Lately I've noticed something about myself in the city. That is to say, I'm not noticing things as much anymore. I used to walk down the streets in midtown; my neck in constant strain from looking at the billboards and skyscrapers. I would always take note of landmarks for when I would undoubtedly get lost - backtracking constantly to get my bearings in an attempt to find an entrance to the subway. Now I am able to easily navigate to and from auditions and around the midtown area. And even when I'm going on new adventures to unknown parts of Manhattan, it has become much easier to figure out than it was in the past.
One trait that sets me apart from the normal "tourists" in this city, is my pace. Even though I used to be horribly lost and on the verge of panic, I always walked with purpose. Probably due to the fact that large crowds of people give me anxiety. But regardless, I have never been able to connect with the slow-walking tourist who seems to be living in a world with a much stronger gravitational pull. And even during the trips and adventures that seemed the most daunting, I would rather stop and step aside to figure things out and then hurry off in a direction, than mosey on down the sidewalk creating a multitude of pedestrian traffic jams. In fact, this pace issue was one of the first clues that I noticed when I first visited over Spring Break this year. I knew I would fit in.
Auditions this week have been a little rough. I've had to skip two due to health concerns. From what I've heard, some sort of cold/flu bug is going around and I believe that I have caught my own version. I feel like it's just another sinus infection, but I wanted to make sure I didn't delay my body's response to repairing my health - so I stayed home. It seems to have worked and I have been getting back into those studios auditioning for all sorts of things. I would love to get very specific with all the different shows I'm auditioning for, but after a while it becomes such a chore to remember everything. On average I've been doing about 5 to 6 auditions a week and have had some very positive response. However if I always got my hopes up for every audition that was, in my eyes, "a success", then I wouldn't be able to truly enjoy this city. I would be sitting and waiting for that phone call telling me "Hey, kid. So you wanna be on Broadway? Well here's your chance!" and that's no way to go about life. Instead I am hoping to just be surprised one day when my phone rings and I'm offered something life-changing.
I promised to keep things shorter this time around and I will keep my end of the deal. My next promise is to take pictures and incorporate them into my blog. Thank God for my iPhone. I am always ready to snap a picture and document my life. Let me know if there is something you want me to talk about or some part of my experience that you find especially exciting and I will try to cover it in more detail soon.
