I've discovered over the last 20 years that I really just enjoy traveling...sort of.
I love seeing new places, and I honestly don't think there's anything that can quite match the feeling of staying in a fancy hotel for a few days, especially if that hotel has a skyline right out your window. The weekend I spent in the Twin Cities this spring really allowed me to travel, partially at least, by myself for the first time, and while it was probably the longest, most exhausting five days of my life, I did a lot, I saw a lot, and I loved it all a lot.
Since I didn't have a ton of time to be on social media, and I wanted to spend some of the time off my phone other than using it to take pictures, I instead kept my followers, family, and friends updated with what I was doing through a series of pictures on Twitter I titled "Travel Life." I tried to capture some of the things that felt distinctly like the fancy convention, traveling student I thought I was. I mean, anyone can take a fancy picture of their Starbucks...but to me it also represents the casual morning I spent getting ready for Day One of the convention, starting off by heading downstairs in my PJs to the in-hotel Starbucks.
One of the greatest parts about traveling is the opportunity you have to explore local sights, which I tried to do a bit of after driving back and forth between the convention and a performance at home. Really, the weekend gave me a real taste of what it's like to be a performer in the professional world, where you'll end up going from city to city within a day. The great part is that you get to see things like Minnehaha Falls, which I eagerly sought out. And of course, I headed back to the exact spot where I talked to Colin O'Donoghue on the phone...for sentimental purposes, of course.
I also managed to sneak in a showing of Zootopia on opening weekend, despite all the traveling I did, and since I made it back to the Twin Cities safe and sound, and because I was getting really hungry after an afternoon of sight seeing and shopping, I headed to a local restaurant, called Crave I believe, to treat myself to sushi. Because Treat Yo Self.
As evening set in one night, I had to get ready for a Gala Dinner, despite the fact that I'd already curled and recurled my hair a couple of times and then put it up in a bun and drove more than nine hours in less than 24 hours. I had to catch another picture of the skyline, but then it was back inside to actually figure out what to do with my hair and makeup.
The last morning of our trip to the Twin Cities brought us to a little French Bakery for breakfast, where I had some spectacular tea to start my day, and then it was packing up for yet another four and a half hour drive home. On this particular trip I was pretty proud of my packing skills, fitting everything I needed for five days back and forth into my small suitcase and a bag. It certainly made life easier when I was trying to be in two places at once.
All in all, I drove almost 1200 miles in five days (and three fourths of that was in 36 hours). It was exhausting, that's for sure, but I think I really proved to myself and everyone else that I was capable of managing a difficult situation (like being in two different states for two different important events within hours of each other), and of traveling like I've never traveled before.
Does this make me ready for another road trip this summer? You bet it does!
Have a magical day!
(Note: This blog post was written on June 14).
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