World Tour 2008

Hey everyone! Sorry for my summer-long absence! I meant to write a wrap-up post for the school year and to let you know about my summer plans, but things got ridiculous.  Even after I finished all my final exams, I still had to write a 15 page research paper for my Honors class AND finish the yearbook, basically on my own.  Add that on to moving out of Pi Phi for the year and packing up all my things for my summer adventures and I was a busy chica.

So, what was I up to that kept me away from my beloved internet access all summer?

I was a member of the colorguard for the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps. I like to think of our summer experience kind of like a travelling Broadway show.  We moved into spring training at Denison University in Ohio on May 17, and had about 4 weeks to learn our show.  Then we got on our buses, and toured the country, performing in venues like the Alamodome in San Antonio, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and the Buffalo Bills stadium in New York, with World Championships held at IU in Bloomington, IN.

We basically lived on a bus all summer, so my seat partner Lindsey was the closet thing to a roommate I had! Fortunately we became best friends over the season. Our show was about boxing (think the movie Rocky!)  so here we are getting into character on the bus before one of our shows:

Below you can see me in uniform at Finals with my friend Blair (the Barbie in the corner was the colorguard mascot, Sha-Coco)

Here's the crowd we performed for at Finals!

Each drum corps is made up of about 150 members between the ages of 16 and 22, so imagine a bunch of college-aged kids living together 24/7 for three months... obviously it was crazy, dramatic, and so much fun.  I miss them all so much already! As much as I wish I could perform that show again and be back with those people, though, I am kind of glad the summer has come to an end.

I was away from home for 3 months, travelled through (I think) 18 states, had more 11-hour rehearsal days than I care to remember, and performed in 29 shows! It was a busy summer, coming straight off of a busy year.

I was cleaning out my room this week and came across my planner from Butler last year.  Talk about (color-coded) chaos! Every day was overflowing with meetings, lunches, reading assigments, exams, and the weekends were more of the same plus social events, road trips, holidays and more.  I will be the first to admit that I was way overbooked this last year.  I never want to be THAT busy again because I did not get enough sleep or time to just relax with my friends and family... however, when I think back about all the cool things I have been a part of, I can at least know that all the stress and lack of sleep was worth it.

In the last year I have...

Performed with the 6th best drum & bugle corps in the world

Presented my own research at academic conferences on and off campus

Truly become friends with some of my professors

Been a part of many philanthropy events, including leading a Relay for Life team

Lived in a sorority house for the first time

Lived apart from my best Butler friend and survived

Become a Big Brother x 2 and a Big Sister for Kappa Kappa Psi and Pi Phi

Organized a new fundraiser that raised over $2000

Helped my KKPsi chapter host District Convention here in Indy

Been hired as a Writer's Studio tutor (I'm a real English major now! ha)

Restructured the Student Foundation with our amazing exec board

Overcome my fear of poetry

Read the (almost) complete works of Jane Austen (we skipped Northanger Abbey)

Written a LONG research paper about a topic I knew nothing about before this year

Come up with a great list of the hilarious things my roommates say at 2 am

Supported one of my friends in his Student Government Association presidential campaign (He won!)

Travelled to the NCAA tournament with the men's basketball team! (and witnessed so many other great victories)

Led the production of a yearbook and a literary magazine

Found new restaurants, museusms and theatres to love in Indianapolis

Had some great debates

Made SO many new friends

Discovered crazy new ideas

Overall, not too shabby.

And now... I am about two weeks away from moving to Spain for the next leg of my whirlwind 2008 world tour - studying abroad in Madrid for a semester!  Now all that's left to do is pack, make my grand plans for the trip, and um, remember how to speak Spanish! Wish me luck! And feel free to leave a comment in Spanish for some translation practice : )