and all at once, everything changed

My high school required reading list was not your standard affair. I never had to read The Outsiders, Animal Farm, or The Lord of the Flies. I read The Catcher in the Rye because I wanted to, but I never had to take a test on it. We read Shakespeare, but not Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet, instead focusing on A Winter’s Tale and King Lear. My high school education has simultaneously left me with great gaps in my literary education, while also providing me with a vast knowledge of works in translation and international authors. It is a unique experience compared to my peers, but not one I regret. However, it does sometimes land me in comical situations. 

Like last week, when I watched Gatsby: An American Myth at the American Rep Theater in Cambridge. I had been looking forward to the show for months; a soundtrack by Florence Welch? Nick Caraway played by Ben Levi Ross? I was sold. My high school best friend and I got tickets as soon as we knew they were available. Despite my excitement, I have never actually read The Great Gatsby, nor have I seen the film. In fact, I somehow avoided all spoilers for the 100 year old novel. In my seat at the theater, I was probably the only person in the audience who had literally NO IDEA what was going to happen next. Here I was, experiencing Jay Gatsby, Daisy, Myrtle, and Nick for the very first time via a musical. 

I had a great time. Truly 10/10 performance. The cast was so talented and the production was incredible. I cannot stop thinking about it and I cannot stop laughing about how I bought tickets and saw the show just because I wanted to, not because I necessarily had the qualifications to do it. 

This concept, of doing something because you can and you want to, has been playing in my head a lot recently. I feel so unprepared for grad school in the fall, but at the same time, so excited. I am so glad Simmons took the chance on me and accepted me into their school, but it is also arguably the most on the whim decision I’ve ever made. In many ways, my transition into grad school feels bigger than my transition into college. I’ll be living in an apartment, taking classes on topics I’ve only daydreamed about, and curating a life I am proud to be living. I actually have the confidence to put art on my walls this time, something I shied away from in college because of feeling too impermanent in a dorm. I guess this is all to say, cheers to taking risks on things you don’t feel qualified for. It makes life a lot more interesting. Even if it is finally learning the tragedy of Gatsby five years out of high school and 100 years after its release. 

with teeth and love,

Michaela