Sundancing

Now, I'm going to have a mega post on this later I'm sure, but I wanted to photo dump what I took while at the Sundance Film Festival this past weekend! I was lucky enough to travel there with a bunch of really great people from the WUD Film Committee and had the time of my life. 27 films and 5 hours of sleep over 3 days. It was such a whirlwind, but all my planning paid off and everything happened without a hitch. I can't wait to bring back some of these films to Madison.

There's a bro version of this pic, but I gotta get it from Bess ;] 

One of the sponsors had a photobooth set up with props. Tom and I went for 1) American Gothic 2) trees as guitars 3) climb them 4) throw trees at camera. Phil and I were just confused as when the pictures were even being taken XD 

Pow. Iconic

The director of my favorite U.S. Dramatic film, Concussion, at the Q&A following the screening. I got to speak with her afterwards and tell her how much I loved the film!

Two of the actors from Concussion

So this is what a Sundance screening typically looks like. Here's the screenwriter/director and two producers of Newlyweeds during their Q&A.

The Newlyweeds director who I'm totally in love with. He said he'd love to come to Madison with the film!

Part of the WUD Film member description: giving MUBA members back walks as they please.

Park City at night.

The two directors of the doc Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer

Jason and I saw so many films at the Holiday Theatre!

Prepping box office requests at the house one night 

We haven't even taxied out of the runway, and Huppert was asleep. (In his defense, it was 6 am and we hadn't slept for  >26 hours).

Ich bin Lehrerin? Wowza Dowza

If you don't already know, I would love to be a high school German teacher one day. Who knows what path I'll take to get there, but right now I have the pleasure of student teaching at Leopold Elementary school in Madison. Last semester I helped out with a 2nd grade dual language immersion classroom with hands down the most lovely, funny, caring group of kids I've ever met. I used to not be able to stand young kids, but they just cling to you so quickly, you can't really help it! My amazing amazing mentor teacher sent me a couple pictures she took of us in the classroom, and I thought they were pretty cute.

Lizbeth and I working on some math

The gang! So many things in this picture crack me up 

I just started a new semester at Leopold last Monday. Now I'm in a 4th grade and 5th grade classroom, and I'll be teaching for 45 minutes in each every Monday and Wednesday starting in one week. I still have so much to think about in terms of lesson planning. Should the students call me Frauline Rayna? How much Deutsch is too much Deutsch? There are so many questions, and I think the only way I can tackle this thing is to just dive right in. I'll be with them until June, and some of the kids have specifically requested German because they want to take it in middle school, which makes me really happy.

Reappropriation

Change is good.

I'm going to try to restart this once study abroad blog into an outlet for photo sharing, musings, and documenting my life. I figured a proper intro entry would be my list of 2012. I've been compiling one of these the last few years and I find it a really enjoyable way to see all I've accomplished the past year, and it motivates me to go above and beyond during the upcoming year. Last year was pretty major for me, and I gotta say, it kicked a lot of ass.

-2012-

Went to England, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Croatia, and the Czech Republic.
Dyed my hair purple, blue again, then brown.
Saw Beirut, Kanye, Jay-Z, Flobots, Astonautalis, Scroobius Pip, the Hard Lessons, Sleigh Bells, and G. Love and Special Sauce.
Became WUD Film Director.
Got into the UW School of Education.
Cohort I.
Got a tattoo.
Adult Swim at the Children's Museum.
Marched in an LGBT rally with AHA.
Moved out of Bromansion 2 and into the Eleanor.
Quit CVS.

Started student teaching.

Adventure Time/Pixar Halloween costumes.

Saw local Madison play Opiate for the Missus.

Voted for Obama, our re-elected president.
Got third place at the College Improv Tournament.
The Avengers, Yid Vicious, RENT singalong, Lori Berquam at Reel Love.
Manet exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art.
Got my ears pierced.
Shaved my head.

Hit me, 2013.