Big props

Wow, okay so it's been a long time.  Things have happened.  I am a newlywed, my career has shifted, and my world has been ROCKED. 

So remember my blog in June, "Confessions of a Girl Who Wants to Rock?"  The blog entry entirely dedicated to my dream and strong desire to be in ROCK OF AGES?  The one where I took a deep breath and told the world how BADLY I wanted to be a pole dancing, 80's-fabulous video vamp?  Well, as I write this, I am in Minneapolis, our third city on the First National Tour of ROCK OF AGES, and I am having the time of my life.  I want you to know that I got it.  I have it, and am now sitting smack in the middle of my dream show, loving every freaking glitter-dipped second of it. 

I am convinced that the shift happened when I started verbalizing it.  Writing about it.  Upping the cosmic ante, choosing to believe I could have it, and for the first time in a long while, sharing what I held closest to the vest.  It was scary.  I felt vulnerable and weird and cheesy.  But guess what?  I left it all on the floor, and it worked.  I'm here.  And every day, I am grateful.  Last night was my first onstage performance, and it was so much fun!  I was so lucky to have the support of the cast and crew, not to mention THE best husband, who sent me lovey messages and blessings all day, and proudly tagged me in his Facebook posts as I made my debut as Justice, an 80's strip club she-pimp on the Sunset Strip.

The last few months have been charged for sure- so much emotion as I left my Hoboken apartment and my man for our first tour stop, 15 days before our Vermont wedding.  The excitement of opening a Broadway First National Tour and being part of it all.  The perfect wedding weekend with our families and closest friends.  The most luxurious, romantic honeymoon of all time.  The thrill of finally going onstage after two months of preparation.  And now, as I settle into tour life for the long haul, I can take a deep breath (and maybe a nap), and say THANK YOU. 

THANK YOU God for giving me EVERYTHING I WANTED this year so far.
THANK YOU to a supportive cast, my new friends, who are so outrageously talented.  It is such a blast out here with you all.
THANK YOU to my students and bosses and mentors in the fitness world for understanding that I had to go, and for loving me anyway
THANK YOU to Brian for supporting my dream so fully that you are flying all over the country every 2 weeks to see me, and for reiterating that I had to take this job, even during our first year of marriage.
THANK YOU to the producers of ROCK OF AGES for granting me my wedding and honeymoon off!!!  Seriously, THANK YOU!
THANK YOU to my agent for having the balls to ask for that and believing that I could actually get it (and THANK YOU for that amazing bottle of champagne on opening night!)!
THANK YOU to everyone who trekked to Vermont for our wedding.  I hope you had as much fun as we did! 
THANK YOU to Emily Post, or whoever said we have a year to write Thank You notes (but I promise it won't be that long)!

Since I'm no longer teaching at the gym, I have renamed my blog "It's Just The Road."  Same theme applies.  I am finding that perspective, my theme for "It's Just the Gym," is a quality that I really need on the road!  Something funny happens when you tour... your world gets a lot smaller.  You travel, work, and socialize with the same people every day.  At first you suffer from what my friend and fellow swing Dan calls "FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out), so you roll with the pack as much as you can.  Then, before you know it, a misplaced wig cap sends you into a backstage tirade because you didn't give yourself any breathing room in that last city, or you were up until 2am watching "The Event" on Hulu.  You freak out if you don't make a quick change or if you bump into someone onstage.  You would rather keel over and die than miss a performance when you're under the weather.  It's in these moments when we must remind ourselves... OH YEAH!  It's just a rock show!  With poop jokes and Whitesnake songs.  And it's supposed to be FUN!

Enter: extreme self care.  I'm learning to find the balance out here.  We have to take care of ourselves, stay creative, nurture our bodies and our minds, drink water, make our hotel rooms feel like homes.  My FOMO is gone.  I have lots of time to make memories.  I'm starting to think creatively in my spare time.  We are shooting our first ROAdy Productions webisode.  I am thinking about knitting again.  Taking every day as it comes, and remaining grateful for it all, as we navigate our way across the country on this incredible journey.  Much more to come, and thanks so much for reading!