Hellooooo lovely friends! As I am writing this letter it is my second full day in Portland. I am already loving it here and it definitely is a refreshing change (first time out of the state since Summer 2019). Caroline and I drove all day long on Friday, and I believe that is the longest drive I have ever been on. If you want to exchange letters while we are here I am happy to send my address if you respond to this email. I adore you all and can't wait to tell you all about my PDX adventures :)
Tweets of the week
OH MY GOD DFFGHJLHKLJFG
I love Gerald with all my heart
I love it.
Quarantunes
Wondering what Caroline and I listened to on the way to Portland? Here is our playlist
IGOR on repeat recently, what I wouldn't give to go back to that concert
I LOVE THE CHICKS SO MUCH!!! Honestly, their discography on shuffle is the vibe.
Say Anything by girl in red is great if you want to feel feelings
Making Ourselves at Home
This is our darling Air BnB, aka home for the next month!! This is my first time staying in an Air BnB and so far it is great.
My room has a dutch door!
Some of the things I brought: my Kanken, my bike, my market basket, my yoga mat, and only 6 pairs of shoes (very few for me).
Caroline and I have matching monogrammed cosmetic cases!
Theatre isn't dead(???)
For most of my life, the theatre was an activity that defined who I was. Ever since elementary school, I have never gone more than a few months without a play, recital, or cabaret to perform in. This gradually grew into a love-hate relationship, and I made the decision that I would not be pursuing theatre in college, but I thought it would always be in my life.
When COVID hit the US in March, the seniors at my high school's drama company were in the midst of producing our own original play that we were meant to perform and compete in a regional high school drama festival. The process was hard, time-consuming, and more than anything emotional. When our production halted, we never got closure in the process, and as it became clear that we would never get to perform, I began to feel like I would never perform again. During the Summer there were opportunities here and there to get involved in shows, but it didn't quite feel right without the audience and the same close community. I really felt like theatre was dead.
When school started I came in with a fresh attitude, maybe theatre and I would meet again. I was excited to look for an improv group to join, but I was quickly disappointed to learn that none of the groups would be taking new members this term. This bust was the nail in the coffin for my theatre career, at least for any time in the near future, so I thought...
In mid-September, we started reading Hamlet in one of my English classes, and our unit included an in-class performance of scenes. Our professor lamented over how this process was of course not like it would normally be with in-class drama workshops or field trips to Shakespeare shows, but it would do (was this supposed to make us feel better? I am not sure).
My group picked the ghost scene from Hamlet, and I played the ghost. It was very bittersweet to act over Zoom, but it was a good reminder that theatre isn't necessarily dead, it is just not quite alive. I guess I like the irony of my COVID acting debut being a ghost because that is kind of what theatre feels like to me right now.
Men on Rollerblades
I ran through the Marina on Tuesday and saw this lovely sight.
Spooky Time!!
During quarantine, I have loved celebrating everything I can (ie elaborate half birthday festivities). I usually am not that into Halloween but I was to change that. Let me know your favorite Halloween recipes, movies, and traditions to help get in the spirit here!
That's all for this week!! Love you all!! Stay in touch!!
xoxoxo
Claire
p.s.
new from Hanken drive will be suspended until I return home as I am no longer seeing grandpa regularly
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