The Last Few Days

Party time!

I've been back in Missoula since Sunday to wrap up the Winter/Spring tour and start prepping for the Summer tour, which means that a lot has been happening and I haven't had a lot of time for blogging.

Check-in was pretty crazy, but after we were done, we did what all good theatre people do -- we partied. Being back with so many other TADs has been incredible because we are the most connected unconnected group of people you could possibly find; we never get to spend more than a few days together and yet we have a shared experience that is so unique that we can't help but be close. I've loved getting to hear everyone's stories -- good and bad -- and getting to spend time with adults again.

After check-in was done on Tuesday, many of us had a totally free day on Wednesday! I can't remember the last time that I had a day entirely to myself! I also turned in Sweeney on Wednesday (who I had driven/ridden in for 9920.1 miles over the course of the tour) and got my new, yet-to-be named truck, MCT78 for Aladdin. MCT78 is swanky. It is a baby compared to Sweeney, very red, very shiny and very new (2013). I'm digging it. After freaking out over my new toy that isn't a toy, my friends and I decided to climb to the M. The University of Montana is in Missoula and for whatever reason, they decided to carry a giant letter "M" up Mount Sentinel that has since become a bit of a tourist destination. It is 3/4 mile to the M and way steeper than it looks but from the mountain, you get to see all of Missoula and more and that is pretty wonderful.

After climbing the M, I drove Mandy and our other friend, Sam, to the airport to say goodbye. I feel bad for whoever was sitting next to them on their flights because they sort of smelled after our hike, but it was hard to say goodbye. I don't know what to do without a tour partner to consult with anymore!

Yesterday we had training all day, which was rough for several reasons: A) we're all sort of fried and B) the weather here is beautiful and no one wants to be indoors. Rehearsal outside quickly became my goal for the day and I got a bit of it in the afternoon.

After a long day of learning Aladdin and acting like a penguin, I drove another friend to the airport and went to see some fellow TADs perform drunk Shakespeare, which was a time and a half. This morning, I woke up at the ass-crack of dawn to drive another two TADs to the airport (you're welcome, everyone).

Tonight, it's my turn to go to the airport. I'll be leaving from the theatre at 5 for my 8:25 flight to Seattle. I'm lucky though because my friend, Blaire (a fellow mermaid turned genie) is on the same flight! Her trip ends in Seattle though, while I get to take the red eye to Boston. I have not seen MA since 2014! Crazy, right?

Oh well, thanks for a wonderful five months, MCT (and Mandy, I guess...). I'll be seeing you soon, Missoula (and not as soon as I'd like, Mandy).

Back in Missoula

We've gone full circle, everyone. We are officially back in the United States of America with our 4G and more specifically, we are back in Missoula with our friends!

We couldn't leave Canada without blowing through my remaining Tim Horton's gift cards and ended up with 50 TimBits and more assorted goodies. When we arrived in Missoula, we met back up with the other mermaids and everyone had some very insane stories to tell. We just got back from going to see Pitch Perfect 2 with everyone and now it's time for some last minute prep before two full days of check in!

Just a few mermaids...

Analog Coffee

We went back to Analog Coffee this morning and I got a cookie!

And so the sand shifts through the hour glass...

Last show day milkshakes!

And so the sand shifts through the hour glass... 5 months is up! The tour is over and I cannot believe.

We had our last two shows yesterday. They went well although the very last show of the tour got off to a rough start when an icky parent decided to be unpleasant in my general direction but it ended incredibly with gifts from the school and lots of hugs from the kids (don't worry, MCT, they hugged me, I didn't hug back because we never touch the children!).

We left at 4am this morning for Calgary because the trip back to Missoula is too long to make in one day. It was a longgg drive to Calgary too. A long, rainy, gray 13 hour drive that included overeating and a rock hitting and cracking our windshield.

MAC AND CHEESE!

When we got to Calgary, we couldn't just relax. We've got check in absolutely everything in the truck when we get back to Missoula and that means we had to do show laundry, so we quickly checked in at our hostel (we're staying at the same place we stayed back during our first week off in February) and went off to the laundromat for the last time. While we were doing laundry, the rain TURNED TO SNOW! Yes, it is currently snowing in Calgary. In the middle of May. After I sent my winter boots home. Of course...

After laundry, it was time for dinner. We couldn't leave Canada without one more order of poutine so we returned to The Big Cheese Poutinerie (a personal favorite find from the tour) and got some mac and cheese poutine.

Now, the creation of my Buzzfeed master list did not take place until after our first visit to Calgary so I didn't know that right next to The Big Cheese was a coffeeshop from the list! I only knew this because I recently checked the list just in case we had any extra time. Before we ever got to Calgary, we'd planned on visiting on our way out of town on Sunday morning, but because they were directly besides each other, we stopped in tonight. Ohmygoodness, am I excited for the morning now! This place has cookies the size of my face! They better have cookies at 7 am now or else they might have a problem...

Finally, we ignored the snow and cold (as has been our tradition) for some milkshakes. Back in February, we tried a whole bunch of milkshake places we'd found on a list but one of the places we really wanted to go to was Clive Burger --The Big Cheese's neighbor on the opposite side -- and their machine was broken the entire time we were in Calgary. We stopped in and Mandy asked if their machine was working because it isn't like two months have passed or anything. Well, Calgary, we have selected our champion and it is Clive Burger! Their milkshake is basically a custard shake and was glorious. Hands down the greatest in Calgary. There was a reason we came back to Calgary and these shakes were it.

Just so everyone knows, by this time next week, I will be snuggling with my puppy and kitties (probably not at the same time because they don't all get along) and curled up in my own bed. I will have also probably gone on a massive Target shopping spree and be full of my mom's macaroni and cheese (sorry mac and cheese poutine, but not even you can compare with that!). 

Between now and then, I've got about 400 more miles in the little red truck, two days of check-in, two more days of training and two plane rides. ...The shifting sands go drifting by, the sands of time that make time fly. [Blue scouts! Set change! Go!]

The sun gets up before 5am here, so I get up before 5am.

British Columbia: The Best Place on Earth and Fort St. John: The Energetic City

Today was my last drive with Mandy to a residency (for THIS tour, cuz ya never know)!!! I can't believe I'm actually saying that. We had a short drive from Grande Cache to Fort St. John, British Columbia (yes, I think 4.5 hours is a short drive now and it is very short compared to the 13.5 hour hike we had last weekend).

This was our first and only residency in BC (our first time in BC really because I don't count the breeze through we did a few months back when we were there for a hot second to get to the border crossing) which means that we had yet to see one of these wonderful signs. Apparently British Columbia is the Best Place on Earth and I had absolutely no idea! I feel like such a fool!!! I still love that every single Canadian town (and province) has their own slogan. It's pretty great!

Fort St. John has a slogan too! It is "The Energetic City."

So far, our time here has been pretty tame. I don't think we're ever very energetic on drive day no matter where we are, but the sun was shining here so we caught some rays and I made banana chocolate chip muffins (Mandy's favorite) that turned out pretty incredibly if I do say so myself (and Mandy said so too). We also went to Dairy Queen and got poutine because it's been a while since we've had any.

So, one more week on the road, a two day drive back to Missoula, a few more days of check-in and training and then home for a well-deserved (albeit far too short) respite. It has all been a such crazy ride -- literally, almost 10,000 miles! -- and I wouldn't trade it for a thing.

Bear Country and Other Country

So much to say in this post and so little time because it's show day. My last show day performing in The Little Mermaid to be exact.

Yesterday, we got out of rehearsal early (not that it mattered since the sky looks exactly the same here at 6 as it does as 9pm) and decided to go for a hike. There is a ton of hiking here but we haven't had time (or the weather) to go out but yesterday was beautiful and it was time for us to find a trail.

We went to Sulphur Gates which is where the Smokey River and Sulphur River meet. It was a short steep hike but worth it!

One thing we found out there was that we're in Bear Country apparently. No, we didn't see a bear, just signs with bear puns telling us that bears might be in the area (Bear in Mind!). I think we'd actually like to see a bear. From our afar. Very, very far. We've got a week left, Canada, don't let us down!
Mandy and I both agree that Grande Cache has our favorite scenery of the tour, which is saying something, because we've seen quite a lot.

Now, along with a wonderful hike yesterday, I got some very exciting news. Lots of news, actually. First, my best friend is coming to visit me from NJ while I'm home which I did not think would happen and then, I got my itinerary for the summer!

Just from looking at the populations, this is going to be quite different (my smallest residency this summer will be 118 times bigger than my smallest residency from the current tour)! PLUS, we have a residency in Massachusetts at the Hanscom Air Force Base which is in Bedford and just an hour away from home (shows what I know about the Air Force since I didn't have a clue it was there at all).

Talladega, AB - 15,846
Charlottesville, VA - 44,349
Indian Head, MD - 3,918
West Point, NY - 6,763
Hanscom AFB, MA - 2,036 active duty, 3,279 family members, 2,380 civilians
Schenectady, NY - 65,902
Waterville, ME - 15,962

More residencies can be (and probably will be) added but seven residencies is nothing compared to the last five months and I am so pumped to get started!

The Grande Cache Rams

I have been in Grande Cache for a few days now and have had very little time to blog. We've been doing a ton of extra workshops and most of my time that isn't dedicated to my job has been dedicated to eating and sleeping. Also, it's been snowing. I send my snow boots home and what does it decide to do? Snow! But the native Canadians are surprised by this too so I don't feel too bad.

We did have some time to walk around town and go see one of Grande Cache's highlights, Rocky the Ram on Monday. I won't say that Rocky is the most impressive roadside attraction we've seen so far (that might go to Beaverlodge's beaver...) but it's fun collecting all of these strange stories of animal statues on the side of the road.

Grande Cache's high school's mascot is also a ram, but it isn't quite as friendly as Rocky. They have a very intimidating ram mascot that is too good not to share. It's like a pirate-ram with an eye patch or something!

One other crazy thing about Grande Cache is the sun. It isn't that the sun looks any different here but it's the fact that I'm writing this post at 10:20pm my time and it's just starting to get dark! After rehearsal tonight, we went out to the playground and it felt like it was the middle of the afternoon! We even have photographic evidence:

It Finally Happened!

We saw a moose! I'm a little zonked after getting up at 3:30 and hitting the road at 4 this morning for the 13.5 hour drive from Belt, MT to Grande Cache, AB, so this post won't be too long but it has finally happened. It only took 4.5 months but we can say that we have seen a real, live Canadian moose, in the fur.

Not going to lie, it was a bit anticlimactic after waiting all of this time, BUT STILL! We saw a moose. Hopefully more in the next two weeks -- with maybe the time to grab a picture!