I leave the house for once

In general, but in the winter especially, I don’t like to go out in the evening. I’d much rather snuggle up on my couch with my cat and some tea like a 90-year-old woman than go anywhere. If it was socially acceptable and I could afford not working for 3 months I would hibernate through winter. Also, I don’t drink, I don’t like dance clubs, and what sane person would want to go out at night when it’s dark, cold, and rainy? That’s just what I did last night, however, and I’m glad I forced myself to go as part of my new initiative to be more adventurous, get out more, and see where the universe takes me.

My favorite coworker Melissa invited me to the symphony. Her husband plays the bass for the symphony and she had an extra ticket. I don’t know a whole lot about classical music, but I do enjoy listening to it and watching talented musicians perform. I did not want to drive around downtown at night so I called a Lyft and ended up at the concert hall 30 min. early without an umbrella. Cold and miserable as I was, Melissa arrived a little early and we went in. Melissa and I gossipped about coworkers and we talked about her husband and what he’s like until the program began.

It opened with a brass ensemble that performed, according to the program, Concertgeblaas by Detlev Glanert that had kind of a New Orleans-y sound to it. It was very short. Next up was Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, “Turkish.” This featured Benjamin Beilman on violin, who seems to be a pretty big deal. He was an amazing violinist. For this one, I got to see Melissa’s husband on bass and paid particular attention to the basses. After intermission, it was Brahms Symphony No. 1, which was quite a contrast from the Mozart and I enjoyed it a lot. I also like that the program tells us when each piece of music first debuted, which really emphasizes the history of the music. I love the multiple ways you can experience history.

Afterward, we waited outside for Melissa’s husband to exit. He seemed to be the very last person out. He wanted to stop for a drink afterward across the street. I had water and we chatted for a little while, and then they graciously gave me a ride home so I didn’t have to get a Lyft back. It was almost 11 pm when I got home, which is way past my bedtime, but I am glad that I went out and socialized and experienced some culture.