Fourth of July weekend!

So crazy that the Fourth has come and gone! I always think of that as the halfway point of summer. I think I can't believe the summer is half over because of how strange the weather has been. It's also crazy that I'm in the fourth week of my program which means it will be half over at the end of this week! Time is flying!!

Friday night was a lot of fun. Went out to eat at this Dominican restaurant for my friend Persephone's birthday. Natalie came too and we met a whole bunch of Per's friends from the city. Lots of laughs and really great food!

I had been dreading Saturday morning all week because I was so scared about the master class we were having haha. It was titled "Hip Hop for the Camera." Ummmmmmm yeah. And then a couple days before the class we got an email telling us to dress as if we were going to a music video audition for Beyonce or something. So I started listening to people in the program and what they were thinking about wearing. Pretty much came to the conclusion that the more revealing the outfit was the better. Gaah! So I went out the day before and got a top that was kinda revealing (though not nearly as intense as a lot of the girls haha) and wore skinny jeans and about 4 inch heels (yes, they recommended wearing heels, too! whaaaaat?!?). I felt pretty ridiculous getting ready at 8 am as if I were going out to a club or something. I wore a T-shirt over my outfit at breakfast but I definitely got some strange looks from a lot of the older ladies at breakfast which were probably due to my dark, heavy eye make-up and hair haha. The master class was crazy. Bonnie, our director, walked in and said "good morning, hoochies!" haha. Then the choreographer we were working with came in (she had just flown in from LA at 2 am), Sheryl Murakami. She was hilarious. She came in sporting a winter hat, sunglasses, full body red pajamas and high heel boots with every color imaginable. Then she proceeded to teach us a combination that was rather interesting. I got the routine pretty well (as well as I could in heels!) but did not enjoy the freestyling we had to do at the beginning and end each time. They made us perform it in groups of five with numbers like an audition and they video taped it so we can all get a copy. Just what I want! And just so you know, NO ONE will ever be seeing this! It was an experience.

So our master class was supposed to get out at 10.30 and I was planning on catching a 11.45 train to Red Hook for the weekend, but we didn't get out until 10.50! I was sure I wasn't going to make it, but I showered and got ready so quickly and booked it to Grand Central and made it!! Got there around 1.30 and Ryan picked me up to go to his uncle's lake house on Copake Lake. Met a bunch of his extended family and had lunch. Then Ryan took me out on the jet ski! Sooooooo much fun! The water was really choppy because it was so windy so it was even more intense haha. After a while we switched to another boat to watch his cousins tube. Then we switched to another boat (haha) and went out to this little cove area where it wasn't so windy and anchored the boats so we could all go swimming. The water was warmer than the air (due to the wind) so it was nice while you were in the water but not so nice getting out! Didn't get back to the lake house until about 6.30 when there was a cookout. Lay on the hammock, played Frisbee, ate, etc. haha. Lots of fun. Then Ryan and I went down to the lake again and sat on the back of the boat and saw the most gorgeous sunset! Amazing! :) We hung out a bit more and then headed out around 9.30. Then we went to a Fourth of July party at one of his friend's houses and met up with Devin and Rachel. So great to see everyone again! Really fun night.

Sunday morning we went to eat at the diner. Later we went down to the Hudson River with Dev and Rach which was pretty. We were also right next to the train track so it was scary every time a train went by! After exploring there for a while, Ryan and I then went to this place his friend was telling us about. It was at this garden shop haha but a pond/deck had been built in back and you could pay a quarter to get a handful of fish food pellets. It was insane when you fed them! Swarms of these really strange fish came out of nowhere!!! It was pretty hilarious to watch them fight for the food. We stayed there a while and then headed back to his house. By then we were pretty exhausted and decided to just lie down in the back yard for a while. We stayed out there for a while just talking and enjoying the beautiful day. Then when it was dinner time we went to get sandwiches and go on a picnic! After we ate we went for a walk in the woods at the place we were at and then went on the coolest swing everrrr! The tree it was hanging from was so high and the ropes were so long so when you started up on top of the hill and let go, you would swing waaaaay out over the field! It was so much fun! And it was really pretty since the sun was starting to set. Then around 8.30 we had to leave for the train station :( I didn't want the weekend to end but sadly it had to. I took a 9.40 train and made it back to NYC by 11.30. I don't know how I walked back because I was SO exhausted. Luckily I was able to sleep in a bit yesterday haha.

So that about sums up my amazing Fourth of July weekend! I have more to update you all on, but I have to get going to theatre class right now. Byee

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