April Favorites

27 days. I have 27 days until I say goodbye to my friends and to my current school, 27 days of homework to go, 27 days. I think it's funny that we spend practically the entirety of the school year wishing for summer, but want the time to slow down when it is finally on the horizon. I suppose this is true of most things. We recognize their beauty and importance only when they come to an end. How very human of us.


Because the clock ticking down to my departure seems to be chain-smoking the minutes, I have set an intention to be extra mindful and grateful during this final month. To really enjoy lunch periods spent outside with my friends. To do my best in every class, say thank you those who do so much for me, and treasure every moment. Of course, things don't always play out this way. Case in point: I didn't particularly love today's math class, sitting there for an hour and a half taking a test. But you must take the bitter with the sweet, the rough with the smooth, mustn't you? Yes. This is what I tell myself.

In order to move forward with these shining days of May flowers, I think it is important that I reflect on the April showers. Looking back with regret is not productive in the slightest, but pressing pause to ponder the beautiful moments and the learning moments is one of my very favorite things to do. It's an opportunity to breathe. It's an opportunity to crane over your shoulder for the sole purpose of looking ahead. It makes absolutely no sense but is perfectly logical. We do love counter-intuitive here.

And without further rambling, rhyming, scheming, or dreaming, here are my April 2019 Favorites:

- 1. The process of writing a screenplay and producing a movie. This is hard stuff, guys, and I couldn't have done it without my beautiful creative writing community, instructor, and guest artist, the incredible Diane Bell. When I first heard of the film project in our creative writing class, I was apprehensive. I'd never written a screenplay before. I'd barely even seen one. As for filming and producing a finished short film? Ha. But as it turns out, this has been one of my very favorite units of all time. It's presented a real challenge, but also an outlet for a story I truly want to tell. Perhaps I'll post said story/ screenplay here, at some point. Perhaps not. We shall see.

- 2. The rewards of hard work. Transferring high schools comes with a whole list of things to be done. Firstly, one must enroll in the district. Then, schedules and time tables must be coordinated with counselors, transcripts are printed by the dozen, and lots of 7 A.M. Wednesday meetings are required. And when you're the new kid who desperately wants to be in the by-audition-only choir but feels terribly unprepared, there's a whole additional layer of stress. In order to work up the skill set and portfolio to audition for a choir at my new school, I spent much of last month working with a vocal coach. It's been quite the adventure; though I've been singing all my life, I've never had classical training. I am so grateful for my teacher, and for my parents, who support me in the pursuit of my dreams. With plenty of lessons, practice, and nervous butterflies, I was accepted into the choir. This was a little thing that meant a lot to me. And, in my most humble opinion, sometimes the littlest accomplishments are the biggest.

- 3. Books: The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, and Heart Talk by Cleo Wade. The first is about trees, the second, about familial relationships through the perspective of a brilliant autistic boy, the third, lush with gardens of inspiration and enoughness. All beautiful in their own ways.

- 4. Films: "Beautiful Boy," "Life Itself," and "Avengers: Endgame." Both the films "Beautiful Boy" and "Life Itself" tell simultaneously heartbreaking and gorgeous stories that are sure to bring a tear to your eye. Both are also quite intense in their content, so please, dear reader, be sure they are the right films for you. If you are searching for the perfect catalyst for a good, refreshing Friday night cry, I highly recommend these. As for "Avengers: Endgame;" I will not say a word. Zip. Zap. Zero. To quote our dear River Song: "Spoilers." We can't have those, now can we?

- 5. Recipes: Sadie Radinsky's Grain-Free Adventure Bread. Made entirely with seeds, I've been having slices of this loaf with mashed avocado in the mornings for a Paleo take on avocado toast. The ingredients are a bit pricey (so this recipe definitely goes in my 'make sparingly' pile), the texture is totally bizarre, and I freaking love it. Also, I've been meal-prepping this recipe for Stuffed Zucchini with Goat Cheese & Marinara to take to school on the days I stay late for AP Review Sessions. It's easy, it's nourishing, and it tastes fantastic. My sister used up all of the marinara in our entire household, so I used plain old tomato paste instead -- it wasn't half bad. Lastly, you cannot go wrong with ruled.me's Prosciutto, Caramelized Onion, and Parmesan Braid. If you're up for trying fat head dough, a ketogenic-friendly dough made with almond flour and mozzarella cheese, I'd suggest you give this one a go. It's filling, mouthwatering, and actually rather fun to make.

- 6. My local Shakespeare festival. I love Shakespeare as much as the next literature-lover, so attending my city's 2019 Shakespeare Festival was a real treat. Quite apart from drinking way too many cups of coffee with my friends Lily and Olivia, I was given the opportunity to watch the theatre majors from mi escuela perform. They were spectacular, let me tell you. I believe dear old William would've been proud. It was quite warm outside, there was laughter a-plenty, and it was nothing short of a lovely time.

- 7. I found something I'm really quite rubbish at. Like, a very-bad-no-good-better-luck-next-time level of rubbish. What is this something, you may ask? Charcoal drawings, my friends. Charcoal. The medium seems easy enough (merely a pencil with a greater range of values), but I cannot, for whatever reason, manage to render or shade anything with it. My drawing of a building in New York City was not nearly what I was hoping for, but I tried. I tried very, very hard. Besides, I think it is a healthy thing, to suck at something. You give yourself permission to fail. You try and try again, and gradually, you get better. Above all, you allow yourself to engage in something you love without judging the outcome. I do adore charcoal. I love the look and feel of it, and I love the mess it makes of my hands. But I suck at using it. Oh well.

- 8. The last 'April Favorite' I have for you today comes in the package of a seven-letter word: friends. I am eternally thankful for the people in my life, and I genuinely don't know what I would do without them. Where would I be without Ann and her Hamlet impersonations in English class, or Mia's witty comments? Clary and Hannah provide the most wonderful elements of kindness and individuality to our lovely little group, Maddie is (quite literally) a ray of sunshine, and Maci is one of the smartest, most talented people I know. Lily is the very definition of fun-loving, I aspire to be as calm and collected as Summer, and I am so proud of Samantha for managing to thrive in three AP classes as a freshman. Zoe, who has just recently started sitting with my friends at lunch, is an absolute sweet heart with the best style. And who could forget about my crazy creative writing family? I treasure you all so much. Thank you to my sister and my friends at my home school (Taylor, Madeleine, Emily, Liz, Emery, Sha Sha, Nicky, Savannah, Adam, Lianna, Janhavi... the list goes on) and to everyone in between. I don't say it enough, but you are my world. I love you all dearly.

And so, we turn the page. We bid April adieu and move into May. It is a bittersweet time of the year. It is both beautiful and melancholy, interspersed with sunshine and thunderclouds. It is now. And now, my friends, is all we've got.

Thank you, for everything.

Love always,
Maya


Photo by Heather Barnes on Unsplash, Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash,
Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash, Photo by Sebastian Staines on Unsplash,
Photo by Anton Darius | @theSollers on Unsplash, Polaroids by Maya,
Photo by Jessica Ruscello on Unsplash