I Live Like a Nun in a Cloister, Solitary..

Something's not right...


SOMEONE'S MISSING!

Gillian moved out on Monday. Since then, I've been rearranging, redecorating, and cleaning. The above picture is strange not only because it's an empty bed, but because there didn't used to be a bed in there at all. That room was our living room, the other room was the bedroom, for both of us. But with Gillian leaving, the spaces are being separated again. (I actually completely dismantled that bed, moved it into the next room, and reassembled it, by myself. I'm secretly a man.) So I've had to move around entirely as well. I'm keeping my room rather simple. One of my walls is staying almost entirely blank, the idea being that my room is a place of very specific visuals and sounds and smells that are comfortable and familiar and therefore can calm my senses when they start to overload. At least one blank wall makes sense to me. All of this moves towards lifestyle changes I'm making for next semester, primarily for my health and my faith. I told Stephanie when we were having the "should we room together next semester?" conversation, "I anticipate that next semester I will be living much like a nun who makes strange noises." Working out so far. The rehearsal block with my prayer shawl over it in that corner will eventually become a more specifically devotional space.

Of course, now that everything is nice and organized and CLEAN (you've heard of St. George and the Dragon? Try Colleen and the Vacuum), I'm leaving. Tonight, actually, at 3am. I was very familiar with the 3am train from Penn Station to Richmond when I was in high school - it was one of the ways I could go up and see shows when I needed to be at school the next day. I'll probably head up to Penn around midnight and watch a movie on my computer until it's time to board. It's a bit of a pity, having JUST fully set up my new room, that I don't get to sleep in it tonight. Ah well.

I finished all school-related things yesterday. Turned in my last paper, had my last meeting. When it comes times to leave, I always get strangely emotional. But I'm ready for this break, and I'm looking forward to being in a place where a lot of things which are incredibly important in the environment I'm in now are not that important. That's a relief. It's very easy for me to start living with a skewed perspective when I'm here, so this break is largely about regaining that perspective, which I think is key for me, going into the next project. In the meeting I had last night, one of my teachers expressed again his observation that I'd poured everything I had into Tongues ("And if you disagree with me... you're wrong."), and he actually seemed incredibly worried that I wouldn't refill myself in the very short amount of time I have to do so. I think the key, for me is this perspective, so I'm glad to get away. I also really love train rides, and the stretch from New York to Richmond is a good one (even though I'll be asleep for most of it, God willing).

It's been a great semester. God has surrounded me with many blessings, mostly in the form of people. I'm so grateful for all of you and will miss you. At some point this break we'll get an email about curriculum and I'll run on here and post about how much I love and miss everyone at PHTS. I have no idea when I'm coming back to New York, yet.

Pray for my travels. It's actually been a blessing-in-disguise that I'm leaving so late, because had I left a few days earlier, I would have had an incredibly hard time traveling. I think I'm fine, though there were power problems at Penn Station earlier today, hopefully they've cleared up by now. I purposefully chose the 3am train so that delays were less likely and so that if there were delays it wouldn't put me in too late... but I actually do need the train not to be ridiculously delayed as I'm heavily involved in both the 7pm and 11pm services tomorrow. (Where did Advent go?)

See you all in Virginia. In the meantime, I offer you a picture of the main decorated wall in my room. Clearly, John Calvin HAD to be the centerpiece of my dresser. I don't think he appreciates being next to that particular poster, though. At least if I come back and the poster is lying in pieces on the floor, I'll know what happened.

I also have Madame X on the closet door. Dressing inspiration, you know.