Manifestations, Sleeplessness, and Scrapbooking

Maddie Oslejsek Royal Holloway University of London, England

Date

May 26, 2016
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As my time dwindles down here in the Land of Tea and Biscuits, I am finding it really difficult to think about leaving.

In my personal statement and various blog posts, I have tried to explain how much coming to England has meant to me; but, there truly are no words that could describe it. This experience has been a manifestation of a dream come true.

I am normally quite busy which means I don’t really get a lot of sleep. Well, I blame it on being busy, but really I think I have just developed horrible sleeping habits haha! Anyway, during the hours where I just begin to doze off, I do a lot of thinking about how quickly time has passed and become so thankful for how I’ve spent every minute of it. I just imagine looking back with regrets, wishing I would’ve done this or that, and I am so glad I do not have any.

Beth bought me something for my birthday in February that will help me remember all of the wonderful things I have done during these 9 months: a scrapbook! She and I started putting it together the other day, and it really helped to begin to turn the sadness about leaving where I am into happiness about where I’ve been.

Si, I said I’ve normally busy right? Well, recently I have been working on two shows directed by my lecturers, The World as Stage: Noh Theatre and For Colored Girls. The first was an experimental piece that challenged the notions of time and space by deconstructing the wall between actors and spectators, which I performed in. The second was a choreopoem, a technique that uses poetry, dance and music to tell a story, about the various experiences coloured women go through in relations to love, empowerment and loss, which I stage managed. Both shows were brilliant and I absolutely loved working on them with such wonderful people.

Now that my “work” (you’ll never work a day in your life if you do something you love!) is finished here on campus, I will soon be heading to Totnes for a little holiday with my best mate! We are staying in the PERFECT hippie-esque location and I cannot wait to share this experience with her.

xxxx