Pass The Bar on Tour

One drink at a higher altitude is like two drinks at sea level––or so they say––so two drinks in, I’m really four.  I always forget that hanging out with twenty year olds on tour, can really be torture.
Twenty-year-old me is rolling his eyes, but truthfully, booze on the road are brutal.

Life on Tour; Breakfast

The ultra sterile pure-white energy efficient LED lights in the hotel lobby accentuate the artificially-cartoon yellow eggs that sit like a spongy island in the “dinning room” tray;
If I forgot that I was living out of a suitcase, my faux-family––traveling from the most rural areas of the United States––remind me that I have made it!
#TheGlamorousLife

Life On Tour

The wine on last nights flight was fun then;
And KILLING me now.
I need coffee, food, and a stomach pump.
I’ll take it in that order;
To maintain my figure.

The Joy Of Traveling; Living Out of a Suitcase

I can’t decipher which of my underwear has been worn;
I’m going to have to resort to the “smell test.”
#TheGlamorousLife

Wake Up; The Glamorous Life

With my eyes still closed I hit the snooze button on my iPhone and reach for the lamp on the bedside table to the left of me;
I turn the light on and let the bright energy filter through my eyelids.
Knowing that my alarm will go off again in fifteen minutes;
I feel it’s safe to rise like one of those lizards sitting on a rock in the Galapagos Islands that I’ve seen on Planet Earth.
This is the unglamorous part of living life on the road;
Still, I’m so grateful I make a living doing what I love––I just wish what I love started a little later in the day.

Snooze

I hear the gentle rippling sound and rage;
I did not get enough sleep last night and I’m in no way ready to start my day.
The button on my iPhone insists on my fingerprint in order to snooze myself back into a slumber.
Ten more minutes is all I need.
I padded my morning with an extra thirty minutes––originally to have time to read and do my creative writing––but today it will serve as a wake-up-call delay.
Today is going to be a four shot Starbucks day!
#TheGlamorousLife on tour...

Truth on Tour® (Again) 3.2

I woke up with that feeling of excitement and nervous energy––my stomach feels like I’m on a roller coaster at a Six Flags amusement park.
Working with new dancers is always a joy; the balance of trust, creativity, and enthusiasm––hard work, sweat, and hopefully NO tears.
I love sharing stories in which ever form I have the means;
Today I will channel that bright-eyed young man who moved to New York full of idealism and showmanship and work through twenty-years of insecurities and breakthroughs!

Truth On Tour® (Again) 3.1

The wake up call always comes too early;

My mind is up—my body will be after Advil.

Truth on Tour: 2.6

Today is the last day with my Dance United family;
There are some jobs that are work––and others that are a pure joy.
Whether teaching class, sharing late night conversation with likeminded choreographers, or experiencing an adventurous hayride; every moment is filled with inspiration, laughter, and light.
Whenever I’m surrounded by the collaborative energy of these artists, my spirit soars.
Life on tour is always brilliant when the people you’re working with are seeking the same creative journey.

That's A Wrap

I'm saying goodbye to my fifth city in four weeks;

I'm officially exhausted.

Grateful for the opportunity to share my passion with future performers—I've continued to remind myself that a positive attitude is the best defense against the pitfalls of life on the road.

Still, I'm grateful that I've successfully completed another leg of my tour;

Only one more city, and then I get to take a break!

Recovery Road

How many days does it take to recover from a three week tour across the country?
I might be able to answer this question more honestly if I weren’t so busy sleeping.
I’ve spent the past three days in and out of a bear–like hibernation; where I used to wake up early and conquer the world in three hours, I find myself accomplishing the smallest of tasks: like emptying the dishwasher––followed with a two-hour nap on the couch.
My grandpa used to tell me that you could never catch up on time––I’m not sure if that is scientifically proven (and I’m too lazy to open a new search window to Google it) but it makes sense.
How on earth am I supposed to recover from a month of fourteen hour days?
I need a vacation!
Instead, I’m going back out on the road.
No one said the glamorous life was easy.  Work hard, play hard, and sleep when you’re dead.

Truth on Tour: Day 10

The last day in a city is always a blur;
Once you’re in the tour-machine you forget which day it is.
Alarms programed to wake you up in time for every event, show, and rehearsal.
When I stop and take a breath––I realize I’m almost to the halfway mark;
And then an alarm goes off, reminding me that it’s time to get back to work.

Truth on Tour: Day 7

Gathered around the campfire; melting marshmallows and dripping chocolate––I resisted the temptation of S’more’s.  Anyone who knows me can attest, that was no small feat.
Celebrating Independence Day––or any holiday––away from home is often challenging; in a sick way, I crave the typical family bickering whenever I hear an explosion in the sky.
Like one of Pavlov’s Dogs, my mouth salivates for potato salad, dill pickles, hotdogs, and a family argument.
Last night the company gathered for music, delicious food, and a lot of laughter; just like home, minus the fireworks.

Truth on Tour: Day 2

I woke up early and eager;
Yesterday I managed to accomplish all of my daily resolutions:
Post social media content, spend time writing my new book, give myself a yoga class, find time to read, journal, and still somehow I was able to work.
In order to achieve these tasks, I’ve accepted that I have to wake up before the sun comes out.
My body wants sleep, but my soul needs to feel fulfilled;
Sometimes balance requires compromise––while on tour, it comes in the form of a baker’s wake-up call.
...It’s time to make the donuts!

Life on Tour

I'm hours away from embarking on a four week tour of the US; teaching, choreographing, and adjudicating dancers in glamorous cities like New York, Chicago, Atlantic City, and San Antonio.

As if the idea of spending a month living out of a bag, eating lukewarm convention food, and tolerating the needless body pat-downs from power hungry TSA agents doesn't make you think twice about my chosen line of profession—imagine leaving your cuddly puppies, comfortable pillow-topped bed, and of course my husband.

Like a high school Math team, I've spent the past week trying to mentally prepare for my TOURnament, with meditation, "to-do" lists, and creating projects that will keep me distracted while away from home.

One of those projects is a daily account of my life on the road; my objective with Truth on Tour, is to stay positive and creative through a series of quips, videos, pictures, and blog posts.

With any luck, I'll be so overwhelmed with creativity and brilliant energy, that I won't be so consumed with missing my family.

But for today, I'm going to enjoy a puppy in my lap and the other cuddling up next to me!

Zen Accountability

In an effort to stay present on tour, while also finding time to exercise my body and my mind, I'm going to start a new social media experiment; which will encourage me to meditate and simultaneously maintain my mental and physical strength.
#TenMinuteYogaOnTour
The idea is simple: Whether I’m in an airport waiting for a connecting flight or in the Green Room waiting to go on stage; there is no reason why I cannot find ten minutes in every day to be mindful.  The bonus is that I can stay connected socially and encourage others to take positive steps in their mental, physical, and spiritual health, too.
I haven’t worked out all of the details, and I’m not entirely certain how to incorporate an interactive social presence––but like every new adventure, the path will become clear once I start the journey.
Regardless of the success of this new yoga based social experiment; I know that I will stay accountable and aware of my overall health––and that is a Zensation!

Life On Tour; One Word:

Coffee!

The End Of The Road...

Six weeks, five cities, seven book signings, twenty different clothing combinations, thirty five hundred entries, countless plays of “Dear Future Husband”, enough pizza to build a bridge to Rome and back, more alcohol than water, glitter, confetti, hotel beds, hotel bars, Netflix, late night adventures on a golf course, and almost no sleep…
The time has finally come––our 2015 season has officially ended.
The only thing left to do is party on a yacht!

Life On Tour

Dancers travel in packs.
Like high school girls vying for Queen bitch.
Lining up at Southwest for our last national competition;
I’m so ready for a break from the #Drama.

Life on Tour

I’m an adventurist.
Never one to shy away from an unearthed path; I seek adrenaline in discovering new heights––personally and professionally.
Working on the road is has been an endless journey in self-awareness and evolution.
I’ve spent the past twenty years traveling for my job.
It’s sounds glamorous––hotels, exotic locations, new cultures, food, fancy parties, everything you imagine exists.
However the setbacks come a with a laundry list as well.
When I was in my early twenties I savored waking up in a new city ready to learn, I racked up the frequent flyer miles, too.
Experiencing the world on someone else’s dollar is not a bad way to earn a living.
I learned how to communicate in foreign languages, make the most of ten hours in a new city, get lost in a cathedral, pack a carry-on for a fifteen day trip, find the perfect cup of coffee, and socialize with strangers. My time on the road has been well spent.
Now in my late thirties, I’m running out of steam. Flying all night, public transportation, missing workouts, no time to meditate, eating poorly, drinking until all hours of the night, lumpy hotel beds, and long nights away from my husband and puppies is taking its toll.
I’m ready for a new adventure: Fatherhood.
I’m an artist and I will always seek out new opportunities that push me from my comfort zone.  It’s time to create something bigger than me.
I’m at the fork in the road, and ready to try a new path.