like sand through the hourglass...

...so are the days of our lives.

not that that has anything to do with this post..really...except maybe for the late hour, and how it keeps getting later and later and I need to go to bed...but first i wanted to write down a few thoughts.

Tonight was a night of connections - old, new, established...all around it was good. I love people. I love loving people. It can be hard, sure...but the benefits greatly outweigh the detrimental parts (most of the time). And yes - I still need my "alone" time...but you get the idea.

Some of those connections happened at our first sitzprobe tonight for Pinafore. The orchestra sounds amazing - they always do, actually, with this little company. Got to see a familiar face from last year (we'll call him "junior") who plays the viola. He's the image of his father (2006's conductor)...and it's so fun to see them together. Actually, they were both there tonight. It had been a long time (a year, in fact) since I saw Jr. anywhere other than [insert social networking site here], and he always makes me laugh. Kid is funny. And his dad - well, he just always knows the right thing to say. He's very much an encouragement/encourager to me as a musician, and I am just very grateful for him in that way. I respect him and his opinion immensely.

Fast Forward to post-rehearsal. My favorite Romanian tenor had a good-bye party tonight. He leaves to move back home to Brasov on Tuesday. It was a small party, and we had wine, vodka, food, just chilling. I will miss him a good deal. We've not been friends, really, except for this year, but we just connected very well and easily. I look forward to a trip to Romania...! Also, at his party, was this mysterious girl, "Irene"...who looked too familiar. Finally, it comes out that I went to grad school with her FATHER (she's 17), and she is just here visiting the states on holiday (he is also Romanian). When I realized who she was, I just about fell out of my chair....I had heard her dad talk about her - but he moved back to Romania a couple years ago, and we've not spoken in a while....so, to see her sitting there...with her father's eyes. It was crazy. Truly - and I could only feel like this joy bubble up in me...just happiness at getting the chance to meet her, and share with her about her life, her dad, etc. It was amazing, actually.

So. Now it's 2:15am. I am truly mindblown, happy, and sad all at once. All because of love and relationship with other people. La vita e'bella....si?