Sunshine

Ft. Myers, FL

I know some may think I missed out on some amazing beaches and an island with unique sea-life, but to be honest, I was perfectly happy and content at home.  It’s not very often that anyone gets to perform at home and even stay at home after the show is done in that city.  So, I made sure to soak it all in or as least as much I could possibly squeeze into about two and a half days. 

Of course, you can never get enough home-cooked meals to make up for a year away from home, and there are never enough hugs to go around, and it always seems as if the days are so much shorter at home.  There’s always more to do than there are hours in the day and more people to see and places to be than is actually possible for one person to do.  And sometimes you just need to sit down, take a deep breath, and watch the sun set.  Everything just seems to disappear.

However, soon enough the time had come and I had to be on my way.  Another flight down and soon enough I was out of the crazy March weather of Pittsburgh and in the sunny, warm, humid Floridian heat. 

Without days left to spend at the beach and working with the only time I did have, I was able to soak in some rays by the pool and thank goodness for that.  My winter skin was finally starting to blend in a little easier with everyone’s sun-kissed golden tans. 

And not only did the sun kiss our skin, it also seemed to have the same effect on the ice.  By the time Sunday rolled around, we were practically skating on paint.  Luckily, it was our last day in the tiny, cramped venue and we were on our way to Sunrise.   

Home Sweet Home

Pittsburgh, PA

I can’t believe that the day is finally here!  It feels like I have been waiting since last year to perform at home and it’s finally here! 

Nothing will ever beat the moment when the plane touches down at my home airport and my stomach fills with butterflies because I know that when I get off the plane, my Dad will be there waiting for me at the gate.  And as we made our way down to baggage claim I was greeted by my Mom and Grandma, but the real surprise was when my Sister came to welcome me home too!  Ah it’s so good to be back and I haven’t even made it home yet!

As we traveled home, the butterflies come back just as we pulled onto the road that took me home.  Stepping foot back in the house I grew up in just makes everything else fade away.  Nothing else seemed to matter; I was home.  Of course I knew it was going to be crazy busy with appointments and work related engagements, but the fun part was catching up with everyone that I hadn’t seen in so long.  Not to mention driving around the area to see what has changed and making sure to hit every spot I loved so much growing up in the country!   Most of the time the smaller the place, the better it is at least out where I am from.  They are like hidden treasures everyone knows about and has to take people from out of town to.  And like most treasures, they are far away from busy city streets that are packed with people.  

Ah…Fresh air!  It’s so nice to be able to be outside and breath and only worry about what animal I may come across on my run instead of whom.  And I may spend much of my tour life in the big cities, but at heart and when I come home I am so much a country girl.  But those days are few in number and just like that I was headed back into the City of Bridges for the show week. 

Even though I normally don’t make it in to Pittsburgh very often, it’s always nice to be around hometown, friendly people.  And words will never be able to explain what it feels like to be able to perform on home ice in front or your hometown until you are actually able to do so yourself.  It’s magical.  The energy is amazing. 

And I just want to thank everyone that made my trip home the best that it could be.  It was great to see everyone and celebrate the missed holidays.  A huge thank you to those that made it to a show and saw me after!  It’s always nice to see familiar faces. I also can’t thank all those that have supported me through it all.  It means so much knowing that no matter what I do, how far I stray from home; that I am always welcomed back and will have so many to count on and lean on through it all. 

Missing Pittsburgh already…

Off to the south and sunshine though… 

Summit County

Salt Lake City, Utah

Hopping off the plane from sunny, warm California, we definitely weren’t quite sure what was in store for us here, in the Beehive State.  However, we were all pleasantly surprised. 

Expecting snow-covered mountains and barren trees, it was a nice surprise to see green grass, clear roads ridden completely of snow, sunshine and only snow-covered mountain peaks off in the distance giving us hope for the day to come. 

Although the sun was spotty all day long only coming out to stay for the last few hours of fun on the mountain, in Park City it made for a nice day.  

This year we had a special treat because not only were we able to ski and snowboard at Park City Mountain Resort, but we were also able to do the same at the Canyon Mountain Resort as well; being that they partnered this year.  So, one lift ticket granted you freedom to shred down either for the day.  

The Park City side seemed to have steeper courses with little to no ice and slush where as Canyon Mountain side had more trails, and houses, and was more so peaceful!  However, it also saw more sunlight and therefore, it created more slush on the runs.  Without the slush though, it was beautiful, wrapping around bridges and trees and winding back narrow paths.  The views to see were definitely on the Park City side though, so being able to take it all in and see the differences made it all the better.

And speaking of taking it all in, Park City was home to the 2002 Winter Olympics, making it the third Olympic city that I have been to from Atlanta to Vancouver and now Salt Lake.   The bobsled course as it appeared to maybe be, was even visible from one of the ski lifts.   All this Olympic talk makes me wish that I was an Olympian and able to say I competed in the Games no matter what the outcome may have been.  It is just such and experience.  I guess for now though, I will keep dreaming and enjoy what I am able to do at this moment. 

And right now it was time to join in all the birthday festivities and the guys and girls nights.  Sticking with tradition or routine both gatherings were on the same night with different agendas.  The guys did their thing and we did ours.  However, we had a twist.  We could only use three items to create our outfit for the night.  For some, there was thought and creativity used and for others, well it was put together in about five minutes, but hey we all had a grand night.  Just in time too, before we closed out this city and headed home for me, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

           

Last Stop in Cali

Oakland, CA

After a total of 12 cities in California, things were finally coming to a close.  We were concluding our last and final stop in the Golden State, but not without a bang. 

And since Oakland itself didn’t exactly have a lot to offer and wasn’t exactly the safest, we all ventured into the famed and well known, San Francisco.  While some chose to walk through the city, others chose to bike from Pier 39 with the Sea Lions to and across the Golden Gate Bridge and through Sausalito to ferry back to the beginning for Lombard Street and night views of the city. 

San Fran is also home to Mrs. Doubtfire’s (who was portrayed by the late Robin Williams) house as well as the Full House, house which is set to return to television soon!  Ahh that took me back to my childhood after hearing that.  

Speaking of childhood, I was also reunited with my very first skating coach!  She was the one who dried my tears and got me to step foot on the ice for my first private lesson at group lessons.  She is the reason I am still skating today because without her, I may never have left my Dad’s side.

Needless to say, I was really excited to go skating and fell in love with Kristi Yamaguchi (who also comes into the story a little later) and I wanted to be just like her, but that first day the nerves got the best of me.  All the loud voices and crowds of people intimidated me.  Adding to it, my skates weren’t tied right and I had never been out of reach of my parents in a public place before.  I was overwhelmed. 

And all of a sudden just as my dad was loosing patience with me and told me that if I didn’t stop, we were leaving, this voice and open hand takes me to the ice.   And just like that, I start gliding and moving across the ice and before I knew it, my tears were dried and I was on my way. 

Years and years later (20 almost to the week to be exact) we were reunited and it couldn’t have felt any better.  I cannot thank Olympic Ice Dancers and Inventors of Rockerz, Beata Handra and Charles Sinick enough! 

And just when I thought things couldn’t get any better; they did! 

As I mentioned above, Kristi Yamaguchi is my all-time favorite skater and guess who came to the show?!?!  Exactly!  I was officially star-struck. 

Here I was as a little girl always looking up to her and wanting to be like her, watching each performance she did and now she was in the audience and I was the one performing.  It is a feeling that I can’t quite explain, but it was almost as if it were magical. 

Coming back from Cloud 9, it was time to get moving and off to the home of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games!

Birthday Week!

San Jose, CA

So, I am officially a quarter of a century old.  However, it is amazing what a difference of a year makes.  Last year we were in Boston, Massachusetts at this time and there was nine feet of snow on the ground.  This year, it was almost 80 degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky as the sun was shining down on us.  It was a nice change especially because there is snow back home in Pennsylvania right now too. 

Topping it off, there was a really nice pool area this week with a hot tub and a spacious seating area in the courtyard.  One thing we have never had, which was conveniently located next to the pool, was a miniature golf course!  And maybe there wasn’t a court to play basketball or volleyball this week, but the hot tub definitely was put to use.  Whether it was a one-show, two-show, or three-show day, you were bound to find someone relaxing under the stars. 

Ah, the little things.  Speaking of those, this was one of the best birthdays that I have had away from home and it was my first-ever pool and hot tub birthday party!  (I sound so much like a little kid right now.) 

Not only did I get a surprise from my family at home, but the surprises kept coming.  I am so thankful to be surrounded by the people that I am and to have friends that think of the littlest of things and a family that supports and cares about me no matter where I may be. 

And this time, I was all the way out in Cali and on the run!  Continuing the week-old tradition it was time for Run Club again!  This week we were off through the streets of San Jose and wow was it hard to run past an ice cream shop.  Any who, we kept going and going and going like the energizer bunny. 

Then, like any other week it was time to pack up and head on to the next point of interest.

Here we come Oakland, our last stop in California for this tour. 

Love is in the Air

Sacramento, CA

Even though tensions normally run pretty high on most shows around February, it still is the month of love.  Valentine’s Day just seems to sneak right in there when everyone seems to be getting sick and tired of literally everything even being sick and tired.  However, that did not stop us this year.  There were plenty of festivities that brought everyone together from the yummy vanilla and chocolate fruit fondue to just eating pizza and watching television with the girls to having a girls’ night watching the Bachelor! 

I mean, who can say no to that?  We even all received our very own red rose on top of having so much food, you would have thought we were having a potluck dinner for the whole cast and not just the girls.  All around, Valentine’s Day was a hit even if you weren’t with that significant other, we all had each other and that’s what matters most. 

And I think that theme just seemed to bring everyone over the week because we were constantly doing things as a big group including the infamous Elevator Formal. 

Two of our very own crew members began the tradition of just hanging out in formal attire with fancy cheeses and drinks near the elevator normally in some sort of lobby area and the idea just blossomed and now it is a normal thing about every two weeks or so. 

Therefore, it’s no wonder everyone seems to being sticking together, because there is always something to do it seems like or somewhere to go.  People were always out either playing basketball or volleyball on the tennis court in the middle of the hotel area each night.  Boy, did that ever bring some laughs and even if you weren’t going to play, everyone made an appearance just see how things were going. 

Staying active also, Run Club started!  Basically, there was a group of us that got together and just went for a run.  It was not only nice to get out and see some of the scenery, but being in a group is always better than running by yourself in strange places. 

For me, it also brought back all the memories from high school and college cross-country when we set out for a run in a large group.  Now, it was nothing crazy, just running to be active, but also slow enough to still have a conversation.  Hopefully we can make this last!

Our turn around point was Old Sacramento in the middle of our run and it is just this little part of town outside the city with little shops and places to eat and cobble stone streets.  It is as if you are taking a step back in time: very cute and quant. 

But, back to reality and time wasn’t slowing down or stopping any time soon and we were off to San Jose.

Show Buzz #4

D34!

As the song goes, “ I hopped off the plane at LAX,” and well that’s just what we did.  Coming from the snow and freezing temperatures of Denver to the sunny, warm, and about 75 degrees of California, we were all in heaven.  There were palm trees all around to greet us as we headed into the haunted, but beautiful Millennium Biltmore in downtown LA. 

I must say that I was a little surprised by how everything looked in the area here as well as around Hollywood.  I mean it always looks so glamorous in the movies and it is clearly not all that it is portrayed to be.  And if the homeless people outside weren’t enough to frighten you and the gunshots and sirens weren’t either, then the ghost stories and murders in the hotel were sure to do the trick.  And as nice as seeing Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Blvd., the Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theater, the Hollywood sign, the LA Live area, along with seeing all the famous faces in the audience like Adam Sandler, Channing Tatum, David Beckham, and Chris Jenner with the Grandkids, we were all ready to head to an area that wasn’t as eerie.

Only about 45 minutes down the road we headed to a place just like that.  Its crazy how in such a little distance things can be so different. 

We were now in the land of fairytales in Anaheim, home to Disneyland and California Adventure Park.  Of course, we all had to make the most of our time and see what it was all about.  For some of us, it was all about reliving those childhood memories and for others, it was about experiencing it for the first time.  And with only one day to do it, which seems to be trend as of late, we were making the most of our time.  From the theme and amusement parks to our very own company Christmas dinner we were trying to make the most of every moment that we had and start bringing in the holiday spirit. 

Soon enough, that time was here and we were in Ontario where Christmas cheer was in full swing.  The lines at the mall just to get in the stores were at least 20 people long let alone the check out lines, which numbered at least in the 40’s in some stores.  Everyone was out to put the final finishing touches on their gifts and pick up an ugly sweater and Christmas décor for the room and Christmas class.  There were of course the holiday surprises and an appearance from Super Josh to top off our holiday week.  The potluck dinner was a hit and just what we all needed, but the thing that seemed to make working on Christmas and being away from home okay in the moment was the fact that we were all able to call home and chat with our friends and family along with knowing that we were someone’s Christmas present.  Somehow, that just made everything all right. 

And before we knew it, we were ringing in the New Year in Long Beach with fireworks over the harbor. 

It’s crazy to sit back and actually think about where we just came from and all the memories we created in just one year.  So, it’s going to be interesting to see what 2016 has in store for everyone on D34 and the new adventures that we will be taken on. 

Until next time Cali.  Off to Las Vegas, Nevada!

Casino after casino, hotel after hotel, bright sign after bright sign; yes we were on the Vegas Strip.  This is what the city is famous for and yes of course there are the natural attractions like Red Rock and the man-made Hoover Dam, but the strip outshines both of those.  Everyone comes to Vegas to make their mark and take their steps on the famous Las Vegas Strip.  Its crazy to think that night after night, year after year, the Cirque Du Soleil shows are sold out, the Miracle Mile Shops always have someone in them, and the casinos are open all day and night never putting the machines to sleep. 

Luckily, everyone survived the week and we all were able to load the bus and head to another desert city, Phoenix, Arizona. 

Arriving upon the Last Frontier, we were all on our last leg, but one thing that kept us going was how great the audiences were every night.  They were loud and alert and interactive which made performing that much more enjoyable.  That along with the fact that we knew Ben Agosto was finally getting to see the show for the first time since the build. 

And even though we were busy at the arena for most of the time or nursing back to health, we did still manage to find places to adventure off to like the Grand Canyon if you were daring and Camelback Mountain and even South Mountain and the ASU (Arizona State University) campus was right around the corner as well. 

And before we knew it, the week was over and time was up.  Another holdover Monday for about the seventh week in a row was complete.  We were off to San Diego. 

Looking forward to the sunshine and warm weather, but of course we arrived on one of the very few rainy days of the entire year. Luckily, there are still about 265 sunny days to come and we were able to soak up some sun in between mid-tour evaluations and the shows. 

Off to the beach we went to walk the boardwalks and piers and see the tide pools, but who could forget about our volleyball games!  Thank goodness it was all fun and games because we definitely should all keep our day jobs.  It was just nice for everyone to be spending time together outside of work.  It was the first time since rehearsals when the show was being built back in Ellenton, FL that we were all together on the beach again.  It brought back a lot of memories, as did the company BBQ.  I think if we all could have had a few more days to spend here we would have before going to the Raisin Capital of the World; Fresno, CA. 

Where we literally found out why this is the area’s only claim to fame.  The downtown area has now been moved and certain parts, as in the one we were located in, were supposed to be going through a revitalization process.  As for now though, if you didn’t rent a car to go to the Sequoya National Forest or Yosemite National Park you were in for a really low-key week. 

It was the world’s own way of telling us that we need to slow down and enjoy our two days off in about seven or eight weeks and it was the crew’s first day off in that long! 

It was also the prime week to focus on contract talks and where we want to be next year at this time.  Sometimes the decision comes easy and other times the same cannot be said.   However, one way or another a decision is reached.  Let’s see where we all end up…

For now though, back to what is right in front of us and that was another bus trip to Stockton, CA. 

We were in for another week spent mainly around the hotel and the arena.  Not only was there not a whole lot to do around the area, but it just wasn’t safe.  Yes, there were the exceptions of a few malls down the road with surrounding restaurants, but it was not a place to be out by yourself.  Luckily, this week the boys had their guys’ night and the girls were looking forward to theirs the following week. 

We were saving up our energy for the next weeks to come with some big cities on the list like Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, Salt City, and Pittsburgh just to name a few. 

So here’s to the cities to come and the places we have already been…See you down the road.

Places to Visit:

Los Angeles – LA Live, Hollywood, the Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Blvd., the Chinese Theater

Anaheim – Disneyland and California Adventure

Ontario - Ontario Mills Mall, Knott’s Berry Farm

Long Beach – Queen Mary, Shoreline Drive, the harbor area, Bubba Gump Shrimp, the Ferris Wheel

Las Vegas – Casinos in every direction, the Strip, Red Rock, Freemont, the Hoover Dam

Phoenix – Grand Canyon, Camelback Mountain, South Mountain, Tempe, Arizona State University campus

San Diego – Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Fashion Valley Mall, Tide Pools, the Pier, the Boardwalk

Fresno – If you rent a car you can go to the Sequoya National Forest and Yosemite National Park otherwise there is nothing to do here. 

Stockton – Weberstown Mall, Sherwood Mall, Buffalo Wild Wings, Target