Summer upper
I know this blog entry has been a long time coming, but it has been a busy, busy month. Non-stop, really. I guess I’ll go back to early July, where I was just working like normal, things were good. Then on the 12th of July, my birthday, I was given the news that my grandmother died. From then on everything became a bit tumultuous. The day was hard- I was distraught that my grandmother had died, as well as the fact that it was my birthday and I was so far away from home. Andreas was a tremendous support, gave me the choice to opt out of the dinner with friends he had planned for me that evening. I got myself together though, because I knew that I should go, and that my grandmother would have wanted me to.
The night was really good, and I got to wear my new dress, which was fabulous. It was good to have the support of friends there- even if I didn’t tell them what was going on until later. The next day my dad told me that he had bought me a ticket home for the funeral- it would only be for 4 days because I was scheduled for kid’s camp the following week. I was really glad to go- it was important for me to be there and participate in the ceremony.
Upon my return I became a glorified babysitter for a week, teaching English at the same time. As expected it was stressful, but unexpectedly it was also (a bit) fun. The stress and the fun came in waves, one after the other, so it was an ok experience. Fortunately I have 2 more weeks coming up to solidify that opinion.
After a week of kid’s camp, Andreas and I were reunited for a week of togetherness before I returned to Canada, due to my visa expiring. It was great to just be together to play music and cuddle and watch movies and go out for dinner again- it has definitely been stressful to be apart so much.
Now, I am back in Canada until the 16th of August, at which time I fly to Munich where Andreas will pick me up & take me back to Graz. This whole song and dance is because of the pending receipt of my Irish passport, which I expect in the next 2 or 3 weeks. It is an exciting time for me, because it will mean that I can stay as long as I want, without restriction. I just received news of my accepted status as an Irish citizen, so as soon as the passport is sorted out, my shoulders will be significantly lighter.
And last but not least, Andreas and I have started our very own cover band! I’ve gotten over the Montreal stigma of being in a cover band, and am now just pure excited about it. We are playing my favourite music, and I’m getting a chance to just concentrate on improving my singing (and stage presence, oh god…). One day I definitely want to do my own stuff, but for now this is a good start.
Next week I am working, then 2 weeks of kid’s camp, then Andreas and I will take a vacation to the south of France together- finally some solid together time once he’s finished his summer job. It’s been a really busy summer, but I’ve gotten to see at lease a little bit of everyone I love.
