Present and Future

It’s hard to plan for the future and focus on the present at the same time, but it’s a huge part of college. Well, a huge part of life in general. I cope with it by designating specific times to do future-y things. Then, I try to live in the present the rest of the time. Here’s an example. All day today I wrote papers, ate in the dining hall, talked to my mom on Skype, and went to classes. But from 5:00pm to 6:00pm, I thought about the future. More specifically, I went to an orientation meeting for my study abroad program. I’ve got my itinerary and flights planned out. I’ve finished applying for my Australian visa. Going abroad is starting to feel a little more real. But it’s still hard to believe that I’m going to be living on the other side of the world in the spring. Wow. I don’t know where I’ll be in the summer, or what I’ll be doing next year, or what path I’ll take after graduation. But those are thoughts for another designated block of thinking-of-the-future time. Time to focus on what’s happening now.

Right now, I’m sitting in my room, on my bed, with a blanket. I'm in between eating a slice of pizza from one of our two dining halls and running through my lines for my acting scene. I can hear the wind blustering through the trees outside. It’s dark out, and cold. I’m considering bundling up in my raincoat and going to Maggie’s (the campus café and convenience store) to get a hot chocolate or something, but it’s so dark and cold that it’s more likely I’ll just stay in my room and make myself a cup of tea instead.

I’m working on a paper about Lady Macbeth for my Shakespeare class. We’re looking at how different actresses have conveyed the character (specifically Judi Dench and Jane LaPotaire). It’s hard not to turn the paper into a completely theatre-oriented paper that discusses the set and the lighting and the other actors. We’re just supposed to focus on Lady Macbeth's words and how they’re delivered. So it’s a really fun paper, but very difficult.

"Out, damn'd spot! out I say!"



When I was working on it in the library over the weekend, the sun came out!



Speaking of Shakespeare, my friend Sully and I went to see a screening of National Theatre Live’s Hamlet starring none other than Benedict Cumberbatch as the title role. 


During intermission.



Clearly, we're stoked to see this play. 

The screening was held in downtown Portland by Third Rail Reparatory Theatre. Next week, we’re going there again with my roommate Sara to see a screening of Coriolanus starring Tom Hiddleston. Last year, we saw a screening of Frankenstein, also put on by that company, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (again) as the Creature. Portland is a great place to see productions. And not only can you see them off-campus, but our theatre department on-campus does some pretty cool performances too. I’m disappointed that I will miss Love and Information in the spring, especially since my friend and scene partner in acting class, Trevor, is designing the set and lighting. Hope I will be able to see some cool shows in Australia!

Anyway, that’s all for now. Remember, don’t worry too much about the future unless it’s your designated time to do so! If you have any questions about life at Lewis and Clark College, shoot me an email at jessicakostka@lclark.edu.


Jess