Sunshine, good times, chats with friends, and local wines. These are a few of my favorite California things.I loved a lot of things about Seattle, but there were things that only California could offer:
Monday we arrived to the hotel early evening, with just enough time to unpack and settle down before heading out for a special Christmas party. A fellow member of Whoville, Chelsea, grew up just 15 minutes from the theatre we'd be performing at for the week. Her family graciously invited the cast over for a little Christmas cheer, and it turned out to be just what everyone needed. We were welcomed into a home, a much different feeling than walking into another hotel. There were family photos on the walls, lights on the tree, a piano in the living room with one of those traditional ceramic Christmas villages on top, and a trio of carolers to greet us with song! I mean... how could we be anymore stuffed with holiday spirit? The night was ruled by the feeling of family and home. We had some true home cooking, complete with turkey, mac 'n cheese, and of course pumpkin pie later in the evening. We all gathered at the piano to sing traditional Christmas carols, Chelsea's mom being the ever-enthusiastic accompanist for the evening. And for a group of theatre people at a party, how else would we cap off the evening but with a cabaret that would go well into the night (technically, morning).It is hard to describe how nice it felt to have an evening like that. We were belting out any and every show tune we could think of, which was greatly assisted by an infinite music library filled with every Broadway score imaginable at our fingertips. It was the closest I have felt to home all tour.
I had all of 5 hours to rest up for what would be the most eventful day of the week. My room mate, Kyle, and I were picked up by Chelsea around 9:00 in the morning. We got to Disneyland just as it was opening and our first stop once we were in had to be... Starbucks. Once I started becoming a person again, the three of us went on to dominate everything Disneyland had to offer. We hit all of the major attractions: Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the traditional Small World ride. We made such good time, we decided that we'd have time to explore the other park, California Adventure. Before heading over, we picked up an energizing dessert that I had never heard of before. This magical, tropical dessert was none other than: Dole whip. It was essentially pineapple soft-serve, and it turned out to be way more delicious than anticipated. It was just the treat to carry us to the most terrifying ride I have ever been on: The Tower of Terror. Kyle and Chelsea had been very persuasive throughout the day, but I swore to them that this ride was just not going to happen for me. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, maybe it was the Dole whip, or maybe it was the sparkle of hope in Kyle's tender eyes... but before I could think, I was strapped into what appeared to be an abandon elevator. We plummeted down, only to be dragged back up, then down again, then up a little, etc. My stomach finally met my throat, so that was... new. In all seriousness, I was glad I did it- it's a good feeling to do something you're terrified of. After a couple more rides, it was time for us to wave goodbye to Disneyland and hello to the STAPLES CENTER. It was 5:00 and we were just getting started!
Monday we arrived to the hotel early evening, with just enough time to unpack and settle down before heading out for a special Christmas party. A fellow member of Whoville, Chelsea, grew up just 15 minutes from the theatre we'd be performing at for the week. Her family graciously invited the cast over for a little Christmas cheer, and it turned out to be just what everyone needed. We were welcomed into a home, a much different feeling than walking into another hotel. There were family photos on the walls, lights on the tree, a piano in the living room with one of those traditional ceramic Christmas villages on top, and a trio of carolers to greet us with song! I mean... how could we be anymore stuffed with holiday spirit? The night was ruled by the feeling of family and home. We had some true home cooking, complete with turkey, mac 'n cheese, and of course pumpkin pie later in the evening. We all gathered at the piano to sing traditional Christmas carols, Chelsea's mom being the ever-enthusiastic accompanist for the evening. And for a group of theatre people at a party, how else would we cap off the evening but with a cabaret that would go well into the night (technically, morning).It is hard to describe how nice it felt to have an evening like that. We were belting out any and every show tune we could think of, which was greatly assisted by an infinite music library filled with every Broadway score imaginable at our fingertips. It was the closest I have felt to home all tour.
I had all of 5 hours to rest up for what would be the most eventful day of the week. My room mate, Kyle, and I were picked up by Chelsea around 9:00 in the morning. We got to Disneyland just as it was opening and our first stop once we were in had to be... Starbucks. Once I started becoming a person again, the three of us went on to dominate everything Disneyland had to offer. We hit all of the major attractions: Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the traditional Small World ride. We made such good time, we decided that we'd have time to explore the other park, California Adventure. Before heading over, we picked up an energizing dessert that I had never heard of before. This magical, tropical dessert was none other than: Dole whip. It was essentially pineapple soft-serve, and it turned out to be way more delicious than anticipated. It was just the treat to carry us to the most terrifying ride I have ever been on: The Tower of Terror. Kyle and Chelsea had been very persuasive throughout the day, but I swore to them that this ride was just not going to happen for me. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, maybe it was the Dole whip, or maybe it was the sparkle of hope in Kyle's tender eyes... but before I could think, I was strapped into what appeared to be an abandon elevator. We plummeted down, only to be dragged back up, then down again, then up a little, etc. My stomach finally met my throat, so that was... new. In all seriousness, I was glad I did it- it's a good feeling to do something you're terrified of. After a couple more rides, it was time for us to wave goodbye to Disneyland and hello to the STAPLES CENTER. It was 5:00 and we were just getting started!
I grew up watching Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers play. This was the #8 Kobe Bryant, the one with a fro and an attitude. I was lucky enough to see him play a couple of times in Milwaukee, but my dream was to see him play on his home floor. That dream came true Tuesday night, and I couldn't have imagined a more fitting evening. I had mentioned to Kyle and Chelsea three side wishes I had going into the Staples Center: 1) The Lakers win, 2) Kobe scores 30, and 3) Kobe slams it. Defying realistic probabilities, all three happened that night! I jumped around like a little girl when Kobe slammed it, and I'm sorry to say that I'm not ashamed of it in any way. The Lakers won by just a couple of points, which made it a great game to watch all the way through. It was exhausting to watch such a dramatic game, so it made sense to make a Taco Bell run before passing out. After a full day and a full stomach, I proceeded to slumber for roughly 12 hours.
Wednesday through Sunday came and went very quickly. Once we got into performance mode, time really flew. We weren't completely done having fun, however. I had the chance on Wednesday night to take my very first trip to the Pacific Ocean. I went out to the pier at Newport Beach and had another first to cross off the list: seeing a sea lion outside of a zoo. Afterwards, I took a walk along the boardwalk when I realized that it's mid-December. This is just insane for someone born and raised in Wisconsin. I was seeing beachfront houses decked out in Christmas lights while palm trees swayed in the wind. Beautiful, but absurd.
The highlight of Thursday was being able to see my good buddy, Matt Cooke after the show. He brought his wonderful girlfriend, Amanda, to the see the evening show and we met up for a drink after. From the moment we had our bear hug after the show, it seemed like nothing had changed. It had been 2 years since we'd seen each other, but you'd never guess it. We chatted, recalled college memories, and laughed until we cried. It was everything I'd hoped it would be and more. It was such a joy to see him so happy doing something he loves and now with a girl that obviously makes him so so happy. It makes me feel incredibly lucky to have unofficial brothers like him- having the special connection that time and distance cannot limit.
After a weekend packed with shows, we had a day completely to ourselves on Monday. I took advantage of the day off by heading to Laguna Beach! It was 65 degrees and sunny, a pretty good day to hang out by the water. I was even crazy enough to jump in and get pummeled by a couple of waves. With a mouth full of saltwater and buns full of sand, I relaxed and took in the sunset from a patio overlooking the beach. It was hard to believe that in 24 hours, I'd be trading this tropical backdrop in for the Rocky Mountains and the city of Denver!
All in all, I'd call it a successful trip to California, and I have a feeling I'll be back to visit soon enough. 70 degrees and sunny doesn't sound bad when you're in Wisconsin or even New York City in mid-February. We've landed in our final city (Denver), and more adventures lie ahead. The obvious highlight is the arrival of my parents in just a couple days- much more to follow!
Wednesday through Sunday came and went very quickly. Once we got into performance mode, time really flew. We weren't completely done having fun, however. I had the chance on Wednesday night to take my very first trip to the Pacific Ocean. I went out to the pier at Newport Beach and had another first to cross off the list: seeing a sea lion outside of a zoo. Afterwards, I took a walk along the boardwalk when I realized that it's mid-December. This is just insane for someone born and raised in Wisconsin. I was seeing beachfront houses decked out in Christmas lights while palm trees swayed in the wind. Beautiful, but absurd.
The highlight of Thursday was being able to see my good buddy, Matt Cooke after the show. He brought his wonderful girlfriend, Amanda, to the see the evening show and we met up for a drink after. From the moment we had our bear hug after the show, it seemed like nothing had changed. It had been 2 years since we'd seen each other, but you'd never guess it. We chatted, recalled college memories, and laughed until we cried. It was everything I'd hoped it would be and more. It was such a joy to see him so happy doing something he loves and now with a girl that obviously makes him so so happy. It makes me feel incredibly lucky to have unofficial brothers like him- having the special connection that time and distance cannot limit.
After a weekend packed with shows, we had a day completely to ourselves on Monday. I took advantage of the day off by heading to Laguna Beach! It was 65 degrees and sunny, a pretty good day to hang out by the water. I was even crazy enough to jump in and get pummeled by a couple of waves. With a mouth full of saltwater and buns full of sand, I relaxed and took in the sunset from a patio overlooking the beach. It was hard to believe that in 24 hours, I'd be trading this tropical backdrop in for the Rocky Mountains and the city of Denver!
All in all, I'd call it a successful trip to California, and I have a feeling I'll be back to visit soon enough. 70 degrees and sunny doesn't sound bad when you're in Wisconsin or even New York City in mid-February. We've landed in our final city (Denver), and more adventures lie ahead. The obvious highlight is the arrival of my parents in just a couple days- much more to follow!