First City on the Road: Sheridan WY

We are finally on the road! Our first city we travel into the "Wild West" in Sheridan WY.  It was a great week.  We started with a 7hr bus ride and everyone was super excited to get on the road, but sad to leave the families who have welcomed us in as one of their own for the past month.  I'm so glad this staging was in CO this semester because I know I will see my family again.

We were welcomed into the city by some faculty of the local Sheridan College and a small band playing while we met our host families.  My host family was a woman named Susan.  She is on the Board for their local theatre and loves horses.  She lives in an absolutely beautiuful 103 year old Victorian house that she has completely restored.  My roommate was Beatrice from Sweden.  She is very sweet and quiet but very funny and witty too!

Tuesday was the first CI on the road! I went to a Habitat for Humanity site where we scraped all the old paint off a woman’s house and then repainted it. It was a great time to get to know some cast mates, but there were awful wasps chasing us around everywhere.  We played a fun game on our break where we had to come up with different songs that had a specific word.  It was a lot of fun and cool to see how many english songs the non-native speakers came up with.  

That evening Andrew our lighting tech had us over to his home because this is his home town.  He actually had the whole cast and host families over.  It was crazy but good.  All the families brought food and everyone was just hanging out and it was fun because all our host families knew eachother or at least some people because the town is so small.  

Shawna (PA) and I at the Dinner

Study Abroad's transportation to class was a local Trolly

Thursday I was at a new Habitat site for CI.  We painted a whole interior of a house that was being turned over for a new family.  It was a really great accomplishment.  I spent some time getting to know Dylan (CO) and Sarah (WY) and during lunch we were all discussing our childhood favorite actors and bands (there was a large NSYNC and Backstreet Boys debate). .  That night the neighbors were over for dinner.  They are hosting Josiah(OH) and NK (S. Africa).  They also have a daughter my age and a son a few years younger.  After dinner, all of us kids walked to downtown.  I really like their host sister, Haven.  We have a lot in common and she’s very funny.

Our awesome crew

Friday and Saturday were both really great show days. It was a great vibe because  of a new environment and the audience was great! Friday night Haven took Beatrice and I out to ice cream which was really fun.

Sunday Susan took Beatrice and I to a polo match in this beautiful valley.  Then she took us to meet her horse Prairie Sands.  In the evening her son and 3 grandkids came over for dinner.  I had a great time getting to know her son and her grandkids were adorable and we had a lot of fun! I really miss babysitting and spending time with kids while I'm on the road.   Her husband was also home for the evening and it was nice to meet him! He was just as kind and funny as Susan.  This has been a great first week on the road.