Greetings, as we make our way into Dublin!
With the Netherlands behind us, our trip is finally coming to a close, bringing through the emotions of having to go back home over the ones of departing orchestra members that are finishing their final season. Undoubtedly for all of us, this was one of the most extraordinary trips of our lives by far, and wrapping it up is going to be hard. Whether or not some of us return to Het Royal Concertgebouw someday, this trip will likely hold the most significance as our first visit.
For me personally, our journey will be the best adventure I could ever find or ask for. It felt like we were there for a month in the best way possible, and leaving was something that I was not anticipating. The beautiful cities, the friendly faces, the transit and communities… everything there was so alluring. Along with this, I got to socialize with so many of my peers and get closer to them all through our tours and performances.
While I won’t miss all of the walking, I will miss the places and people I got to be around. I am going into my fourth and final season with Senior Symphony, and it took me three of them for me to break out of my shell and really feel like I belonged. While that is a wonderful thing, the bittersweet nature is that so many graduating seniors were the ones who helped get me there. On top of this, I only have one more year to put my suddenly social and self-confident nature to good use.
Until then, we have to get home and sign off with a third and final blog post. I’ll leave even more of the sentiment for that one, but I really can’t wait to be on solid ground again.
Until next time…