The Glamorous Life...

The filtered light and steam billowing from the gap below the bathroom door nudged me up twenty minutes before the soft rippling waves of my alarm were set to wake me;
Still in a Netflix haze––binge watching Glow––had me body slamming pillows all night long.
My roommate finishes getting ready in the bathroom, while I check my Instagram account, trying to commit to getting up.
If I want to avoid another ten minute Starbucks line, I’ve got to get my ass in the shower...
Sleeping in is not an option on tour.

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

It Comes With The Job Title

The crust in my eyes reminds me of being a child;
So does the tantrum I’m throwing right now because I have to get up so early.
#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.

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.

I'm Home!

Waking up in my own bed;
Puppies on either side––cuddling me with unconditional love.
After three weeks on the tour I feel recharged, but not yet ready for more;
Thankfully, I have three days in Los Angeles, before I go back out on the road.
The life of an artist is often lonely and always grueling.
On the one hand, we get to express ourselves through writing, dancing, painting, or performing––hopefully inspiring an emotion or thought provoking reaction in others; what we forget is how taxing that energy is to cultivate and distribute.
I’m always elated to share my journey;
And even more delighted when my journey brings me home.

Truth on Tour: Day 23

Four cities in three weeks;
Hotel rooms have become my new home––thankfully tomorrow I return to my family and life in LA.
The pause button is pressed on the road;
Friends, family, and projects continue without you.
I set resolutions in an effort to stay focused on the positive aspects of my time away from loved ones––no distraction or goal is great enough to completely soothe the hardship that distance creates.
Still I found time to create, laugh, meditate, develop new friendships, perform, and collect a paycheck.
Life is full of tradeoffs;
Some are harder than others.
When I left Los Angeles I was overwhelmed at the daunting schedule that I had committed to; but I reminded myself to stay present and focus on one day at a time––in doing so, I found balance every day and the opportunity to evolve as a person and artist.
There is nothing more liberating than the power of awareness and the freedom of making a choice: stay present and make the best of every circumstance.

Truth on Tour: Day 22

Today is my last day of work on tour;
I get paid to sit at a table with industry professionals and share fun stories while watching the next generation of talented performers take stage.
It’s been a whirlwind journey full of laughter, creativity, backstage drama, egos, attitudes, adventures, and love.
Life on the road is not for everyone––I’m thankful that as I’ve grown older, I’ve learned how to us my time thoughtfully and continue to evolve as a person and an artist.
I’m not sure if I’m eager to sign up for another creative project that takes me away from my family and our home for more than a week; but like every true gypsy, I’ll decide that in the moment,

Truth on Tour: Day 21

Gearing up for another twelve–hour day in the theater;
After getting a solid four hours of sleep.
I’m ready to face the day with: positive energy and a lot of coffee.
Sometimes balance requires caffeine.

Truth on Tour: Day 20

My time on tour is almost done;
It’s hard to believe I’ve been away from home for a month.
Once you’re on the road you lose track of time and the days all feel like one gigantic scene in a movie––you wake up and you feel like you’ve already finished the scene, and the director is calling for another take.
Growing up I dreamed of this life; traveling, performing, late-night parties, hosted events, and the money––don’t forget the money.
I don’t take for granted how blessed I’ve been to travel the world; my childhood dream has been actualized as a career.
It’s remarkable what a person can accomplish when they believe that nothing is impossible.
I’m grateful that I knew what I wanted for my life at a very early age––moreover, I am incredibly thankful that I had a loving, supportive family and was surrounded by inspirational mentors who believed in me.
So, as my time on tour wraps up I can say without hesitation that I made the most of every day.  I stayed present, positive, creative, healthy––and though I worked hard, I enjoyed fun activities, too.
The best part, I am returning home to a loving family, a beautiful home, money in the bank, and a manuscript that is three chapters closer to being complete!

Truth on Tour: Day 18

A brisk walk outdoors in Lake Tahoe is the perfect way to start a week of ruling hours;
Finding balance is difficult in life––and can be even more so when you’re on the road working in close proximity with the same people, doing the same job over and over again.  Some might call it insanity.
Luckily I’ve stayed on course with my daily resolutions and continue to find time to laugh, be creative, exercise, and get out of the theater.
Even now, as I’m sitting at the Starbucks in Heavenly Village I feel at peace;
Surrounded by gorgeous mountains and a pristine lake––how could I not be present?

Truth on Tour: Day 15

Past halfway;
The home stretch!
Staying focused, creative, and accountable.
A smile and some positivity goes a long way.

Truth on Tour: Day 13

Finding peace in chaos;
Meditation is possible, even with excess noise.
Breathe,
Tune-out,
Release,
Trust,
Focus,
Commit to the resolutions that have encouraged positive and creative energy.
Seeking balance is key to establish a drama-free time on tour;
When the cast and crew start to complain––shut up and walk away;
Nothing good will come from gossip––this isn’t the CW Network,
And I’ve got more important things to do.

Truth on Tour: Day 12

I’m eating an un-toasted bagel and drinking burnt black coffee, crouched behind a banquet-style folding table covered with a standard polyester hotel tablecloth; on top piles of merchandise stacked in neat piles is ready to be pillaged by hundreds of dance moms.
I have four hours of “downtime” until I teach a master class; with hundreds of eager young dancers––all just like I used to be: talented, idealistic, and hungry for fame.

If they only knew that the road to fame is paved in a swirly-mustard patterned stained ballroom carpet at [NAME ANY POPULAR HOTEL ACROSS THE COUNTRY].


Not that I’m complaining, I have loved every moment of my career––and I continue to remain grateful for every opportunity I get; sometimes they come with red-carpet treatment, and sometimes you’re just delighted that the carpet doesn’t have (many) unidentifiable red stains.

Truth on Tour: Day 3

I’m up.
It’s too early, but I woke up––I’m alive; which is a great thing.
It would be really difficult to pursue my dreams if I were dead.
I don’t remember the first time I heard the expression, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” But I understand the wise words from either John Lennon or Allen Saunders, depending on what you believe on Google.
Humans spend so much time thinking, dreaming, scheming––looking for our purpose; even those who were born with a burning passion, a genius mind, or a remarkable talent sometimes forget the beauty of life.
Today is here; use it, or lose it.

Truth on Tour: Day 1

The alarm rang ten minutes after I woke up;

It's rare that I get a good nights sleep before a travel day.

Showered, dressed, and kissed the puppies goodbye.

We arrived to an empty airport—apparently the only time LAX is calm: 4AM.

I reacted like a First grader when they lose their favorite toy when I discovered that Starbucks was closed, and wouldn't open until after we take off.

The drama continued when I realized that I'm going to be on a three hour flight sitting next to a man who smells like Robert Downey Jr's breath (before rehab.)

This is #TheGlamorousLife!

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!

Travel Day

Parking at a cement graveyard of cars,

Left abandon for days as their navigators fly to exotic locations like Cleveland, OH for work.

It can be brutal—almost as dreadful as the walk across this sea of pavement to the shuttle bus; 

Just in time for it to pull away.