Let That Be Enough

Today is the most stressful day of my entire life. Not to be dramatic or anything.

Tomorrow is the final hurrah for the summer fellowship program, which is really sad because next year most fellows will travel abroad and we won't have the same communal experience as we have now. I will really miss it. The fellows are amazing, and everything we have been exposed to has been remarkable. I will definitely be sad when it actually hits me. Today is not the day. Today is the day to be stressed.

I have to make two presentations tomorrow, as well as turn in an individual paper, a revised group paper, several evaluations and reports, and twelve pages worth of journal entries. I am seriously overwhelmed, so I decided to blog. It calms me :) That and Double Stuf Oreos.

Last night was the dinner and classical music concert for all of the fellows, their bosses, and the people who are essential to the program. It was lovely. My boss couldn't make it, which spoiled it a little for me at first. I just sat there while everyone chatted with their bosses. It wasn't too bad, though, because I began mingling with people anyway and having a good time. I saw one of the panelist judges who interviewed me when I was applying for the fellowship over a year ago. He looked at my name tag and asked, "Did I interview you?" I was surprised that he remembered; they interview forty people each year. He was very nice. I remember my interview like it was yesterday: sitting there, facing the scrutiny of four very important people, trying not to sweat or stutter, sipping my water... While the others asked about my future goals and aspirations, he asked me which Dickens novel is my favorite. (Hard Times, of course.)

Anyway, I gave my speech last night. It was a little rushed because we were running late. It went well. I made them laugh. Afterwards, people approached me to ask about the concert hall. One of them asked if I work there. I had to say, "Um, well, no... they just asked me to speak. I don't really know anything." That's always a fun thing to admit.