Dream Destination

Hi Friends!

After reading my last post I bet your wondering "Jen. Italy?!?!?!" Yes my dear friends, Italy. Loretta and I actually had two weeks unbooked and I seriously considered coming home then but I was kind of hesitant to do so. Why? Well one because I knew I would be coming home again within the next month for either our spring break week or possibly for another unbooked week. If I had my way I would go home both weeks but flying is expensive and not a wise choice. Secondly I didn't want to go home because the point of this year for me was to travel and experience new things (like food) and if at every opportunity I just went home then that would kind of defeat the purpose. Thirdly, the main reason why I was so reluctant to go home for two weeks was because each time I go home it gets harder and harder for me to leave. Don't get me wrong, I love my job but I find that I miss seeing the same loving faces every day. Just one of the comforts of home I suppose. (sigh) So what's a Gill to do? 

Well one night I was talking to my friend Allison via skype and we were just getting caught up on each other's lives. She was telling me about life as an Au Pair in Italy and I was telling her about life on tour. At one point in our conversation I mentioned my feelings about possibly going home and she jokingly said, "Gill! Come to Italy instead!".
My response: "HA! Yea right! Flying is so expensive and I can't imagine...but hey if you can find me a plane ticket that is equal or less than it is for me to go home then I'll come visit you."
Sure enough she found one!
Well I am a Gill of my word, when I say something I mean it. So after careful planning and many skype dates, it was set. Italy here I come!!!!!

I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Italy and I was soo excited. I knew we wouldn't be able to do all the things that I wanted to do like go to Rome and see the Colosseum, float along the canals in Venice, and possibly see all the famous cathedrals, museums, and other interesting buildings. Italy is just busting with history but I at least wanted to do one of those things while I was there. However, if that wasn't possible then I was ok with that. I would be able to see one of my best friends. Worth it.

I feel like I have this whole "adult vacation" thing down to a T now. I have to admit that I'm really proud of myself. I never thought that when I took this job that I would be able to go to so many cool places. Sure, I knew that I would be travelling all around and maybe be near some of the cool cities like Dallas, Texas or Seattle, Washington but I never thought that I'd have time to go explore and really experience these places. I always thought LA specifically would be a really cool place to go. Did it. Forks? Yea sure, I guess you could say that's a Twilight fan's "Graceland". Been there. Now I'm going to my DREAM DESTINATION, to see one of my favorite people in the whole world?
NO WAAAAY!

True story: A week or so before this came about we were asked by the home office (for the Road Warrior) what our "Dream Destination" was as the "Question of the Week". My response was that I wanted to go to Italy and have some handsome Italian man feed me fettuccine on a gondola in Venice.
Welp.
Half way there.
Haha!

-Jen

Here's to Spontaneity!

Hi Friends!
Now if you read my last blog you'll know that I'm staying in Arvada for a night or two with the most wonderful homestay family ever! This is the family I went to church with and had the awesome basement apartment for us. Well they were kind enough to let Loretta and I both stay there Saturday and Sunday night. Sunday was so nice! I probably should have gone to church with them again but last week was soooo exhausting with the early workshop and rehearals I just had to sleep. I then went through all my things to start packing for my next adventure, I don't want to carry more than I need. While I did that Loretta hung out with a friend that she went to high school with which I'm sure was nice for her.

Later that night Loretta and I left for Greeley, Colorado. Remember the first place we went for this tour with the BIG Civic Center? Well, they told us that Mamma Mia was gonna be playing there and they needed help unloading and packing up the set. We called them and told them that we had the week off and asked if they still needed help. To our surprise they did and they said if we helped them pack up the set they would even pay us. SWEET! They also gave us tickets to see the show for FREE! YEA!!!!!

 Mamma Mia is Micah, Allison and My show. We love it!!!!! The music is sooo up beat and we think that a few years down the road Micah would be the Mom aka Meryl Streep, Allison would be the adventurous friend and I would be the friend that gets plastic surgery and turns all the boys heads. Woot Woot! Can't argue with that! When they were singing Chiqitita and Super Trouper I got a little teary eyed Gills. I couldn't help it!!!!! That is us to a T!

After the show which was sooo amazing and fun, we headed backstage. We saw a few of the actors and stuff which was kinda cool. We then made ourselves busy by helping load the truck. We were called "Pushers" which is what we did, push big heavy boxes into the big semi. I'll take packing up our set anyday. Haha! Loretta left early the next morning  so she probaly got about two hours of sleep. Poor thing, she had a long drive ahead and she just wanted to be home. I however took the next day and did nothing but work on financial and paper work stuff. Not having a Bank of America in Colorado has been SOOO frustrating! I knew I wouldn't be able to do it while on my adventure so I got it all out of the way. Yea for me! Then that night Grace (one of the daughters) did my nails a really cool cheetah print. She totally freestyled it! It looks awesome!

Today was Valentines day. I didn't have a sweet heart to celebrate it with so whats a girl to do?

I went SHOPPING!!!!! Jessica, the mom that I'm staying with went to work for a couple of hours and dropped me off at the mall that was just down the block from where she worked. I told myself I would only buy the things that I needed for my trip but sure enough a few other things slipped into my shopping basket. In my defense I NEVER find shoes in my size and for 20 bucks!!!! When she picked me up we went to one of her daughter's Valentines Day Party at her school. The very same school Loretta and I were at not too long ago. It was kinda sureal being there again but it was kinda cool.

Amara's class was having a contest on whose Valentine Box was the best. Hers was sooo cool! It was a robot that she herself made! When I went to school we just dropped the Super hero or Disney Princess cards into a brown paper bag. These boxes were intense! After the party we all headed back to the house and I skyped with my Dad for the very first time!!!! I wanted to chat with him before I left. My phone will be completely useless were I'm going. I then ended my night watching the Justin Bieber movie. I will "Never Say Never" to him on Valentines. Haha! Oh.
That reminds me I ALMOST forgot to tell you. . . .
I'M GOING TO ITALY FOR A WEEK TO VISIT MY BEST GILL ALLISON!!!!!!!!!

I'm a little nervous, I've never flown over seas and on top of that I have to switch airports in New York. :( Hopefully nothing bad will happen and the trip will go swimmingly. Ooo bad choice of words.... I guess thats all part of an adventure. Being scared that something will happen but doing something so wreckless anyway.
Here's to spontaneity!
-Jen

Adventures in Colorado

Hi Friends!
Well as Loretta and I drive from Sidney, Nebraska to Fort Collins, Colorado, we realize that it was the night of the Super Bowl! Did that mean anything to us? No, not really. We went to Panera Bread! So we were already starting the week off pretty well. :) Loretta and I were feeling a little hesitant about this week so we had to get pumped. Nomally before Loretta and I have a week off, the week before said paid vacation turns out to be close to a disaster week. So yea.. due to our history, we didn't really have high hopes that this would be any different BUT we tried to stay positive. :) Our week in Fort Collins was definietly never boring. I still had no voice so audition day was kinda funny. I literally would try to make a sound and NOTHING would come out. I figure most Singing Sensations have to go on vocal rest so yea... What I'm really saying is: I'm a Singing Sensation. HA! Just Kidding! Loretta was a trouper and basically did the whole audition by herself. Thankfully by Wednesday my voice was back. YEA!

This week was also interesting because instead of our usual one Conatct we actually had two so sometimes the communication was off but like I said in my last blog: "Loretta and I are Pros".  We also had a very young cast and only 6 Minis instead of the usual 18. No Big. I actually really liked that that was one of my challenges for the week. The Big Challenge for me was trying to teach a song when I couldn't speak. Ha! Somehow the kids picked up on the right notes. Hahah! Not my doing for sure!

Loretta and I also had kind of a goal while we were here in Colorado. Three words: Rocky Mountain Oysters. For those who don't know, Rocky Mountain Oysters are Buffalo Testicles and some restaurants batter them, fry them, and then people eat them. Not the most appetizing idea we've had but we just HAD to try it. So Tuesday was the big day and we were both feeling brave. We went to this place called Bruce's. It's were all the locals told us to go. We went, we ordered, we tried.... Loretta didn't like it and proceeded to eat hers and my french fries. I however at all of them. To be fair half was the testies and the other half was just plain Buffalo meat but still! I'm really proud of myself. It kind of had the texture of calamari. Would I ever eat it again. Probably not. Chicken strips instead please!

The next day was Wednesday and for SOME reason our Contacts wanted us to have a rehearsal at 7am until 9am and then do a workshop at 9:15. UGHHHH! TOO EARLY but we pulled through. It just wasn't very much fun but oh well! The next day was more fun for me, not Loretta. The next day Loretta and I spent the morning at the Salon. Since the lady was still working on me, Loretta left to go run some errands and ended up getting locked out of the truck at Target which was about 20 mins away!

Whilst she frantically tried to get in the truck, dealing with the locksmith and bad cellphone service, I had to sit tight and wait. Luckily for yours truly I was downtown. Downtown Fort Collins had some of the COOLEST stores I had ever been in. I made a wonderful stop at Starbucks and then strolled down the avenue into snowboarding stores, stores that contained items made completely made out of jade (things like little elephants and wine goblets) and other stores that had neat little trinkets. I had a fun day for sure! The next day went as planned as far as rehearsals went and then that night Loretta and I had a little Girl's Night and we went out on the town. It was definitely a fun night.

The next day was show day and it went by so fast! Thats what's great about showdays, yea you gotta get up early but the day zooms by and before you know it your packing up the truck to go somewhere else. So in all it wasn't too bad of a week. The kids did an  awesome job! We were both a little worried about the Minis and a few others but when they said all their lines and did the correct blocking, I felt like a happy mama hen. :) That night Loretta and I couldn't wait to be at our next house. Yes the next two weeks we have unbooked but Loretta and I were actually staying a night or two with the homestay we had in Arvada! They are simply my most favorite family we've met on the road. They are soooo sweet and kind and we just love staying with them. They were nice enough to let us stay with them esp me. Loretta only stayed for a night or two before she left to go home in Idaho with the truck.
I stayed a little longer 3-4 nights.
You may be saying Jen why are you staying there only 3-4 nights? Are you coming home to Lynchburg, Va?
No my fellow readers.
I have an adventure to go on. :)

 -Jen

Nebraska: "The Good Life"

Hi Friends!
After a wonderful week in Arvada, Colorado Loretta and I were headed to Sidney, Nebraska. The state sign says that Nebraska has "The Good Life". Well to that I would like to say if thats true, no thank you. We were staying with a homestay who just so happend to be our Contact for the week (the people who brought us in for the week). It was an interesting week for sure! Our Contact/Homestay just so happend to be an Ex-Model so that was kinda neat. The husband also informed Loretta and I that he was the CEO of Cabellas which is a really big franchise of hunting stores.

Their house was huge.

That week we faced a few challenges, some of them I can not mention but this week we both learned to just smile and nod then move on to something else. We're Pros so little things don't affect us like they used too. It's Team JeLo all the way! Us against the world. The big issue was snow.

Now I'll admit, I was getting a little cocky when snow was ever brought up in conversation or when the home office would send us emails in what to do if snow affected the show or rehearsals. I mean I would read the emails and all. I'm not dumb. I wanna be informed but honestly whenever snow was in the forecast it would either never happen or we'd drive outta there before it hit. Not this week.

Loretta and I were supposed to do 3 shows that week, getting paid extra since we're only supposed to do 2. The night before the show they were calling for snow but nothing happend. That didn't mean anything. They cancelled school even before a flake hit the ground. UGH! Two shows instantly cancelled and The Minis had left rehearsal before this announcement was made. Soooo we stayed up and called everyone and waited.
...and waited

Finally around noon the day we were SUPPOSED to have two shows (in the morning) a flake began to fall and before we knew it there was a light powder. We still could've had the shows before the snow but oh well! That day the homestay's son and I went out and built snow people, had a snow war with the neighbors and then topped it off with hot cocoa. The rest of the day I slept, I was getting sick already and going out in the snow probably wasn't the BEST idea. Then that night I watched Footloose. Good Day!

The next day we had show and our homestay proved pizza for everyone. I however had completely lost my voice. :( Thankfully it wasn't my week to perform. :) We packed up the set and then headed out the next morning. Yes this week was full of little bumps but what made it nice was there was a cute little coffe store just down the road and our homestay told us that whenever we went in thereto put it on HER account.
OK!

I got all these free Jet Teas (smoothies) and yummy soups. YEA! The Jet Teas had fun names. My favorites were the Edward Cullen, Super Mario and a Funky Monkey. :) Getting all these for free was kind of what made Sidney awesome. Would I go that far for a Jet Tea? Probably not but it's nice to know that its there. :) On our way back to Colorado, Fort Collins to be exact Loretta and I made a video about this past weeks Road Warrior which went into SPECIFIC details about hygeine. We think we're funny. We also saw the holiest sight ever. Mary. Hahah! We drove by this like 30 foot Mary Shrine. It was soooooo weird! We just had to get a picture! It however was not in Nebraska but in Colorado. So I guess Nebraska has "The Good Life"...a life of SIN.
Just kidding!
-Jen

TAD BESTIES!

Hi Friends,
Our week in Arvada, Colorado was so fun! Loretta and I were staying with this wonderful family and we had their whole basement apartment to ourselves. I had the room with all the game stuff like air hockey, fooze ball, and pinball. It was pretty sweet and we also had free Netflix. Our first night we stayed up and watched Dirty Dancing. We did have early early improv workshops that week which waking up that early always stinks but once we started the workshops with the kids, it was fun. Some of these kids were SO creative! I feel like my improv skills have improved so much since last May -no more cheap laughs for this Gill. I'm an artist. HA! These kids though had me beat. Some of the stuff they came up with I would have NEVER thought of. They were so creative!

We also had a great cast that week, younger than our usual cast but they did awesome. Our contact stressed us out a little that week but the kids made it soooo worth it. We constantly were told how much fun the kids were having which is all that matters. I recieved two bouquets of flowers and some roses after the second show which made me feel so loved. They didn't have to do that but I definitely appreciated it. I love flowers! I feel like a girl when I get them. As awesome as the kids and our homestay were that week what made Arvada so awesome was who we hung out with outside of rehearsals. None other than Kelly and Nicole, our TAD besties!

On Monday we met up with them at Olive Garden for lunch. They were only 15 minutes away and it was a wonderful reunion. Normally we have the afternoons off but on Wednesday the school had a 1/2 day so we had our rehearsal earlier that day. Once we finished our rehearsal we headed to Kelly and Nicole's to do a mock Evaluation. Loretta and I wore our Missoula Children's Theatre name tags and glasses so we would look professional. It worked. Loretta and I sat in the audience and evaluated them making fake aweful notes on our notebooks. I got up on stage and started randomly measuring things like the piano, the size of "the walls" they set up for rehearsal which was made of chairs, things backstage, and the set poles. Missoula doesn't actually do this but I was ruthless and very thorough. Nothing gets by me. We also "interviewed" their Cast Members (one of the kids played our Red Knight in Northglenn) and Assistant Directors with questions like how much they thought Kelly and Nicole weighed put together and if they needed more pixie stix. Again, we were ruthless. . .

We then sat them down after their rehearsal was done and gave them the truth. We informed them that "We just wanted to thank them. Without them we (Loretta and I, the evaluators) wouldn't have a job." We also said "that we wanted to encourage them because with this job you never can perfect it so we're here to help." (This is all stuff they tell us at REAL evaluations.) After our speech. . .we ripped 'em apart! Hahahaha! I won't say what we said but it was definitely fun and I WISH we filmed it. What was I THINKING!?!?!?!
I wasn't. I was focused on the task at hand. Hahah!

After the evaluation, we all went out for mexican and Karokee. Now I had never sang karokee by myself. What usually happens is I go up with a group of girls and sing a typical "girl song" like Lady Marmalade. I get nervous. I don't want to be the person that goes up there and sings the one song that ruins the Karokee mood. Usually Mariah Carey songs were people try to show off. It never works. I was excited but I didn't realize I was going with Karokee professionals!!!! They each had a list of songs that they ALWAYS sing and they were all awesome songs that they sang so well! I have talented friends. Not only did that intimidate me but the book of song choices was as thick as it was tall. Now I wasn't just intimidated, I was overwhelmed.

SO what did I do? What I normally do. I danced it out! Thats right. I got up and danced onstage with those who choose fun songs. Thankfully Kelly and Nicole came with me. Before I knew it people were coming over to our table making dance requests. We were stars that night. I am a little disappointed in myself that I didn't sing one, esp now that I have had time to think of a BUNCH of songs I COULD'VE done. Worsties. Oh well. Hopefully by the end of tour I will remedy this and try again. The next night was "Ladies Night". We went to this place that had Line Dancing and Cowboys. :) Kelly and I got on the actual stage and started dancing. We were a hit! The only people who didn't like it was Security. Whoopsie! Kelly and Nicole stayed at our place that night for a fun slumber party. We three ate sugar cookies in the kitchen while Loretta went straight to bed. Remember those early morning workshops? Yeaaaa. . . . Hahah! We're young.

On Sunday, I actually got to go to church with my homestay family which was super fun. It was no Thomas Road but it was definitely refreshing. Then afterwards we had yummy pizza with them before we hit the road for Sidney, Nebraska. Apparently, Nebraska has "The Good Life". I'll be the judge of THAT.

:)
-Jen