he turned twenty, which means i'm no longer dating a teenager. (it's about time; i'm enough of a cradle-robber already). in honor of his special day, i made him some special treats: twenty angel food cupcakes and twenty cute coupons (done in masculine colors of green and blue, of course, to make up for said cuteness).

i had a wonderful time celebrating with him and his family (which included eating a delicious home cooked meal, laughing at mrs. styffe's inappropriate jokes, and singing "happy birthday" 37 times for each of his different desserts. ...okay, that might be an exaggeration, but still). this was the sixth birthday i've spent with nathan, and each year i become more and more thankful that he was born. (seriously, i don't know what i'd do if he wasn't in my life). so, one last time before the day is done: happy birthday, nathan! (love love love you!)

i'm
twenty-
one
today.

happy
birthday
to me :)

"don't you just love...the fall? it makes me want to buy school supplies. i would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if i knew your name and address." -joe fox, you've got mailwhile autumn does not technically start for another month, fall semester begins tomorrow. i've bought my school supplies, set my alarm, said, "so long," to summer as i've known it, and done so without a bit of woe. see, joe fox and i have a mutual affinity for all things fall, and few things are more romantic to a girl like me than a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils. of course, i'm inevitably full of the night-before-the-first-day-of-school-jitters. but as i make my way into my junior year of college, these jitters have far less to do with wonderings like "will i find my class rooms?" and "who will i eat lunch with?" and much more do with the anxiety of upper division courses and the pending work load about to ensue. so, please be praying for a peaceful night sleep and for all the unknown ups and downs of the semester ahead...

one week later

i can't believe i've already been in my apartment for a whole week. it's been a whirlwind, full of all the nicks and knacks of setting up a house and whatnot, and things aren't slowing down any. so while i don't have much time to recall every little detail of everything i've been up to, i will say that all is well and share just a handful thoughts and happenings.

-i adore my room mate. though, i already knew that. we've been friends through high school and college, having been in the same small group off and on over the years. and while i already liked her a whole bunch, i didn't realize how perfect a room mate she would be. some fun facts: we have the same boyfriend. not literally (as if i would share nathan with anyone), but they might as well be personality twins. and we both love puzzles. here's the first one we've done of many to come (i know, i know...it's missing a piece).
-we've had our fair share of vistors already. our friend nikki came to play and can claim the title of first to slumber party at our place. a few hours after she left, claudia and jess (some of my old hall mates from last year) arrived. we all got burnt to a crisp at the beach and tori (another friend and hall mate) joined in on some fun and froyo, too. they're all moving into the dorms today, which means i get to sleep in my room again. and tonight, lauren's man is heading down to break in the couch and pass the last weekend of summer in the city of san diego.

-setting up cable and internet is much more complicated than setting up anything should be. three consults, two trips to best buy, and one great big headache later, my dad and i got it all figured out. phew.

-keeping an apartment tidy is hard work. thank goodness lauren's around to help with the porch-sweeping, dish-doing, bed-making, trash-taking-out, junk-picking-up, and whatnot. also, if anyone would like to donate a vacuum cleaner to us, it would be greatly appreciated. our carpet is starting to get gross. please & thanks.

-oh, and i'll post pictures soon!

it's my last day in this house. so sad.

i'll miss you, piano. wish i could take you with me.

i don't wish i could take bailey, but i'll miss her too. even more than the piano.

goodbye bedroom. goodbye bathroom. (even though you'll look pretty much the same in my new place).
bon voyage, orange county. i'll be seeing you...

wish list

two weeks from today i will turn twenty-one. and everybody knows that when a birthday is coming, a wish list is to be made. so i've started making such a list, of gifts i'd like to get in honor of my special day.

a macbook

[i know i already have one, but it's been acting funny lately. it won't download software or read discs. plus, they say it's normal to get a new computer every three years anyways, and i'm just a few months short of that. is it completely and utterly neccesary for me to get a replacement? probably not. but it's my birthday and i'm dreaming big.]

ipod speakers

[i don't have anything to play music from other than my computer, and let's face it--computer speakers stink. i think it would be nice to be able to listen to some decent-sounding music around my new apartment while cooking in my new kitchen or tidying up my new living room. also, how strange is the word "speakers"? say it a couple times outloud. think about it. it's strange.]

friends: the complete series

[i watched friends for the first time this past year in the dorms and fell head-over-heels in love. in six months i watched nearly every single episode of all ten seasons. ask my roommate, claudia, and she can vouch that i was obsessed. nix that, i am obsessed. and would love nothing more than to own my new favorite t.v. series on d.v.d.]

chanel chance: eau tendre[i'm not a big perfume person, especially designer fragrances. that is, i wasn't, until i smelled this particular perfume. it is lovliness in a bottle.]

a tea kettle[no, not a tea pot. a tea kettle. you know, the kind that's put on the stove and whitsles when it's ready. i love tea and i love cute things. so what could be better than a cute thing that makes tea? my friend jess gave me the idea to put this on my birthday list. thanks jess, you know me so well! *and like she said in the comments, she tap-taps this one.]

salt & pepper shakers

[unlike most things on the list, this is something i need. there are plenty of cute ones on etsy.com, but i happen to like these ones the most. oh, and these little acorn ones are pretty adorable too.]

slumdog millionaire[i love this movie; it's in my top-five, for sure. it's a shame, really, that i don't already own it. but i'm not one to buy movies unless their on the $5 rack at target.]

etc.
[i'll be posting more things as i think of them.]

home

home has become such an abiguity to me these days. at the moment my family is in the process of packing up our home in orange county. we're all in the midst of moving, but we're not all moving to the same place. my brother and his wife are moving to malibu, making their home near pepperdine law school where he'll be working on his degree. my parents are moving to oregon where a house has been donated to my dad's nonprofit; they're remodeling it and when it's all done they'll either sell it or settle down in it, depending on how things go. and as for me, i'm moving to point loma, making the city of san diego my official home.

home home home. i've always supposed that you're meant to have just one. but right now i feel like i have a hundred. other times i feel like i don't have one at all. i mean, home is being pulled in so many places at the moment that it almost feels nonexistent. it's a bit reminicient of my childhood (i moved fourteen times before ending up in this house). though back then, i never really settled down, never really had a "home town." my family and i were too busy moving from here to there and the next place for me to ever really feel a connection to the places we lived. but here? here i've gotten connected. this? this has been home for the past twelve years. and while i've had plenty of time to adjust to the idea, to slowly chip away at my attatchment to this place, i'm still going to miss orange county. how strange will it be not to come back here for the holidays? to come back here ever? i mean, i will come back to town for the occasional visit. but i will never walk through this front door, hop up these steps, come into this room, and lay down on this bed, looking out this bedroom window to see this view. i will never call this house my home again.
it's bitter sweet, really. because amongst all that schmaltzy nostalgia, i am so looking forward to settling down in san diego. it will certainly take some adjusting, and i'm not saying that it will be a walk in the park. what i am saying, though, is that i'm excited to be in a city that i love surrounded by friends that i adore. i'm excited for the adventure that it will be. and after all, my parents will only be a two-hour flight away instead of a two-hour drive. and instead of coming to orange county to see my high school sweetheart and my high school friends, they can come down to visit me (i've got a couch with all of your names on it).
so while the old english proverb says, "home is where the heart is," i say that is far too complicated. my heart is with my family and friends, and all of them are so scattered about these days, my poor heart wouldn't be able to handle it. instead, i'll stick with a much more simple definition: "home is where your rump rests" (pumba, you are so wise). i'm looking forward to my rump to residing in san diego. and exactly one week from today, that's precisely what it will be doing. the move-in date is set for august 14th, and in the mean time i'll be packing up everything and soaking up every last moment i get in this home before moving on to the next...

the summer i spent with harry potter

summer is a time for reading. i mean, as a literature major, every season is a time for reading. but during the fall, winter, and spring, i am consumed with assigned readings. i don't get to choose the books that i read, rather they are decided for me, marked out on a syllabus with the pages i am meant to read by the dates i am meant to read them by. but then june rolls around, marking the beginning of a very special time of year in which i have the privilege to read for fun. for three glorious months i am able to read what i want to read at the pace i want to read it and i enjoy every moment of it. so as school was coming to a close i made a list: love in the time of cholera, pride and prejudice, and the road made an appearance among other novels that i wanted to read. there was one series of books, though, that i placed at the bottom of the list. they were sort of a second thought, pushed aside in place of other novels. putting them on my reading list in the first place was half-heartedly done. see, i never actually had any real desire to read the harry potter books.

over the years people have planted the seeds, telling me to read them, insisting that i'll love them, etcetera. none of these seeds actually took root, though. not until i went to england. spending a month with a group of fellow literature students in the country that the novels are set led to constant banter about harry this and hogwarts that and all these comments were being made that i couldn't even try to understand because i had not read about any of it. everywhere we turned it seemed someone made a remark along the lines of, "oh! it's like in harry potter!" it quickly became quite obvious that i was missing out on something big. i mean, i always knew that i had been on the outside of the circle, but i never really cared. being in england, though...well, it made me care. and what better place to start my delve into the world of witchcraft and wizardry than the place where it all started. see, i made the deciscion to start reading them while in edinburgh, where jk rowling wrote on that napkin that would evolve into a seven book series. and i got my hands on a copy of the philosopher's stone (yep, the british version), finally opening it up under the oak trees in hyde park.
so it started in london two months ago, and now 4,100 pages later it has come to a close. how fitting that in the final hour of harry potter's own birthday i would finish the last page of the last book.
and so, somehow, all those novels that had pushed harry potter to the bottom have now been thwarted themselves by the seven book series. and while there are still a few more weeks of summer, my time of reading-for-fun is nearly done. am i glad that i spent my summer with harry and dumbledore and all the rest of them? yes, i suppose so. all in all, though, i hated the fifth book and thought that ron and hermione's kiss deserved much more than what jk rowling gave it. i am proud to say that i believed in snape and his goodliness all along, just knowing that his vindication would come and so glad when it finally did. i shed a tear or two when dumbledore died (even though i knew it was coming. what can i say? i've come adore that old man). the prisoner of azkaban, the half-blood prince, and the deathly hallows were my faves. and while i will say that i liked the series, i don't know if i loved it. what i do love, though, is that i am finally in on the inside jokes and able to contribute to the harry potter banter.
so thanks for the good times, harry. england, thanks for giving me the push that i needed. and thank you, summer, for giving me the time read.

...i miss hogwarts already.

rafting the rogue

have you ever been white water rafting? before today my answer to that question would have had to be "no." but now? now i can say that i have roughed the rapids of the rogue river and had an amazing time doing it. my brother and his wife (wow, it's weird to say that) met up with my dad and me in southern oregon and together we set off for the river, decked out in water shoes (that's right. water shoes) and life vests, ready for the adventure ahead. spending the afternoon floating down a gorge, we were surrounded by walls of pine trees with the brilliantly blue skies above us reflected in the water below. some herrins and turtles joined us intermittanly along the way. and every once in a while we'd come up on a rapid, hold on tight, paddle, paddle, paddle, and come out the other side soaking wet. it was the perfect combination of relaxation and exhilaration.

so, what about you? have you ever been white water rafting? because i have. ...oh wait, did i mention that already? woops...

three plays, two days, one shakespeare festival

earlier this summer i took a trip to europe. on that trip i saw two productions shakespeare plays: romeo & juliet at stratford-upon-avon and macbeth at the globe. i, of course, blogged about them, and how much i loved them, how enthralled i was with the language, and how i so enjoyed watching the books i've read come to life. the minute my dad read about all this, he was stoked and wasted no time booking us a trip to the oregon shakespeare festival in ashland. see, my dad fell in love with shakespeare when he was in college, and what father doesn't love to see their child follow in their footsteps? he used to go to the festival and see plays when he was my age, and now he got to take me. we've spent the past two days strolling around the quaint little town of ashland and taking in the wonders of the stage.

the first production we saw was of hamlet. and it was incredible. the best shakespeare production of the four that i have now seen. the dialogue was all as written, but the staging and wardrobe and whatnot were all set in the modern era. let me just say that there was rapping involved. for-rizzle. it was awesome.

the opening stage for hamlet

later that day we saw not a shakespeare play, but my all time favorite story portrayed on stage: pride and prejudice. unfortunately, elizabeth bennet, mr. darcy, and the rest of the gang didn't really strike my fancy this time. that is to say, i didn't like the actors. the girl that played elizabeth scowled the whole time and the man that was mr. darcy smiled the whole time. if you know anything about either of those character, you know that they got it all wrong. i will say, though, that seeing what a failure it was on stage (okay, that might be a bit harsh, but still) made me appreciate it as a novel even more.

the opening stage for pride and prejudice

we spent the following afternoon shopping and eating yummy sandwiches and hanging out at starbucks. i found a used book store (my idea of bliss materialized) and browsed about the shelves. eventually, i walked up to the cash register with ten books bundled in my arms, but fighting the overwhelming urge to buy them all, i honed my self control and narrowed it down to two (wuthering heights and random harvest) before checking out.
that evening we went to a preliminary session on twelfth night, the play we were seeing later that night. they talked about the plot and themes and costumes and staging and whatnot. it was actually really interesting, and a helpful refresher before seeing the outlandishly bemusing shakesperian comedy. the play itself was well done, and though i didn't enjoy it as much as hamlet i still appreciated the time and talent that went into it and the wild imagination of good old will.

if you like shakespeare, strange street musicians (there were lots of those), and used book stores this festival is definitely for you. it was definitely for me, and i'm sure i'll be back again someday.