16 October 2013

Dear Friends (and other stumblers),

It is most definitely time for an update!

I’m home now… for good! The weeks following my 3^rd and final treatment were not the greatest so I stayed in the hospital for a while. I was discharged on August 29^th. I felt significantly better with every day that followed. A week later I started school.

In May, when I was diagnosed, the doctor told me right away that she was very optimistic and would hopefully get me out before school started. So I had that goal in mind and voila!, only missed the first week of school. To my teacher’s amazement (and probably amusement), my mom attended classes for me so I would not miss a thing!

Some of you are thinking ‘Oh, no! Take it easy, don’t start school right away.’ Of course I need to be careful and start slow and not stress myself. Therefore, I’ve cut my load in half. I’m not attending the University this semester, “only” music school. I’d hate sitting at home having nothing to do.

This is supposed to be a very fun semester. I’m taking violin and piano and finishing music history, harmony and counterpoint. Then I’m taking part in different orchestras. In September I played with the Icelandic Youth Symphony Orchestra. It was so much fun! We had an intensive rehearsal schedule but we finished it off with a concert in a grand music hall in Reykjavik. The funniest thing is that I signed up for viola! In April, when I signed up I thought I’d have the summer to practice and adjust to a new instrument. But instead I had a grand time playing out of tune and enjoying confusing moments while trying to read alto clef. Anyways, all is well that ends well. I believe I got the hang of it and did pretty well J

My mom teaches at a local music school. Last Friday her colleagues hosted a benefit concert for the hospital department for blood diseases. That’s where I spent most of my summer. The concert was such a good idea and a thoughtful and kind gesture to show my mom moral support.  

I’m home and happy to be done! Although I must admit that I miss hanging out with the hospital staff, I’d definitely do it again… in a different setting of course! I should visit them!

Now I’m on to new adventures… just different ones this time ;)            

PS. If you’ve ever thought of jotting things down in a diary, word doc or your blog, don’t hesitate (or as in my case, procrastinate). Take a few moments here and there. They’re so much fun to read later. I should take this advice myself. But I just read through the blogs I wrote while I was in the hospital, I seriously wouldn’t have remember 70% of the details if I hadn’t written them down. That’s today’s lesson folks! 

PSS. The weather forecast says that for some reason I don’t know how to explain, this winter will have exceptionally visible northern lights.  The photo you see above was taken last night and I copied it from Extreme Iceland.