The Shortest Break I Ever Had

For Americans, this past Thursday was a holiday about food, family, football, and possible disputing families at that. Before that holiday over 46 million turkeys were raised, 768 million pounds of cranberries were harvested, and 43 million Americans travelled more than fifty miles to get to their Thanksgiving destination, one of those was your own author.

Was it a well timed vacation? You bet your buttons it wasn't.

Imagine finishing a show at 10pm, tired as ever, but going to a cast party anyways. Yep, I'm a smart cookie. Eventually you get home at midnight, bags still unpacked for your road-trip and week-long vacation in Seattle, Washington.



I love vacations, especially ones where I get to travel, but I sure as hell was not emotionally, mentally, or physically ready for this one at all.

Let's see Grace's list of Issues for the week of Thanksgiving:

1. Separation Anxiety: Finishing shows typically leaves an actor with a bit of longing towards the show. ex. Instagram posts using song lyrics, Snapchats about how fun the show was, calling cast-mates as if one won't see them for the rest of their life, becoming reminiscent at the mention of the show's name. 
2. School: Yeah I was kind of skipping school to go on this trip, I was praying on the drive over that my teachers wouldn't kill me with a bajillion assignments for a poor freshman to have to do over freaking Thanksgiving break. But guess what? My teachers are not so. Thanks Obama. (Just kidding, I have nothing against the president)
3. Audition Results: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I auditioned for another musical before Bye Bye Birdie ended. I wasn't going to get the results till this past Tuesday so that made six days of pure anticipation, self-loathing, and fright till I got the results. More on that later.
4. Family: I wasn't scared of my family I was going on the trip with (my mom and my brother) but I was definitely worrying if my cousins would hate me. It's kind of a big thing that your family doesn't abhor you, they are the ones giving me albums, gift cards, and random crap in a month. 
5. Other Crap: I know there are more little things that I could rant about if I wanted to, but it didn't seem to fall under any category besides "other crap", and I needed a number five. I couldn't just end my rant with four things. It must be five or else I break out in another rant about why you just can't do things like that. 

I am currently writing to you in my lovely hotel room in Boise, Idaho three fifths of the way home from my Pacific adventure. It's past midnight so neurotic brain is chugging its way towards Insomnia Lane as I type this up. 

Earlier today, or yesterday I guess, I realized something.

I was in a show that started in September.

This show finished in November. 

I spent approximately eighty-five days on Bye Bye Birdie.

Now I'm starting Seussical in December,

and this show will open in early February.

I will spend nearly seventy-five days working on Seussical.

Want to know how many days I won't spend working on either show?

Image courtesy of imdb

Eight days.

I'm sitting in my quaint Shilo Inn suite recounting those past eight days, and kissing them goodbye. At least I spent my last days of freedom for the next two months in a place I love right? Hasta la vista vacations, hello homework and hard-work. Fortunately or unfortunately (whatever way you look at it) I will have a long vacation from shows in March. Ah how wonderful (or horrible) that will be. 

2) First Date:

Genre: Comedic Musical

Synopsis: Casey and Aaron get set up on a date together that results in hilarious emergency phone calls, background checks, awkward pauses, and all of the possible mini-tragedies that can occur in a dinner date. 

Grace's Pick: "Bailout Song #1" sung by Reggie