Southern Cross

I am currently sitting in the charlotte airport with a few hours to spare and couldn't think of a better time to get up to date on my blog!

Meridian, MS

We arrived in Meridian, MS Wednesday January 21st. It was WARM! It's been a while since I have traveled to the DEEP south and I forgot just how different it is down there. Not bad different, just different...

The first day we didn't really do much of anything aside from go to a laundry mat, at least that I recall over a week later!

I do remember the second day! We had two shows in the morning, then in the afternoon I decided I wanted to go on a little hike/picnic/outdoorsy time since it was 72 degrees out! So I looked up things to do in Meridian and found Dunn's Falls Waterpark, a historic waterfall and park. Sounds great right? If anyone ever looked after it it would be a pretty cool place, but it is in desperate need of a historical society. I was still glad to get out for a bit though.


Climbing the Falls


The rest of the group!

Everyone wasn't too keen on hiking the not so clear hiking trails so we headed back home and then I ventured out on my own to an old historic park in downtown meridian. It was a fun peaceful time.
That night, Jonny, Eric, and I went to go to dinner at Bridget's Restaurant behind the hotel but it had a sign saying it had closed due to economic reasons (ouch) but right across the street it was the grand opening of a new texmex place with 11 dollar pitcher margaritas, so it was all good for us!

Next up... MEMPHIS

I have been very excited for Memphis since we got the schedule so I was happy to finally be there. Margo left me :( but my mommie came out and we had fun exploring all that Memphis has to offer!

The first night we just went to dinner then she headed to bed and Jonny and I joined Rudy and Eric on Beale St downtown for a night out! It was Saturday night and the place was hoppin, sadly so were the cover charges. We checked out a few cool places and danced a little before settling in a karaoke bar. (my love!) anyone who knows me knows my love of Karaoke! Sadly, the DJ was a jerk and I (aka I handed it to Eric and he gave it to her) had to keep slipping her 20s to let me sing. UGH.

The next day a group of us headed to Graceland. Sadly, I forgot to charge my camera and have no pictures of it :( but it was pretty neat. The house itself is a lot smaller than I expected but the grounds are huge and there are a lot of different buildings with different things.

That night, My mom and I traveled to Tunica, MS to gamble! It was my first official casino (other than the sun cruz in Orlando) and it was overwhelming! Apparently I am a good luck charm though because my mom got 340 dollars off her first stay at a craps table, more than she has ever won! After that we proceeded to blow most of it losing on blackjack and video slots! At least neither of us lost money in the end!

The next day we went to the Gibson Guitar Factory in downtown. THAT was cool. It was like being inside an episode of how its made! Nothing was behind glass or anything, we were just walking through watching people make guitars! I really learned a lot.



After that we went to the famous Sun Studios and heard all about the history of the beginnings of Rock and Roll! We stood in the same room and touched the mics and equipment used by the million dollar quartet! Also, very cool.

That night, Eric, Jonny, and I went out again, a little less successfully, not a lot going on on a Monday night in the winter in downtown Memphis, but we ended up back in our Karaoke bar with a much better DJ and without having to pay to sing! It was a fun night.

The next day Mom and I went to breakfast before she left then I went to pick up Margo and Kevin. We went to dinner that night and Margo and Kevin learned the beauty of smoking in bars and restaurants that still exsists in the south. BOO!!! It started pouring down rain so the rest of the night was a night in.

The next morning we awoke to a cancelled show in Memphis and a cancelled trip to Paducah, KY because of the ice storm that had ravaged the southern US. 4 of us had flights out of Paducah on Saturday to make it home for the Equity Liaison Auditions on Monday. I had purchased flight insurance so I figured GREAT no problem I will just fly home earlier from Memphis (where I was supposed to fly through anyway). WRONG. After people telling me it would cost me thousands of dollars any which way I did it and 4 hours on the phone I ended up just eating the price of my original ticket and buying a whole new flight for that night.

Home was GREAT. I did NOTHING. Michael and I hung out and watched movies and the Super Bowl and Kevin, Jonny, and Paul came over for a bit to work on audition stuff. It was a great trip home.

Today I had my audition which went very well! The auditors laughed audibly through my entire monologue which is a good sign. The space was pretty acoustically dead for singing but I think I made a good showing all the same. Public transit and me did NOT get a long today, at all. Needless to say I was supposed to arrive in Cincinnati over an hour ago but I am still sitting here in the Charlotte airport where I arrived at 5pm. LOVE IT.