A glimpse into the future

February - I saw I psychic!!

It took me over a month to make an appointment with this guy. My close friend Andrea had highly recommended him so I was confident in my decision to go but also nervous as to what I would hear. I walked into this beautiful elevator building in the West Village and buzzed up to the office. After taking the elevator up and ringing the doorbell my heart started racing - what had I gotten myself into??

I entered into a beautiful apartment with a huge waiting room (wrap around couches and a huge TV playing Entertainment Tonight). To my relief, there were 4 other people (all young professionals) waiting to see Ray. We got to talking and realized that we'd all been recommended there by friends. Suddenly I wasn't nervous anymore - if all of these people's friends had had good experiences, then so would I. One by one, they went upstairs (his office is a duplex and a very beautifully decorated one at that). And one by one they came down satisfied with their experience. Eventually, I was left alone with Carlos (the man with whom I'd made the appointment) as the last person waiting ascended the stairs into his office. His assistant, a fabulously flamboyant gay Latino regaled me with stories of his teenage love affairs as I waited downstairs.

After an hour and a half wait (he was running late), it was my turn to go upstairs to his office.

I'm open to the idea that some people can see into other people and give advice and thoughts about their future but this guy knew my entire life's story after a two second look into my eyes. Ray sat behind a large wooden desk, wearing office casual attire and a smile. When I told him my name (which he did not know as I had not provided it in my phone call therefore no research could be done about me), it was as if he knew me already. His method is looking into people's eyes: "Your eyes are the windows to your soul." I pulled out my laptop to show him pictures of select people in my life and he looked at the eyes of the people I showed him, and talked about them. He told me things about myself that I had not told a soul. He predicted events that would happen in my future. He told me about my past (right down to the names and professions of people I had relationships/friendships/interactions with). He gave me insight into my career, my love life, my friendships, my family, and my relationship with myself. It was overall a beautiful experience and one that I would recommend to any friend.

The advice that had particular resonance with me was: "Keep your mouth shut about your personal life - very few understand you and very few will give you good advice." This is why the nitty gritty details of my visit will stay private. But I will tell you this: he told me to come back in 4 years - by then I will be ready for a new reading and a new outlook into my future and myself. In 4 years, I will be back with new pictures, new people in my life, and a new reading from Ray.

February to be continued...

Continuing on with my new years resolution (Do something each month that I've always wanted to do but have never done before)....

February - I will be going to a psychic!!!

Unfortunately, I called to book my appointment with one of the top rated psychic's in Manhattan early in February and was unable to schedule anything until March 10th! I had no idea he was in such high demand.

I'm sure this will be an adventure. So, February will be a few weeks late but it will still happen!!

Past the Halfway Mark...

Spring 2010 means that I'm over half way done with my Master's which is so exciting!! The semester has started again and I'm taking 2 really interesting classes: Social Entrepreneurship and Creative Arts, Cultural Workers & the Vitality of Cities. One is about how to be innovative and make significant global impact, and the other is about looking at the arts in cities through an archeological lens. I'm looking forward to learning more despite crazy amounts of work.

2 new updates in musical news:

I'm sharing the first chair position in the South Shore Symphony for our upcoming concert SATURDAY MARCH 20, 2010 8PM (http://www.sssymphony.org/). Our program has amazing horn parts and I've been practicing my tail off for the concert. It's so gratifying to play pieces that I studied during my time as an undergraduate. I finally feel like a "real musician" in my own amateur, semi-professional way.

It's Complicated (the movie starring Alec Baldwin/Meryl Streep/Steve Martin) was out this holiday season and I waited on the edge of my seat to see if the footage of me (playing in a wind ensemble) made it to the final cut -- it didn't! We're on the screen for a brief second and that's it. The movie is great regardless and I recommend it with two thumbs up. When it comes out on DVD I will pause and zoom in to see myself up close on the "big screen."

A few weeks ago, I went with my dad to see West Side Story on Broadway - we went out for drinks and dinner and then to the show. It was my holiday present to my dad and something I was really looking forward to. Growing up, every Saturday was a "daddy date" - a day where me and my dad would head off and do fun things (like go to a museum, amusement park, movie, etc.) and run errands. My mom would have the day off to relax. Those were some of my favorite childhood memories. I didn't know it at the time but those "dates" were the reason my dad and I are so close. I can talk to my dad about anything and I value his honest opinions, life experience, stories, and advice. Having an adult daddy date was really special - we talked about college, work, dating, growing up, and life in general. I am so lucky to have such a great relationship with my dad and I think that now we will make more of an effort to keep the "daddy date" tradition alive.