Well It has been a long time since I have written one of these things. I will be writing more of them this year though because this is going to be the best way to stay in touch with people that I care about! So, for those who don't know, I have been rehearsing 6 shows for a cruise ship in Los Angeles California from around May 24th - July 3rd. I flew to Barcelona to get on this ship (which is a good deal bigger than my first ship that I did back in 2008 - and just gorgeous!), and we have been installing the shows since July 6th (our "sign-on") date and although we were supposed to have finished the install process a couple of days ago, we had some technical difficulties and were given more time (which, depending on how you look at it could be either a blessing or a curse…I think my perspective changes once or twice daily! Haha - but I do think it is more a blessing, just because this last show is a BEAST. There are so many props and tech things to think about on top of the show itself, so I'm thankful that we have a little more time to play with it and make it feel solid.)
This itinerary that we have on the ship is one that I just couldn't turn down - I thought that doing my first ship gave me some experiences that I might only have once and yet here I am, 4 years later, and I'm revisiting some of these places that I never imagined when or even if I would ever see again! We leave the Mediterranean about a month earlier than I did on my 1st contract, but then we have nearly 4 more months left in the Caribbean! This will be a great way to save money and avoid winter :)
LA was fun and an interesting experience - I had never been to California before or really even lived in a desert before. It was awful adjusting for singing because I always felt dry, but I loved the weather, loved getting to know the area that I was in (despite it being fairly ghetto…no joke!) and loved exploring bits of LA with my new cast and catching up with a couple of college friends who have moved out there. It was a little different than I expected - a lot of buildings had this old '50s feel to them which made them look dated and run down. There were a lot of architectural styles that I didn't expect. I think when I think of big cities, I think of the more urban feel that a lot of downtown business/residential areas have and I never really got that from LA (although I technically never saw downtown LA proper). It just felt like a giant spread out suburb with shops and stuff. And so that was really the only thing about my LA experience that made me not want to live there - the driving that I would have to do and how far everything is from everything else. Other than that, I loved it - it was different from so many places I've been to before.
When I left off before I felt like I had so many things to talk about on the blog - processing coming home from Japan, leaving so many friends behind, my weekend trip with my besties to Seoul, South Korea (and how I just missed seeing my friend Jay who lives and teaches English there), and just the displacement. I lived in Japan for 13 months, I experienced a lot of life, met some special people, felt like I had kind of settled into a community, and was getting to a point with my language skills where I was feeling more and more comfortable about communicating, and like that it was all over and I'm in the Detroit airport waiting for some disgruntled employees to get me a coffee and understanding every word that everyone was saying. It was surreal to say the least. Of course, don't get me wrong - I was SO glad to be in familiar territory and seeing loved ones who I had been away from for so long. It was just a big adjustment.
I've come to realize and appreciate the fact that my line of work is going to be like that. I knew when I got into this profession that I wasn't going to live a "normal" life. I knew I would be uprooted for who knows how long and being all over the country (and now, world, even!) for years of my life. I'm thankful for technology and thankful for the friends that I have that I can just pick right back up with no matter how long it has been.
I had a series of really great conversations with my parents while I was home and one of them was with my mother about this crazy life that I lead (and the fact that I wouldn't be home for the holidays again). The holiday traditions that our family has are so engrained in me that I always have trouble and a bit of self-inflicted guilt (knowing that it was my choice to take a job) when I miss them. I know it's just the nature of what I do and I know that they know - but if you are extended family I hope YOU know that my jobs and wanderings aren't a reflection of how I feel about you :) I love you all dearly and miss you much! Especially for these next 4 months in the Mediterranean, it's going to be difficult to communicate with folks (shady ship internet and exciting ports do not make a good combination for communication). Please e-mail me or Facebook me and I PROMISE I will give a personal response - but I think it's best if you folks take the initiative to update me or ask me some questions if you want a personal response. Other than that, I'll try to make my rounds with Skype and e-mail when I can, but save a few special folks, most of my updates are going to be more general (at least until the Caribbean) and posted here!! So please leave comments, subscribe, and keep reading! :)
That's a general catch up as to what life has been like. In my next post, expect some nostalgic remembrances and my excitement in remembering them from my experiences in Europe from my first cruise and my subsequent recent trips to some of those same places! Good feelings! And perhaps an introduction to my cast
Also, a shout out to my lovely friends in Japan - I think about you all and my time there to some extent every day. I miss you and the life we shared. I can't wait to see you again!
If you don't already have my e-mail or are friends with me on Facebook, but would like a personal update/response to anything, please find me on Facebook or ask one of my family members for my e-mail address. If you don't have ties to any of those people/things but would still like my e-mail, leave me something in the comments and I'm sure that could be arranged somehow!
Until next time - take care!!
