Summer has barely begun and I've already taken two trips in two weeks. And none of them were exactly close by. I began my summer by taking a week long trip to Fort Lauderdale to visit Dave's sister Rachel, her husband Johnny, and their daughter Lexi. Lexi had her first ballet recital so I thought since I had the time and some Air Tran credit to use, I'd go support her and spend some time with all of them. Lexi seemed to have so much fun at her recital and was so so cute up there! She seemed very focused but she also was aware that she needed to smile. I hope she continues dancing because she's very cute when she does it. Besides the recital, I also got to spend two mornings at the beach, an afternoon at the neighbors' pool, seeing The Great Gatsby at an iPic theatre in Boca, some cooking lessons plus a cooking class, a Three Olives fundraiser, and quality time with the family. It was such a relaxing time for me and it further confirmed my decision to move back to Florida. My roots will always be in Arkansas but this girl connects more with sunshine, palm trees, and the beach.
The second trip was to Chicago, which I just returned from today. It was more of a last minute decision. My mom found out that a Disney equity actors audition was being held there and since my old roommate Sammi lives in Chicago, we thought that'd work out perfectly. And it did! Sammi and I got to catch up a little (we haven't seen each other in 2.5 years) and I met her precious little dog Esme (who I almost stole as we left today). It was fun to act like 18 year olds again. The trip was so worth it not just because of my time with Sammi but also because my audition went really well! It was for improv comedic actors at Disney in Orlando and I was hesitant to audition at first because I don't have much experience with improv comedy. I'm one of those people that's only funny if I don't try to be. But the casting directors loved the monologue that I did and they asked me to stay around for a callback. After about an hour and a half of waiting, they gave me a script and said to follow the script but also add some funny improv lines in there. I had maybe 10 minutes to read over the script AND come up with some witty comebacks. I had a mental block at first but once the first witty thing came to me, it kept pouring out from there and I even threw in some last minute "zingers" while I was doing my callback audition for the directors. They laughed during that part too but I also know that a LOT of people audition for these things so the competition is rough. And it's unlikely that I'll get this job but I'm just so happy that my first audition in over a year went so well! It will definitely give me more confidence for my upcoming auditions in Orlando and Tampa next month.
So as you can see, my life has gone from 0 to 60 almost overnight. April was more of a dull month (with the exception of Dave's family visiting and my baby niece being born) and I felt like I used that month to get out all my anger and vent to God about my frustrations. But even though Dave has only been gone about three months, it's amazing how much life is already changing for me in those three months. I definitely didn't think I'd be ready to audition and put myself out there again after everything that's happened but wow, God is sure working a lot in my life. He's called me back to Orlando, He's told me that He has a great plan for my life that He wants me to discover, and He has promised me that He will provide for me no matter where I am or what I do. This is why I'm not scared to go back to Orlando, it will be bittersweet at times but I succeeded there before, there's no reason why can't I succeed again.
A woman who Dave knew back in Florida (who was also a young widow) has been a great source of comfort for me and even though we've only communicated and met through Facebook, she has said some wonderful things to me. The one thing that sticks out the most that she has said to me is that when you're young, life tends to move at a faster pace and be prepared for ANYTHING. There's no timeline on anything, when the moment feels right, seize it. Hence the decision to go audition in Chicago, it just felt right to do so, even if I don't get the job. Life is definitely moving at a fast pace for me and in a way, I'm thankful for that. But I'm also learning that this is the time in my life to do things like that, to go to all these auditions, to move back to Orlando, to do anything that I want to do. One day, this time of my life will be over so why not seize these moments now and live life to the fullest. That's what Dave did and it seems that he's impacted so many lives with his carefree style, now it's time for me to do the same and take those same leaps of faith (and as Dave would tell me, to just STOP WORRYING).
I have a crazy busy summer ahead of me and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love staying busy and looking forward to what's next in my future. I know I'll still have my anger outbursts from time to time but they definitely aren't happening like they were the first couple of months. I can't change what happened so why not make the best out of a bad situation? One step at a time is all I can take and let's face it, that's appropriate for a high heels/boots wearing girl like me :)
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