Now that that is taken care of....down to the important business of *trying* to update you all on my life. Which is practically impossible because my life happens too fast for me to keep up with it, let alone tell you my lovely readers about it. Also, I don't really remember what I last told ya'll (although technically I suppose I *could* go back and look what my last post was but I mean seriously aint nobody got time for dat.) So.....anywho....after an incredible summer at Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC, (which I plan to tell you about in subsequent posts. Hopefully.) I moved to Spartanburg, SC to begin work on my MM in Piano Performance at Converse College. Since I completed my undergraduate degree there plus I grew up in this area, in many ways it has been like coming home, but in many ways it has been totally different as well. I am living with an awesome family that I have known since college (I went to school with their daughter) and who were my adopted family at that time. It was actually really really cool how God worked it all out because they had been living in Texas and randomly decided to move back to Spartanburg at the same time that I was going to be moving here and offered for me to rent a room from them. It's actually been so amazing because they make cookies and cook dinner for me and watch TV with me and keep me from missing my family by picking on me incessantly. (Yes, I'm talking about you, Duane). That's good though - I need to keep my verbal sparring skills in good shape.
I love how my room turned out - it is super cozy and fun - sadly, I hardly ever get to hang out in it -except when I'm asleep which doesn't really count...
I'm loving being back in school - it is so incredibly amazing to spend each day learning and getting better at what I love. In addition to my regular classes, I am getting to audit a French class, which is really fun. I love languages and it is so cool to get the chance to study another one. I realize this will be a complete shock to everyone, but I have managed to fill my schedule pretty full! Between classes, homework, piano lessons and practice, duo piano lessons and practice, accompanying for my assistantship, church, and hanging out with my new friends, there is not much time left. Which is precisely why I decided to add something else to my schedule. Swimming. I've always enjoyed the water and always kind of wanted to be on a swim team so this summer, when I was at Brevard, I started swimming with a US Masters team there. I found out that I pretty much love it! It's kind of like piano actually - so much hard work and sometimes I don't want to do it, but at the same time it's amazingly addicting and I have this really strong desire to learn all I can and develop my skills as much as I can. So before I even moved here, I looked for a Masters team in the area and found Greenville Splash. I practice with the team 6 days a week - sometimes multiple practices a day. Yep. I know. I'm insane. But, I have this burning drive to do it and see how good I can get. Right now I am really bad - all my strokes need better technique and I don't know all the turns and dives and things and I am so super slow, it's embarrassing. The thing is though, all the people who have done anything with their lives say hard work pays off, saying something is impossible is just an excuse not to try, and the main key to succeeding at anything is not giving up. This is what keeps me going with piano, because goodness knows I am behind with it, too, seeing as I started lessons so late in life. So, anyhow, I'm just going to work my rear off with piano and swimming and hopefully it will pay off!
I don't really know what all my life holds and how the future is all going to play out (see what I did there? Like piano play-ing?), but something I've been thinking about lately is how I want to make the most of every single opportunity and talent, no matter how small, I have. I firmly believe God gives us desires, talents, and opportunities for certain reasons that we can't always see at the time, but it's up to us to make the most of them and not waste them. We aren't guaranteed anything in the future and we can't know the exact paths that God is going to lead us down or the doors he is going to open for us or how he is going to use the lessons we are learning today in situations tomorrow but what we can do is seize every opportunity and make the most of each day. I don't want to waste my life - I want to accomplish something great with it! I don't know what exactly that is going to be, but I'm going to do my absolute best to not waste any chance to learn and grow God has given me, so I will be ready for whatever He has in store.
And on that note (there I go again!), I better get back to getting my practicing, homework, and dryland swimming exercises done before this day is over and I've wasted this opportunity! :)
Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!
Love, Tiffany
" For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. "For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required."
