what i've been looking for

High School Musical has been going well. I got Nick Ponticello to join our cast as one of the high schoolers, and I'm excited to be working with him. I recently got double cast as an ensemble member, so I'll be bopping on and off stage for the entire run, alternating as an eccentric old drama teacher and a peppy high school student. I'm off book now, which is great, and I've learned about half the songs I'll be performing with the ensemble. Things are looking good.

I've been progressing in dance, too. My tap instructor lets me move at a faster pace than the majority of the beginning section of our class, along with a few other select students. It's encouraging that she is so accommodating to our pace and is willing to help us get better. In regards to jazz, I've moved up to the intermediate level class, and our last two sessions will focus on dance audition preparation, which will prove to be extremely helpful as I prepare to audition for some dancing roles for the coming summer musical season. Speaking of which, my vocal master class in auditions concluded marvelously. I learned a lot about the auditions process, and I had the opportunity to really clean up two of my audition pieces.

I'm not the only one who's been doing well. At my last singing lesson with MK, we made a huge breakthrough. I hope he knows how proud I am of all his work and effort. I like to think that my teaching skills are improving as quickly as his singing skills are; I suppose it's a mutually beneficial process. I have such a great time working with him, and I can't wait to see where else we can go from here. Word about my teaching has spread, among some of my former cast mates in particular. I received an inquiry today, and hopefully something will come of it.

On my way to rehearsal a few days ago, I found myself singing along to my soundtrack with a huge smile on my face because, for the first time in a long time, I am truly 100%, without a doubt, inside and out, happy. I am performing, once again; I love my job so so so much; my family and friends are all incredibly loving and supportive of everything I do; and my health and self-image are improving. I try not to toot my own horn too often, but I really must say that I am proud of what I've been doing over the past few months. Especially because most of it, if not all of it, was all fueled by my own initiative and achieved by my own commitment and determination. I'm happy to say that I'm starting to understand what I want out of my own life, and I'm beginning to see how I can incorporate all the things that matter to me.

All in all, things, at the moment, are incredible!