Twin Cities Love Letters: Part III

Having been in California for a few weeks now, I’m starting to miss Minnesota a lot less. That said, thinking about what I miss has really highlighted what is actually irreplaceable about my Minneapolis life – and that is the people who made it so incredible.

I have been incredibly fortunate in the people with whom I have surrounded myself in the last few years in the Twin Cities. Whether old friends or new, colleagues or the most random of connections, the people who have come into my life and stayed in it through thick and thin are so deserving of a moment of gratitude.

Saying goodbye over my last few weeks in town was a challenge and a heartbreaker, in a lot of ways. I had a kind of hard winter and spring – friendships growing more distant, going through some growing pains, and of course making the monumental decision to actually make the California move put a strain on my social life. That said, I can’t speak highly enough of the people who have supported me through a crazy season of life.

I intentionally didn’t go out of my way to try to cram in seeing a million people and saying goodbyes that were, in a lot of cases, kind of meaningless. Instead, I sought out true quality time, and lots of it, with the friends who have made the most indelible mark on my life.

Cuddles with Mr. Mason…

…trivia nights and one final Guthrie trip with some of my favorite guys…

…one last opera evening with Michael, Michael, and Antinea…

…feeling Baby R’s kicks and enjoying way too many cocktails with the Reuvers family (water for Colleen, DUH guys)…

…and of course, so much Kelsie and Hannah time. These two, especially, are so sorely missed on a legit daily basis.

One of the best surprises of the move: Hannah introduced me to Chatbooks with the most adorable and unbelievably thoughtful going-away/housewarming present! Chatbooks pulls social media posts together to create a darling little coffee table book that’s totally customizable. Hannah made one chronicling our entire friendship, from our first week at EY taking in a Twins game all the way up to the Ordway Gala just a couple months ago…and I couldn’t NOT cry going through the digital preview with her (over a Rojo margarita, of course!).

Saying goodbye to her and to Kelsie honestly broke my heart – I think I cried harder after saying goodbye to Kels than I ever have, even at the height of post-Jon breakup woes. Fortunately, I know these two are true-blue, thick and thin, bridesmaid-level lifelong friends, and that means they have NO excuse to not make it out to California for visits! Right, guys?!

Also fortunately, I’m lucky to have great friends in my roommates. Living with Dave and Laura will go a long way toward easing the social stress of trying to build a new community out here, and I’m already well on my way to making more friends – via Notre Dame connections, great new colleagues, and pushing myself out of my comfort zone to strike up conversations and get involved in new ways.

There are, however, two people who are truly irreplaceable…my mama and papa bear.

You guys, there aren’t words to capture how much Mom and Dad did for me in the time leading up to this move. When I was planning the move and stressing over whether it was completely insane, they had my back and offered constant support and encouragement. They had an intrinsic sense of when I needed a little tough love to buck up and deal with my feelings, and when I needed a little extra pep talking and cherishing.

My dad undertook crazy home improvement projects for my future apartment without batting an eye, even though I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. He listened to me dissect every interview the moment I hung up with the interviewer, packed and cleaned my apartment with me, and cooked me legit every meal I’ve ever loved in the weeks before I left.

And my mom. You guys. When my movers showed up a few weeks ago, I unpacked to find that not a single dish or glass had been broken, thanks to the care she took in packing genuinely my entire kitchen for me. I’ve already waxed rhapsodic about how amazing she was on the road trip out here, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface. She made my first week in California so much fun – a day trip to Napa, exploring the city with me, and making probably a dozen trips to Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond without a whisper of complaint. She kept me laughing and dried my tears, and I’m pretty sure is singlehandedly responsible for preventing at least three car accidents by being my second set of eyes in the Honda (still working on the whole “driving like a homicidal Californian” thing, tbh).

I count myself as inimitably fortunate to have these people as my parents. Their patience with and faith in me, despite my nerves, in the face of my insecurities, against all odds, is the bedrock upon which I was able to take this enormous leap of faith. Knowing how proud they are of me for doing so keeps my own faith in this adventure at its highest, and is probably the only reason I’ve been able to approach the move and this enormous life change thinking the glass is more than half-full every. single. day.

I’m already counting down the days til their first visit out here later this month, but in the meantime I’m talking to both of them on the phone daily (okay, sometimes twice daily, NO SHAME) and loving our family group text more than ever before. And you better believe I’m playing the long game of encouraging a NorCal retirement someday…after all, the biggest Anthropologie in the country IS right on my doorstep, and wine country is a day trip away!

So much love and gratitude to the people in my life who have had and continue to have my back, regardless of my zip code. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

101 in 1001: The Road Trip Edition

One of the hardest aspects of planning and executing my recent cross-country move was trying to sort out the logistics of actually, you know, getting there. Fortunately, my mom is a complete and utter rockstar, and volunteered to make the drive with me – cementing her status as Better Than Your Mother Since 1989. (If I could insert emojis in a blog post, I’d throw the hair-flip girl in right here.) 33 hours in a car with me? The woman is a saint. She deserves a medal. Or a spa day. Or a medal AND a spa day.

When we started to plan the route we wanted to take, a few points of interest made the list: first, neither of us had ever been to Mount Rushmore, and it was right on the way if we took a route through South Dakota. We also decided we wanted to detour a bit to see Yellowstone National Park. Serendipitously, both Rushmore (#6) and a national park (#15) were on my second 101 in 1001 list, which just sweetened the deal.

Our initial goal was to make the 33-hour drive in about 4 days, thinking we would take our time, explore, stop to smell the roses, et cetera. With that in mind, we mapped out the route below:

Heading west this way automatically checked off my 101 in 1001 #2, “Visit a new state.” In fact, every state we’d pass through (South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada!) on the way would be new to me! With grand visions of playing tourist in our own country, we loaded up the car the night before we left and set our alarms for like…4:40 am (Jonathan was home, and had a craaaaazy-early flight, so we got up with him!). Of course, it’s me, and my best-laid plans never fail to go awry. So in reality, we departed on Monday, June 5 at around 5:30am and were crossing the Bay Bridge by Wednesday, June 7 around 1pm. WOMP.

I can’t think of a more fun way to check off my 101 in 1001 #8, “Take a girls’ trip,” than with my favorite girl in the world: my mama bear. Stories and details below:

I’ll confess to being a bit of a wreck the morning we actually left. Saying goodbye to my dad was a total heartbreaker, and I’m pretty sure I hysterically and uncontrollably cried on and off for the first hour of the trip. Another tear-jerker: seeing the “Welcome to South Dakota” sign and watching the Minnesota sign recede in my rearview mirror.

South Dakota, guys. It’s flat and kind of awful for the vast majority of the drive. When I found myself playing passenger, I got so bored with watching empty fields roll by that I started to play “emoji artist” just to pass the time.

WALL DRUG. Oh my god can we talk about Wall Drug real quick? Every couple miles or so for the entirety of I-90 there is a Wall Drug billboard, and they are all kind of off-the-wall insane and hilarious. Wall Drug has a large dinosaur.

Wall Drug has a large jackalope (a fictional creature that is a cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope, of course). According to the locals, they are “fearsome critters,” but we didn’t seem to have a problem when we started climbing all over this guy.Wall Drug was a great little interlude to break up the trip, as was a quick stop at the Rapid City Panera for lunch. Next stop: Rushmore!

I was not entirely sure what to expect of Mount Rushmore, but I have to say I was really blown away by how well-done the monument and visitors’ center are. Some famous historical locations (coughcough STONEHENGE) have left me feeling underwhelmed after years of seeing photos, but Rushmore is definitely worth seeing in person. The drive there is winding and hilarious – a lot of steep grades and adventurous climbs that kept us laughing incredulously the whole way there.

As for the monument itself…

Couldn’t resist this oh-so-opportune photo of my future home’s flag with the stony visages of the presidents.

The walk up to the monument overlook is lined with the flags of each of the states, and was incredibly picturesque, paved in local stone and full of information. We were racing to beat the incoming thunderstorms, however, so contented ourselves with a quick walk around and a few photo ops, of course.

We also had to snap a photo of George in profile…”it must be nice to have Washington on your side,” as
“Hamilton” so appropriately puts it!

Post-Rushmore, we still had about seven hours of driving ahead of us to reach Cody, Wyoming, our planned stop for the evening. Little did we know how aggressive that plan was…especially after prairie thunderstorms and the crazy-winding roads through Bighorn National Forest slowed us wayyyy down. By our last rest stop of the day, I was seriously debating buying this sexy coyote cap and settling down in rural Wyoming forever just so I wouldn’t have to get back in the car. (Please note: this is the prettiest photo of myself that I have EVER put on the Internet.) We arrived in Cody around 10:45 at night, checked into the Beartooth Inn (you can’t make this shit up), and promptly passed out.

Day Two was our Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Parks morning, and we had a blast – taking almost six hours to cover under 200 miles. I refused to let Mom drive – I was having too much fun with the peaks and curves – and we totally basic bitched out and listened to the “Pocahontas” soundtrack anytime we had enough service to run Spotify…I mean, duh, why wouldn’t you? Favorite photos below:

My sole disappointment is that, despite the numerous roadside warnings to be on the lookout for mama bears with cubs, the Jodester in her Cubs shirt is the only one we spotted. Next time, I guess!

We had ambitiously booked a hotel in Elko, NV on HotelTonight because it was really highly rated and really cheap, but I had a mini-meltdown when we stopped for lunch in Jackson, WY at 2:30 and we realized we still had 7 hours of driving ahead of us. After 16 hours the day before, I was NOT looking forward to another marathon day, especially as we had planned to take it easier. My mom bought us car trip cookies and took over driving, and I chilled out as soon as we hit the road again…

…until I took over and Google Maps suddenly took us way, WAY off the beaten path. There really is no direct route between Jackson and Elko, NV, so we spent about four hours driving through literal no-man’s land. There were no speed limit signs. There were no other cars. There were no lines down the middle of the road. There were tumbleweeds, literally. There were rattlesnakes – literally (ick). There were moments where we honestly thought we were going to die in the wasteland that is southeastern Idaho/northern Nevada. We could not stop laughing - total incredulity, campers. 

And then we got to the Stockmen’s Casino and Ramada Inn, and you could cash your chips in at the same counter where you checked in. And I died laughing in a hysterical, surreal, punch-drunk-from-too-many-hours-on-the-road fit of complete insanity.

The next morning, we woke up and our sole goal was to get to the Bay Area as efficiently as possible. We got gas, washed the car, grabbed coffee, and pounded through Nevada and Northern California, falling in love with Tahoe on the way. I had my first Bay Area driving experience, which probably took years off my life, and before I knew it, we were:

Petting Fiona

Drinking alcohol at the biggest Anthropologie in the country (DEAD. I DIE. I STILL DIE EVERY TIME.) (also, #basicselfie, obviously)

Taking first roommate selfies

It had been a hell of an adventure, but it was over.

Tidbits:

-          If for any reason you ever find yourself in Cody, WY, stop at Cody Coffee Roasters. Utterly charming, amazing people, made-to-order crepes and excellent coffee.

-          Bears do not respond to humans’ requests for them to show themselves, not even if you roll the window down and literally yell “HEY BEARS WHERE ARE YOU?”

-          We saw a baby elk or caribou thing and I about died.

-          If you, like Jodes and me, are into Broadway and have 33 hours in the car to pass, I cannot recommend the “Broadway Musical” approach more highly. We listened to 21 musicals in 33 hours – and it was amazing. Full list:

1.       Waitress

2.       Company

3.       Spring Awakening

4.       The Book of Mormon

5.       Rent

6.       Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

7.       Hamilton

8.       Aida

9.       Mamma Mia

10.   Pocahontas (not technically a musical, but WHATEVER, haters)

11.   Wicked

12.   Dear Evan Hansen

13.   Les Miserables

14.   The Last Five Years

15.   Cinderella

16.   Chicago

17.   The Phantom of the Opera

18.   In The Heights

19.   Legally Blonde

20.   La La Land (also not technically a musical but GUYZ ALMOST BEST PICTURE OMG)

21.   Hello, Dolly!

-          Finally, if you ever have the opportunity to road trip one-on-one with a parent, I highly encourage it. To be fair, I adore both my parents, and love spending time with them, but I seriously will always treasure the memories of this trip with my mom (and couldn’t be more grateful to her for her patience, forbearance, and support the entire way!).

Life at Stanford: a few pinch-me moments.

At present, I’m four days in at Stanford, and while I historically haven’t written much about my employers on social media, I’m basically a walking heart-eyes emoji here so far, and that’s kind of forcing me to change up the game a little bit.

First off, a fun fact that was shared with us at our new-hire orientation/”Welcome Day” on Monday: In the past twelve months, Stanford has had 2,000 jobs posted on their careers site. For those 2,000 openings, over 150,000 applications were submitted. Assuming all those jobs have been filled (they haven’t), that makes the hire rate at Stanford only 1-2%. The acceptance rate for this year’s incoming freshman class: 4-5%, depending on a few different metrics. It’s officially harder to become a Stanford employee than a Stanford student. (Not like I’m, you know, bragging or proud of myself or anything. NAHHH.)

The head of University HR spoke at this orientation, and the phrase with which she opened shot chills down my admittedly basic, cliché-loving spine: “This will call upon the best that’s in you.” Stanford is an organization with a culture in which innovation is not a bonus, but a byword. Expectations of excellence across the board are taken for granted, and every single person I’ve encountered thus far is formidably, intimidatingly intelligent. Along those lines, being your own best person is a given, and the university provides incredible support to make that possible. For instance, we get an $800 budget semi-annually to spend on continuing education – aka actual Stanford for-credit classes. That money, if not used, is lost, and since I’m starting late in the game, I basically have to burn through my first-half allowance by August 31. What’s a girl to do? Sign up for Great Opera Performances on Mondays, Innovation of World Class Museums on Tuesdays, and History of Wine (which comes with a Napa field trip mid-quarter!) on Wednesdays, obviously. I’m beyond excited to be a student again – to keep up my French studies, take business classes, and explore other disciplines just for the hell of it. Being able to call myself a Stanford student? For free? Someone please actually pinch me.

And that’s the tip of the iceberg. Stanford’s health and wellness program is comprehensive…my health insurance cost is 100% free in-network, including well visits, prescriptions, and dental/vision. As employees, we’re invited to complete a full holistic health and wellness survey annually, and to follow that up with a free screening and counseling session on how to reduce stress, eat better, and set/meet fitness goals. That screening and plan establishment is incentivized by up to $800 in cash bonuses, just for joining and participating in the program. We can also take a variety of wellness classes…fitness, nutrition, stress management, interpersonal skills, etcetera – at a heavily subsidized rate. I’ll be taking yoga every Friday over lunch and starting my day every Thursday with bootcamp, and am taking a few seminars in meal planning, sleep therapy, and mindfulness…all before September.

Most significantly, and delightfully – my coworkers are, so far, amazing. The tradition in the finance group is to greet every new hire with a brunch welcome party on his or her first day, and to introduce the entire department all at once. I’ll admit, I was completely overwhelmed on Tuesday to meet over 75 people in one hour-long period, but I’ve since been bowled over by their effort to be inclusive and welcoming. The number of people who have offered to help me figure out the coffee machine, find the supply rooms, navigate the intranet, or explore the area’s lunch options has outpaced any (paltry) expectation I had. My bosses are also both fantastic, encouraging me to spend the first week experimenting and exploring as I see fit and to guide myself through the onboarding process at my own pace.

My first impression of Stanford came together at lunch on Tuesday – an all-department retirement party for a woman who had worked for Stanford’s finance group for a whopping 43 years. As we ate paninis and cake, a dozen or so of her coworkers, direct reports, old bosses, and the leadership of the university’s finance teams gave speeches that were rife with inside jokes, Stanford legends, and paeans of praise for her commitment to this place. The retiree in question was in tears by the end of the first toast, and the rest of the room soon followed suit. I couldn’t help but look around, kind of shocked at the level of emotion and pride that this place inspires in people. Maybe I’m hopelessly romanticizing things, or maybe my Day 3 starry-eyed excitement to actually be here and be a part of this is clouding my judgment…who knows? All I know is that if I actually did pinch myself every time I had a “pinch-me” moment, I’d be black and blue all the way up both arms. I remain immensely humbled and grateful for this opportunity, and cannot wait to see how Stanford calls upon the best that’s in me as I move forward.

a quick hello from California!

HI!

It's been all quiet on the western front lately, and I'm sorry - I've been really focused on trying to get my feet on the ground and settling in. I still kind of can't believe I live in California now...this whole endeavor hasn't ceased to feel like one long, bizarre vacation quite yet, and I'm not sure how long it will be before the novelty wears off. Waking up to this view every day isn't going to get old anytime soon, that's for sure.

I would be majorly remiss if I didn't recognize the enormous help/support/emotional lifeline that both my parents have been, especially my mother. Not many people would voluntarily commit to a 33-hour cross-country road trip, let alone cram that trip into 2.5 days after I grossly overestimated our driving ability and underestimated the horror of backcountry roads in Wyoming and Idaho. Jodes was an incredibly patient saint the entire way, and was a tower of emotional fortitude every time I started to freak myself out with the enormity of this move/decision/insane life change. More to come on that front soon!

Today is my first day of work (!!!), and I'm looking forward to getting into a routine that makes a bit more sense than the last week has. I've spent a couple days exploring Stanford's campus, and can't get over how stunning and different it is than anywhere I've seen. While the Mission-style buildings and palm trees aren't what I typically think of when I think "college," I'm still enchanted with the atmosphere of being on a campus and looking forward to having that as part of my daily life. 

I'm also enjoying the whole process of exploration and making friends. Mikey, a friend of a friend from Notre Dame, invited me to join his friends for Taco Tuesday last week and it was an utter delight. This weekend, Laura and I saw "Roman Holiday" on Saturday, and I met up with Alex, my fabulous mezzo-soprano friend, for brunch and Joshua Bell at the San Francisco Symphony on Sunday. All things considered, I'm starting to build something resembling my kind of life out here...it's just going to take a bit to get truly settled and on my feet. 

As for everything else? Laura, Fiona and I are settling into a routine and figuring out each other's habits while we wait for Dave to come complete our funny little roommate trifecta, I'm slowly mastering driving like a Californian (aka suicidally), and I've been to either Target or Anthropologie literally every day, so not that much has changed. (Fun tidbit: the country's biggest Anthro is 15 minutes from my house. I'm so screwed.) I guess what they say is true...you can take the girl out of Minnesota, but you can't take the Target out of the Minnesota girl...

More to come. Love you!

Twin Cities Love Letters: Part II

I had grand ambitions of spending the last month of my time in the Twin Cities paying homage to the myriad things I'll miss about my home. Instead, I spent time with my family and friends, got way too into Rachel's season of "The Bachelorette," read a few books, and drank a LOT of drinks at a LOT of happy hours. 

Now I'm on the road to California with my fabulous mother, and have nothing better to do than write...so here we go! 

I will deeply, truly miss the arts scene in the Twin Cities, which was one of my primary sources of joy over the last six years. I have deeply entrenched myself in said scene, with over fifty ticketed events in the last calendar year. And said scene brings an absolutely immense amount of joy to my life. 

Orchestra Hall is practically my home away from home these days, and my Minnesota Orchestra musicians feel like my best friends (that I don't actually know in real life, oops). My raging silver-fox crush on Osmo Vänskä has not abated after his marriage to concertmaster Erin Keefe, I live for their movies-and-music concerts, and their guest performers have brought me to so many standing ovations that I can't keep count anymore. 

I'm so in love with the orchestra that I followed them all over the Cities, from their Pint of Music chamber concerts at local breweries to Lake Harriet, where we showed up two hours early to ensure front row seats for this utter magic.

Fortunately, I have the San Francisco Symphony practically in my backyard, and am already getting excited to head to Davies Memorial Hall for this season's Bernstein centennial and their enormous repertoire under their conductor, Michael Tilson Thomas. 

Similarly, I've really gotten into the Minnesota Opera over the last few years, especially as Michael has been able to join me for our Tempo nights. While the Ordway's Grand Staircase and foyer always make me smile as is...

...it's when you throw some of the loveliest people in front of that view that it truly gets memorable. I have met some of my favorite Twin Cities/Minnesota acquaintances and friends through opera, and had such great experiences over the last few years...my first "Tosca" after the world's hastiest French dinner, a world premiere of a new work this May, and seeing my first Wagner production ("Das Rheingold," the Minnesota Opera's first stab at the Ring Cycle). 

Another opera highlight of this year was seeing the incomparable Renée Fleming through the Schubert Club this year, especially memorable as she officially "retired" from performing operas just this May! 

Of course, with the ranked-number-eight-in-the-world San Francisco Opera just up the highway, I won't be missing out on keeping opera in my life. What I will miss, however, is spending time with my fellow opera-loving friends enjoying it. I'm hoping to drag Laura and Dave to a few productions with me, but I'm most excited for next summer's full Ring Cycle...Michael and I are already planning his trip out for it and I can't wait!  

I'll miss driving past the Orpheum's light-up marquee, and taking pictures of the show signs on it every time we go to something. But San Francisco gets Equity performances from Broadway too, including (of course) "Hamilton," in its first tour stop. I think I'll be fine for Broadway. 

Truly irreplaceable, however, is my beloved Guthrie. I spent a very unproductive afternoon going through the list of shows in their past seasons, and ultimately came to the realization that I have seen 62 Guthrie productions in my life, starting with "A Christmas Carol" at the age of twelve and carrying through to the world premiere of "Refugia" just two weeks ago. 

The Guthrie holds a special place in my theater-loving heart. I blame it for my passion for Shakespeare, my expectation that any stage play be impeccably produced, have an immaculate set, and feature top-notch acting. I have my favorite "regulars" in their shows, and have found new favorites through actors making their debut. While they have staged a few things I didn't love (um, hi, "Mr Burns, a Post-Electric Play"), I have rarely left the Guthrie without a sense of total satisfaction and well-being.

It's also going to be ridiculously hard to replace the black-tie lifestyle my arts involvement has enabled. By being one of the most active young arts patrons in the Twin Cities, I've ended up on the list for galas galore (alliteration intended, of course), and I've come to really love getting dressed up and celebrating the arts to benefit the arts. From last summer's glittering Diamond Anniversary "Rhapsody in Blue" orchestra gala...

...to April's "Springtime in Paris" benefit for the Ordway, I've had a ball (and quite a lot of champagne). This year's Orchestra Ball theme is "A Night on the Silk Road," and the featured performer for the June 24th event is Dessa. The Guthrie is throwing a huge gala the night before, featuring Bernadette Peters, and I had access to tickets for both. To say I'm crushed to miss them is a massive understatement. I'll have to satisfy myself with this fall's San Francisco Opera Ball, I suppose! 

Here's to the Twin Cities arts scene...and to the void that the lack of that world will leave in my life. Can't wait to come back and make concerts, shows and operas a priority every time I head back to Minnesota!