But I get burnt out. And sometime in the last year, I realized just how burnt out I really was. So I decided to take the summer off of stage managing. I usually stage manage at Zilker every summer. I started out there in 2003 as a random backstage crew member. By 2005, I was co-deck manager. In 2008, I became the lone deck manager. And in 2009, I added rehearsal stage manager as well. Last year, I even had the opportunity to call the show for a weekend. FYI - deck manager means you're in charge of everything (set, props, actors, etc) on the actual stage, rehearsal stage manager means you're in charge of organizing rehearsals, and calling the show means coordinating lights, sound, and the running of the actual show. So, Zilker has always been a part of my summers. It's been a large part. It's a huge commitment. 7-ish weeks of rehearsal followed by a 6-week run. During rehearsals, I'm there pretty much every night and once the show opens, it's 4 nights a week (Thursday-Sunday). So I decided that this year, I'd take the summer off and not do Zilker. It was a hard decision to make, but I knew that I needed it for my own sanity. I ended up filling up May and June with a ton of traveling. And July and August, I had a lot more free time than I usually do. Now, for various reasons, I did end up back at Zilker for a total of 12 nights this year, but still, it was a significant step back. And, for the most part, the nights that I was there, I wasn't in charge. I wasn't responsible for the show. I could come in, do my part, and let someone else deal with the responsibility that I usually had.
And what did I learn from that? I learned that stepping away from that responsibility and handing if off to someone else for a time felt great. I started to see how much responsibility I had taken on in all areas of my life. And I yearned for more freedom. More opportunities to step away from the responsibilities of life. So the question became, what can I do to experience a break? But not just a week, not just a month. A significant, long-term break from everything. And I started thinking about my road trip again. I pulled out the spreadsheet and started playing with it. Enhancing the functionality of it. Making it easier for me to plan and plan and re-plan. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it could be an actual reality for me. I ran some rough numbers on the financials and realized that I could do it. I could go next summer. So the more I've thought about it, and the more people I've told, the more solid the plan becomes. It's happening. I've even already told my boss at my day job, and he's totally supportive and has told me that I'll have place when I come back.
So, here's the current plan. Leaving Austin on May 11, 2013. I'll pack up my apartment and put everything into storage. I still have to find someone who would be willing to watch my two cats for the summer, but I'm sure I'll find someone. Doing a clockwise loop around the country. Returning to Austin August 30. I have 36 destinations and many, many places to stop at between the destinations. Some other time, I'll talk about the in-between stops, but for now, here are the destinations:
- Oklahoma City
- Denver
- Grand Canyon
- Las Vegas
- San Diego
- Los Angeles
- Monterey, CA
- San Francisco
- Healdsburg, CA
- Portland, OR
- Seattle
- Vancouver
- Bull Hill Guest Ranch
- Glacier National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Chicago
- Toronto
- Cooperstown, NY
- Ottawa
- Boston
- Martha's Vineyard
- New York City
- Philadelphia
- Bridgeport, NJ
- Wilmington, DE
- Lancaster, PA
- Baltimore, MD
- Washington DC
- Charlottesville, VA
- Asheville, NC
- Wilmington, NC
- Charleston, SC
- Savannah, GA
- Disney World
- Pensacola, FL
- New Orleans
WOW! What an adventure. Gonna miss seeing you around Austin, but it sounds like a truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime trip. Very jealous.
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