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"My Summer Adventure"

August 29, 2006

I hurled a gold streamer into the air amidst three hundred other graduates (cap throwing prohibited at our graduation, mind you), greeted throngs of proud onlookers, and thought silently, “Thank god that’s over, now I can get on with my life!”

Taking my high school graduation with a grain of salt, I knew I accomplished something, but bigger things loomed, including the summer ahead, but especially the start of my freshman year at Rollins College in August. Eagerly anticipating orientation, I filled my summer with plenty of projects and plans.

Traveling often rivals acting on my list of favorite things to do, and this summer I ventured somewhere I have wanted to visit since age five: New York City. Needless to say, theatre also played and still plays a huge role in my summer, in addition to personal reflection and betterment. I made a resolution to tie myself down and read those great books lingering on my shelf and pitifully collecting dust. On the flip side, due to my lack of exercise since my last high school swim practice (last fall, yikes), I started running and lifting weights to keep a sound body to compliment a sound mind. Of course, college activities have to appear several times in the first summer before college, and I have plenty of those to touch on, but for the sake of chronological accuracy, I’ll start with my commencement ceremony, and work my way to the present day.

After receiving several handshakes and one piece of paper, I officially left the Brevard Public School System and headed to Project Graduation, a fantastic way to prevent post-graduation drinking and car accidents, not to mention deprive every graduate of abundant sleep. Partying one last time with my graduating class provided some great memories and hilarious photos, but everyone started to wind down at around 3 a.m., and we could not leave until five.

My wonderful mom gave me a two part graduation present that started over winter break with a seven day trip to London with two of my best friends. I’ll never forget those seven days, but I’ll save that story for another time. Part two consisted of a trip to New York City with my family (mom, grandparents, aunt and uncle). As our plane reached cruising altitude, a low tremor of trepidation stirred my stomach and roused my previously at-ease mind. I love to fly and I especially love roller coasters (I grew up around Orlando, for Pete’s sake) but traveling anywhere with my family always frightens me. I love them dearly, but our vacationing styles clash. My friend Erica and I covered the entire city of London in about seven days, while my family would require a month to cover the same ground. Luckily, my mother and I came to an agreement: I could go anywhere I pleased as long I didn’t die and met them in time for dinner or whatever show we had tickets for. Many of my great memories from the trip came just from wandering aimlessly and finding little known shops and kiosks. When I walked on Broadway for the first time, I had something akin to an out of body experience. My head swirled with pure reverence and an unquenchable thirst to return one day as an actor and director. I took in three shows: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Doubt, and Sweeney Todd all of which I adored. A taping of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and a night of comedy at the Improv provided some more quality entertainment, not to mention I was four blocks away from the Tony Awards while they happened. I’m a museum nut and a sucker for great architecture, so I had to visit St. Patrick’s, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, and The Met. MoMA and the Met were my favorites, can’t go wrong with David and Van Gogh, especially Starry Night.

One of my favorite mantras, “Do all things with passion,” comes from my love of the theatre, and I apply this philosophy to all aspects of life. Needless to say, I would not have the drive I possess without the theatre, and I engaged in four theatrical productions throughout the summer. I commenced with a song and dance revue of nineteen-forties music, The Original Broadway Swing! Singing and dancing also rank high on my list of favorites, but senseless fun without a storyline or greater purpose can satisfy the aesthetic soul for only so long, hence my following forays: How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying and Dinner with Friends. I performed the role of Bud Frump, the villain, in the foremost. Frankly, I enjoy portraying the villain more than the hero in any capacity for several reasons: release of negativity, unique character traits, and the freedom to commit morally corrupt deeds onstage. A colleague entrusted me with directing Dinner with Friends and I enjoyed it more than any show I’ve performed in. I loved bringing my vision to life much more than performing in anyone else’s vision. To flex my technical muscle and maintain a well-rounded resume, I took a stage management job for a production of Cheaper by the Dozen going up near the end of the summer.

In those fleeing moments of down time, focusing on the semester ahead and personal betterment takes top priority. I signed up for summer orientation and Camp Alliance to establish the framework for my college activities, and I’m already practicing the all-important art of networking on Facebook (God’s gift to college students). I never have nor will regret anything, and coming to Rollins is certainly no exception. Most of all, I take everything, good and bad, as a learning experience and will always emerge wiser from triumph and disaster. My emotional and physical bags are packed. I have my shower shoes, shower caddy, and the all-important mini dry erase board. Rollins, here I come!

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