Back From The Dead

      For those of you who have been wondering, no I did not die. No, I was not taken prisoner. No, I did not move to some remote island that does not receive a wi-fi connection. It just so happens, that for the past couple of weeks, I was whisked away to the beautiful, entertaining, exciting state of California. I promised myself I'd keep up with blogging while I was gone, but of course, life got in the way. We were early to rise, seeing the sites, starting in San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge. Eating tons of Boudin's sourdough bread. The Seventeen Mile Drive. Then we traveled down the coast, stopping in small towns and big cities. Then to Hollywood. Home of the stars; a center of culture, fame, and fortune. Then, my personal favorite, to Anaheim! We "left today and entered the land of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy" through the gates of Disneyland. Saw the shows: Aladdin, World of Color, etc. Rode all of the rides...some more than once. We even dressed like the characters one of the days we enjoyed the parks. then on to San Diego. Home of the zoo that is one of four in the country that is home to a panda bear. Then, on our last night of our vacation, I receive a text from my parents telling us to go out onto our hotel room balcony. We hear the sounds of "Mr. Roboto". My sister and I glance at each other, pull out our iPhones, and Google the fact that the voice we hear is indeed that of the lead singer of Styx. The live concert followed by a fireworks show over the water. All visible and audible from the comforts of our hotel balcony.

       Needless to say, it was a great trip. But, all good things must come to an end. I am now safely back home and forced to face reality. The reality of band camp, school starting, friends who want to hang out before the summer comes to a sudden halt. I promise you this: I have TONS of blog topics I thought of while either looking out the car window and some beautiful California scenery or sitting in my plush theater seat, watching the bright costumes flail back and forth in the live reenactment of Aladdin. But, if I do miss a few days here and there within the next couple of weeks, I do apologize. But, with band camp (six hours a day of marching) and school starting, things are bound to get hectic. 

      Vacations are a beautiful thing. In my family, they're not exactly the most relaxing of experiences. We never slept in or spent lazy days at the beach. No, instead, we get up early and cover more ground than most would think possible in the time we're given. I'm happy we vacation this way. California was just FULL of things to see and places to go. But then again, I can't help looking back on my crazy busy summer and long for just a few days to just do nothing.