Its my last night in Chicago! I have been such a slacker about posting, honestly I have just been floating through this week in delirium; my toe is not getting any worse but doesn't seem to be improving much besides the fact that the infection is no longer spreading. Doing pointe work, especially for the first part of the week, was so incredibly painful that I was close to tears most of the time and just trying to get through class as opposed to actually learning anything. It has been really frustrating because I know I am not dancing my best even though I am trying my hardest. After a couple days taking it easy I was able to dance on pointe yesterday (the day before the show!). I am glad I pushed through as I got the chance to dance the pas de trois from Donizetti which I love dancing because it is so musical and the steps just seem so natural. Obviously I didn't have much time to rehearse but I enjoyed myself despite some sloppy pique turns at the end of the showcase this afternoon. I managed to solve the toe problem by cutting a hole in the side of my pointe shoe which made things a little more comfortable and I was able to "cheese it up" all the way through Stars and Sripes. But now I am finished and my poor legs and feet (who seem to be rebelling against me) can have a little rest. Not too long mind as I don't want to go back to where I was at the beginning of the program; completely out of shape and uncoordinated. So it will be back in the studio and back to hot yoga as soon as possible for me.
Determined not to spend my last night locked in my room watching hulu, I went with Sonia and some of the other dancers to Millenium Park this evening to hang out and watch the Lolapalooza crowd stagger home. It was a great night even though we did little more than spin around in circles until we fell down in the grass. Of course we lost track of time and missed curfew by about twenty minutes but as it is our last night the chaperones weren't too annoyed...it was definitely worth their wrath though.
So excited to come home tomorrow! The last time I was in Lexington I was so jetlagged that it is just a blur of pizza and packing and I never even got to appreciate sleeping in my own bed. I am very much looking forward to three whole weeks of just enjoying Lexington and preparing for the big move!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep your fingers crossed that the curse of O'Hare Airport has been lifted and I get back to Bluegrass without a hitch.