Many days, several months, and seven years later...

Up, up and away!  Here we go...this is it...the time has come...are you ready for this?  Are you dreaming?  Is it too soon?  Too crazy?  Did you pack those extra ziplocks???

Shhhhh....Ash shhhhh. It is time.  It is now.  It is the present!

For as long as I can remember I have always longed to travel, especially to Europe, and specifically to Paris.  As of about 5 years ago, until November 22 of 2011, I have been juggling with the seriousness in venturing across the deep blue sea (and to more specifically audition for dance companies), but the timing was never quite right.  I was either dancing in Milwaukee, or Las Vegas, or back in LA trying to "figure it out".  Well, after leaving Sin City this past year, I officially decided to take flight - also my parents said get out of here!  Haha...not quite like that...but in their own way they knew it was my time.

So it was decided - I would leave in January and stay as late as March.  In the meantime, I started dancing with Pasadena Dance Theatre again as well as Nancy Evans Dance Theatre (my mom's modern company =]) while also working part time at Abercrombie & Fitch and taking French lessons again at the Alliance Française de Pasadena - so I had a full plate indeed!  Then something, or rather, someone threw off my course a bit and came bounding back into my life at a racing glorious speed...

...and seven years later...Ashley Cramer and I finally had lunch after rain checking it for maybe 4 or 5.  It was mid October at La Grande Orange in Pasadena where we embraced, LAUGHED, gabbed, LAUGHED, ate, got serious, and LAUGHED some more.  Nothing had changed since we were 4 years old, yet everything had while still attached at the hip.  So in our massive catching up session, I explained my plan to finally explore Europe and see if a dance job is out there for me, and in that moment, her face glazed over with wonderment.  That was when we knew she had the bug too.  She's a grill cook at the prestigious Osteria Mozza restaurant in Hollywood and went into explaining how she's been also dying to go and stage (a cook's audition so to speak) all around Europe, but specifically northern/central Italy.  Once she said that, my immediate reaction was, "Come with me! You have nothing to loose!! This is OUR time NOW!"  From then on the wheels have been turning and a month later, on November 22, 2011, we bought our plane tickets to Germany =].  I couldn't ask for any better travel companion either.  She is a childhood friend, who is a life long friend and someone I can't imagine living without.  Not only do we have the same sense and cravings for adventure, but we also know what it's like to work so hard and full heartedly at a discipline that demands your whole soul.  Knowing someone else is out there who not only understands how you lead your life, but also understands you is such a beauty of life.  Plus this girl can make me LAUGH at the drop of a pin - and lord knows I need to laugh more!

In the past 3 months I had to re-compile my dance reel, update my resume, get new a new head shot, research all the companies to audition for, and finally send them my materials.  Then I started to hear back from places with most of their replies as: "thank you for your interest in our company, although at this time we do not see you as a fit for our company."  In the maybe 20 places I applied for, I ended up landing 2 auditions so far: Leipzig Ballet and class with my brother at Kiel Ballet.  At first I was upset and worried I let my parents down and myself for not being more "successful", but then of course my parents said I was ridiculous and that I am doing what I need to do - just go over there and scope out the scene.  I also realized pretty quickly that in my more open calendar it fell into place with my goal for myself this past year - "to get happy for me".  Dance has been a leading force in my life and I am grateful to have the knowledge of my career aspirations and passion at such a young age, although now it's time for Ashleigh to come out and take the reigns; dance you are going to have to be in the backseat this time.  So now I am at peace with myself in that sense and ready to take on the world and taste its beauty.  I know this trip is going to be monumental for me and it will get me to that next chapter in my life - something is going to change that will enrich my whole being and my dancing.  I cannot wait.

So the day has come, in 7 hours exactly we will be on a plane to Newark, New Jersey, that will then connect to Hamburg, Germany!!!  This is where we will finally take a train up to Kiel and meet up with my amazing brother Nik!! Oh man I cannot wait to see his goofy face...And then getting to dance with hi again!  Such a treat. =]  Then our adventure begins - In my original planning I was potentially going to have auditions all throughout January and primarily in Germany; this meant Ash and I would be separated for most of the trip!  Then in my responses to my audition materials my schedule cleared up quite a bit leaving January and most of February open to travel with her and take classes wherever we go.  So this weekend is Berlin and Amsterdam!!!  Oh yes, loads of fun about to commence.  Watch out world, here come the Ashes!!!