"Our daughter has been abducted by these beige lunatics!"

I'll have a post up sometime tomorrow evening on my adventures in Cape Cod thus far, but I FINALLY saw Moonrise Kingdom this afternoon, and it entirely lived up to my expectations. What a ridiculous -yet intriguing! - little movie. Wes Anderson always does such great job of creating these complex settings, almost like little universes, for each of his films. One critic referred to Anderson's style as 'cinema-as-diorama.' Moonrise Kingdom may be my favorite Wes Anderson film yet, although it's definitely over the top. Some people might say that the film is entirely too based upon Anderson's previous kitschy formulas, and if the film hadn't featured such great actors in the lead roles, I might have had to agree. I found it very interesting how each of the characters in the film is struggling with the same issues, and yet react to Suzy and Sam's dilemma in wildly different ways. Overall, it was a very charming, quirky film that momentarily touches on deeper themes of loneliness and human connection.

You had me at 'Edward Norton as a scoutmaster.'

And I definitely want to be Suzy Bishop for Halloween, just for the blue eyeshadow alone!

Da Cope to the Cape

“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place. Like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.” - Azar Nafisi

(with credit to Toogtyve)

Upon leaving Copenhagen at the beginning of July, I began a period of readjustment and transition that will come to an end when I arrive in Cape Cod this Sunday. I’m close to the same person I was three months ago, but I don’t expect that to be true after three months on the Cape. Being home again has been wonderful. I’m excited about my next step, but it tastes a little bittersweet. I feel as though I’m constantly saying goodbye to everyone I love! How is it possible to miss so many people at once without bursting?! But I am glad to have had the opportunity to reexamine myself in the context of home: to see how I have changed throughout college; while interning in D.C.; while living abroad. I’ve gotten to know old friends in new ways, see my best friend, and spend time with a certain boysenberry – something entirely unexpected, but very much enjoyed.

 I visited NYC for the first time in half a decade, and I actually liked it! I was (mostly) productive and went through all of my Fulbright data. What I remember of it, anyway…

I was also able to finally see one of my little brother’s soccer matches, and realized that I have reached the age where I do not really find high school boys attractive.This is probably a good thing, cause I turn 24 at the end of September!

I’m already pretty stressed about taking the GRE and applying to graduate programs, but one promise I am trying to keep to myself this fall is to really pause and take in what is going on around me. In the U.S., we are incredibly fond of rushing on from one thing to the next. I need to remember that introspection is not a bad thing. It doesn’t mean stagnation – it means figuring out how to move forward. I want to be really present in my everyday life. If I can capture even a bit of the excitement and engagement I felt while in Copenhagen, then I will have succeeded!

Man, I am having some weird mood fluctuations. Excited! PANIC. Excited! PANIC. I’m supposed to move into the AmeriCorps house between 12 PM and 4 PM. My dad wants me to leave early in case I get lost, but I think we can all agree that I will not be leaving at 6 AM on Sunday morning. Pigs would be flying, flying high and having unicorn babies before that would happen! I’ll be lucky if I make it out of the house before 9 AM.  I feel kind of like a little kid on their first day of school, except this is the first year since beginning kindergarten that I will not be a student. Can AmeriCorps Cape Cod somehow fulfill my need for snack time, recess, and dance parties? We shall see!

Random stuff for you to enjoy:

http://copenhannah.tumblr.com/post/14228929903/how-to-look-like-a-dane

http://smagabroad.blogspot.com/ (for those who asked for the old blog link)

annndddd... the most amazing pictures from my trip to Finland back in March! Thank god Alan's camera was able to pick up the lights!