Holidays and Reflection of my incredible first semester...

Hi, Dollies!

So, I'm chillin' at my grandparents' house in Oregon, which for those of you who haven't been here, is like magic. It's beautiful, it smells good, there are candy dishes everywhere, 2 golden retrievers (Shelley and Susanna), amazing food (even though I'm still gluten and dairy free for the time being, G-ma found stuff), I get to sleepin the brass day bed I've slept in since I was a toddler (this year they even found the missing Musical Rocking Horse that we used to wind up and fall asleep to every night, and yes at 22, I wound it up and drifted off last night), and of course family. I mean, it's one of the most comforting places in the world for me. My aunt, uncle, and cousins will be here soon and we're going to spend a fun Christmas together as adult children. Wow. We're missing my sweet brother, Darren, an army soldier, who is deployed to Afghanistan, and my sister, Rhiannon, who has to work to pay all her LA bills. We miss them sooo much!

So, I'm sitting here with a cup of tea in the office, reflecting on how specialthis year has been for me. 2010 has been very good to me. I got accepted into a dream MFA Acting program, graduated from Chico State (after an amazing final semester of memories with Pop Girls, and Chico friends), I somehow got the courage and the money to attend this dream MFA program in the city I've always dreamtof living in...and my first semester was the most amazing 4 months of my life!!! Seriously, if there is a risk that scares you, but you know in you gut, and in your heart that you'll have that "what it?" feeling haunting you your whole life if you don't do it...DO IT! Paula once said to me, "Paige, go for this, you regret the things you don't do, not the things you do."She was right.

I can't even put into words how amazing school has been. I already feel like I've grown immensely as an actor, as an artist, and as an individual. I 've never been so excited about this work, felt more capable of this work (and I mean that in the most humble, and reverential way, you just have to try...that's doing it...trial and error...risking looking/feeling stupid). Ahhhhhh, it's allso freeing! These three years are a golden opportunity to grow, and learn for so many reasons. I'm young, I'm in a safe place, I'm not a slave to the industry or the dollar bill yet. I want to savor this time. I feel so...like ME...

And the people I've met. OH. MY. GAWD. My classmates, are wonderful, and taking the journey of this first semester...it wasn't easy, but it was much easier than I imagined it would be working as an ensemble. It's been, (dare I jinx it?) a joy! Everyone is so hardworking, and intelligent, and fun! Our teachers are the friggin' best! They crack me up, and they have been so wonderful this first semester. I'm so excited tokeep working with them. They all offer such different techniques, and different safe environments to work in. It's the craziest, most inspiring mash up training! And the 2nd and 3rd years have been great big siblings and friends! Ugh, I could gush all day. I am head over heels for Columbia's MFA Acting program. Next semester is going to be so exciting.

For now though, I'm going to enjoy my holidays with friends and fam. Christmas in Oregon with the Pattersons, New Years in Washington with Marissa and Co. and the rest of my time off in January with friends and fam in SoCal. Relaxing, reading, researching, and lots of laughing too!

I'm so grateful for my friends and fam (you all know who you are), the theatre, art, and for all the laughing til I pissed my pants I did this year!

xoxoxoxo

kisses, giggle, and feathery, sparkly love to you all!

Happy Holidays!

love,
your ecstatic Paige/Peach/Paj Patterson