Just a perfect blendship

How come I did better at the blog challenge that I didn’t create versus the one I assisted in creating? Anyway, today is Nutella’s and my 5 year wedding anniversary. Happy anniversary to us! We’re going to be away this weekend (although it’s family-related and not anniversary-related) so we’re going to continue being behind on this un-challenge, but here are a couple for now…

Day 15 – What was your college experience like? Were you involved in any clubs, groups, etc?

Strawberry- I went to college 3 hours away from where I grew up, so it was my first taste of freedom from my parents. And that part I LOVED. Everything else…eh. I was pretty shy back then…timid really. I made few friends…mostly people on the same floor as my dorm room and the friends those people made. I pushed myself to go to a GLBT club meeting even though I was really nervous. I didn’t really click with anyone though. I met my first girlfriend about 2 months later- she was a friend of a friend. I was with her all throughout college and became fairly dependent on her as my social life. We did have a lot of fun times together, and I stayed over with her at her parents’ place 45 minutes away on weekends. My first dorm roommate was aloof, my second roommate was never there, then I got a place with my girlfriend and our mutual friend, and our mutual friend got very manic-depressive about our relationship and ignored us. My final year in college, my girlfriend and I got our own apartment and then our relationship began to majorly break down.

I did well in college, graduated top 5% of my class and liked my studies. Good thing, because other than my first major lesbian relationship, I didn’t get much else out of it.

Nutella- I went away to an exclusive conservatory to study musical theatre and it was a magical thing.  Suddenly, I was at a place with 150 musical theatre nerds JUST LIKE ME. That first week the 50 freshmen stayed up all night singing along with every cast album until we’d lost our voices.  But oh the politics and drama of it.   Teachers had their favorites.  Some expected to be worshipped and never questioned.  We had come to learn at the feet of giants.  I was “too smart” and I asked too many questions.  As early as the 2nd semester, I started getting cruel treatment by certain teachers and by sophomore year, it was openly hostile.  Despite earning above a 3.3 GPA, I was asked not to return at the end of that year.  I was told “you have no talent, go do something else”.  To say that I was crushed was an understatement.  Since it was already the end of June, it was too late to transfer for Fall.  I moved back home and auditioned for a professional theatre and got the 2nd lead in a show that would run all fall. So much for that “no talent” thing!  I began looking into a “make your own degree” honors program at the local university and enrolled in a community college language class since I knew I’d have to make up certain gen-ed requirements.

The following spring I started the “make your own degree” honors program and created my own musical theatre degree.  I never lived on campus and since I was making up my own curriculum, I never was part of a “class” and made few friends. I did a semester abroad in England and made some close friends in that program. I graduated a year later than if I’d done my 4 years straight through from HS.

Day 16 – How many friends do you have in real life that you talk to regularly? How many friends do you have that you feel are ‘true blue’ and how long have you known them?

Strawberry- That I talk to regularly? I can probably count them on one hand. I do think I have a good number of friends/acquaintances, and a crapload of FB relationships, but there’s room for more friends to see on a regular basis. I do feel a little lonely for friendships sometimes. True Blues…I guess that number is 2 and they’re both friends I’ve known since high school. I can tell one of them absolutely anything and she was the first person I came out to, but her schedule is extremely busy so we don’t see each other as often as I’d like.

Nutella- Theatre creates very intense short-lived friendships.  Through the wonders of the internet, I’m still connected with hundreds of those people. I’m also still friends with a few people that I was close with in HS, thought we don’t really talk on the phone, only email. I have 2 very close friends from growing up (we met at ages 13 and 14).  They’re really “family”. I don’t talk to them often but I know I can count on them no matter what.  I don’t have very many close “let’s hang out” friendships anymore and I miss it.  I’m an incredibly social person and I would have people over for dinner 3 nights a week if I could.