"The Time of My Life" by David Cook

Hello. So I took about a week-long hiatus and so I'm going to have to cram a week's worth of material into one blog. The reason for my break was simply my having one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life and probably the best week of my life in general. I was at my cello teacher's studio retreat in Lake Placid with seven other students for a week. Our practice schedule was pretty intense. We had to learn three concerts worth of material in five days and were expected to practice four hours each morning (I was not used to that). However, many factors combined made this week the "The Time of My Life": a time I will never forget.

For the past two years at summer programs, I haven't been particularly close to my roommates. The relationships at best were friendly acquaintances and at worst cold acceptances. When I met Nicole, I first noted that she looked sporty. I then noticed when she came up to the room to unpack that she was rather shy. However when we started laughing over Disney, I begin to feel a connection that for the rest of the week remaining would amaze me. Having been home schooled her entire life, Nicole informed me when we talked later that night that she was incredibly shy. I sometimes witnessed this when we hung out in a big group and she tended to become slightly subdued. But when the two of us were together, almost all the time, we were as crazy as crazy gets. We could communicate mentally on the first full day and laughed almost incessantly over pretty much anything and everything. It's rare you make such a strong connection in a week, where a week-long friendship feels like one that's been flourishing for eight years at least. I don't think that's ever happened to me. But Nicole is special; someone who I don't want to lose.

Before I embarked on this retreat, instinct was telling me that I'd meet someone to my liking. I knew that there would be three guys there - all about my age, or if not, at least eligible to date. There was Jolly-J (nicknames are best), the 20-year-old, who took an unrequited liking to me from the moment I stepped in the door. There was Al, the seemingly quiet (from the little I'd seen of him at music school) emotional cellist who I found out later to be a full-fledged drama queen. There was Nicholas, Nicole's best friend, who came three days to play violin who I realized quickly was as dramatic and dynamic as I am. We spent an entire awesome rehearsal discussing hot LOST guys, Taylor Swift, and Gossip Girl. And then, there was Stewie.

My teacher had asked my dad and I to give Stewie a ride up to Lake Placid because his parents couldn't drive him. When we picked him up in Pleasantville, NY, I was surprised to find him surprisingly friendly. From the little I'd known of him at music school (he's actually the first guy I noticed my first year four years ago - but that was a long time ago), he seemed rather dull and quiet. My impression was not dimmed by my teacher's continual description of his playing as "unemotional." However, in the car, we had a few nice conversations and the rest of the time we slept. I didn't feel like pushing on him - or rather my instinct didn't. I guess, looking back, my initial feelings towards Stewie were similar to those I felt for Edward on our first encounters: kindly indifference. He stayed in the background for the first few days and it was only when he began to unleash a crazier side that I began to take a stronger notice of him.

By the end of the week, which ended yesterday, Stewie and I had established a connection much on the level of that Edward and I had in the beginning of our relationship. We laugh together over goofy bits of randomness. We stare at each other constantly and smile instinctively. We gravitate towards each other naturally. I wasn't looking for it, but it seems as if I have fallen for yet another guy. There are some issues surrounding this situation, namely my promise to Jacob that I would fix our situation, my almost certainly ridiculous jealousy of an ex-girlfriend of Stewie (I'm going to call him Stewart)'s who judging from facebook is an unattractive Californian who was at his prior summer program, and my tendency to push things as I did with Edward. However, as I sneak little bits and pieces of story into the following blogs, I'm sure you will understand more of how I am feeling. I hope I will as well.

I find it incredibly inspiring that my teacher, never having had kids, stuck together a group of kids ranging from ages 11 to 20 and got such a practically perfect result. I hope she is as happy as Nicole and I are and how I imagine all of us are. I look forward to filling in more blank spots in the coming blogs. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have such a lasting, pleasurable week and I hope the remnants implement themselves more solidly in my continuing life.

Lyrics to: "The Time of My Life":

I’ve been waiting for my dreams
To turn into something
I could believe in
And looking for that
Magic rainbow
On the horizon
I couldn’t see it
Until I let go
Gave into love and watched all the bitterness burn
Now I’m coming alive
Body and soul
And feelin’ my world start to turn

And I’ll taste every moment
And live it out loud
I know this is the time,
This is the time
To be more than a name
Or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time
This is the time of my life
Time of my life

Holding onto things that vanished
Into the air
Left me in pieces
But now I’m rising from the ashes
Finding my wings
And all that I needed
Was there all along
Within my reach
As close as the beat of my heart

So I’ll taste every moment
And live it out loud
I know this is the time,
This is the time to be
More than a name
Or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time
This is the time of my life
Time of my life

And I’m out on the edge of forever
Ready to run
I’m keeping my feet on the ground
My arms open wide
My face to the sun

I’ll taste every moment
And live it out loud
I know this is the time,
This is the time to be
More than a name
Or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time
This is the time of my life
Time of my life
More than a name
Or a face in the crowd
This is the time
This is the time of my life.
This is the time of my life.

Link to Music Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt4aTMTGZPM&feature=PlayList&p=7728F24BA351F4C5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2