Band trip: Ninety-five Gifts

I was filled with such foreboding about the band trip that I decided I needed an attitude change.  Modeled after the idea in the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (great concept; couldn't stand the writing style), I challenged myself to find 100 gifts during the 6 days of the trip. 

That list is below, with a few comments.  This is perhaps not interesting to anyone but myself.  I might wish to read this when I am older and more decrepit, to remind myself that I was able (barely) to do this trip.

By far the most enjoyable part of the trip for me was at Universal Studios parks, in the Harry Potter worlds.  They have recreated Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley in an utterly charming, if expensive, way.  A wand costs $48, people.  That's a lot of galleons. The sales staff refer to a credit card as Muggle Money, although I was so lacking in sleep I thought they were saying “bubble money.”  That made sense to me, because going to an amusement park is like being in a bubble. The music in the Harry Potter worlds is vastly superior to the usual amusement park music pablum.

I also enjoyed seeing the dance team workshop.  These young women have a remarkable ability to quickly learn a physical move, remember it, and repeat it gracefully.  Their workshop was a huge intellectual and physical endeavor and they excelled.

Hogwarts at Universal Studios park.  I did not enter;
it was enough for me to admire it from the outside.

The entrance to the village of Hogsmeade

Over in the other Universal Studios park,
Diagon Alley

A very fine mode of transportation.  I rode this train three times.

Band trip Tuesday

Riding this bus is like living with a newborn baby.  You wake up every two hours whether you want to or not.

100 gifts

1 Younger Daughter very helpful during check-in procedure.

2 YD cheerful & enthusiastic!

3 I brought extra water which was needed for students

4 my travel pillow

5 bus has seat belts. Which I am using

6 grapes from fellow chaperone

7 my blanket

8 the chaperone jacket

9 my sweatshirt

Band trip Wednesday

Total steps walked today: at least 20,000

730 am breakfast stop at a McDonald's at Exit 57 off of I95 in Walterboro, SC. Left at 8:35. About 100 people in that McD's all at once (2 buses worth). And that's only 1/3 of the band.

Arrive Univ Studios park 2:30 PM

Met up with Sandy B (orch chaperone) and walked with her for a while. 

Bought choc frog

Arrived at hotel 10:30 PM

100 gifts

10 got extra water from band medic

11 bladder holding up well

12 short legs are better for this type trip. I have short legs

13 breakfast with egg mcmuffin, oj (no caffeine!) and grapefruit

14 so glad I had a shower before leaving home.

15 EK

16 LF

17 VM

18 Husband added more minutes on YD’s phone

19 rather short wait times at the rides at Univ Studios

20 the train between Hogwarts and Diagon Alley

21 Diagon Alley

22 Apple

23 roommate with congenial personality

24 music in the Harry Potter worlds.

25 Advil

 

Snow-covered roofs in Florida

Every few minutes that dragon spews actual fire.
I was not able to catch it with my camera.

Band trip Thurs

Total steps 12,800 - a lazy day

In bed at approx 12:30 AM

Did not sleep one wink

Today I spent most of the day being photographer for the dance team and flag team. Fun!

100 gifts

26 I am still alive

27 comfortable bed

28 did not have to spend $10 on a rain poncho yesterday

29 in Lahore Pakistan it is 100 degrees and I am not there

30 Younger Daughter!

31 YD got up on time and ate a healthy hearty breakfast.

32 smoked salmon at breakfast.

33 water bottle.  Spill-proof (as long as the lid is closed!)

34 granola bars and cereal snack bags I packed at home

35 flexible Disney auditions staff

36 Air conditioned audition studios

37 blessed time alone, completely alone, while waiting for second dance group to arrive.

38 knee functioning okay

39 someone in our group found my lost hotel key in magic Kingdom

40 electrical outlets on the bus for recharging phone

41 ice cream

42 I only had to spend 2 hours in Magic Kingdom

43 got to see the dance team in action

44  the Peoplemover ride

45 cough medicine and antihistamine to help me sleep

Dance team photos involve lots of flying ponytails

Apparently this guy is a member of the Disney empire

Band trip Friday

JB (student) missing pair very expensive dress shoes.

About 10:30 AM entered Epcot

11:30 call time for Band

12:00 departed on bus from Epcot to concert venue

2:30 left to return to Epcot

By 9 pm had walked 16,300 steps

Total steps probably 25,000 for Friday.

100 gifts

46 bus drivers who know their job and do it well

47 dedicated and competent band parents - all volunteers

48 my fanny pack.

49 kids tolerant, cooperative, and even sometimes enthusiastic about me taking their photo

50 athletic bra

51 peanut butter biscuit for lunch

52 Younger Daughter's henna art

53 news from Older Daughter

54 that my roommate did not drown when she fell asleep in the bathtub and that I was able to wake her up so she could go to bed

55 that sharing a bed with someone I didn't know isn't too bad.

The Happiest Iconic Golf-Ball
at Epcot

The hotel pool at 5:30 AM.  There was no time for chaperones
to enter this paradise.

Band trip Saturday

Left hotel at 10:05 am

Today is at Hollywood studios park

impressive live show about stunts in Indiana Jones.

Left that park at 5 pm to go to our 5th amusement park in 4 days.

swim party and awards ceremony at Typhoon Lagoon.

Feeling totally drained. Sciatic nerve pain when walking. Every muscle hurts.

Left TL at 10:20 pm to head for Pgh

Total steps for the day 16,000

100 gifts

56 pleasant lunch in sitdown resto with other chaps

57 Star Wars music

58 Indiana jones stunt show was cool

59 I didn't get blisters

60 apparently I am still alive

61 ice cream bar in iconic Mickey Mouse shape with dark chocolate

62 no mosquitos until Sat evening.

63 wore long pants today - good choice

64 did not get shoes wet at water park

65 did not get a sinus infection

66 did not get any stomach ailment

67 Did not get a virus.

68 weather was reasonable

69 Husband

70 Younger Daughter

71 camera seemed to function okay

72 Advil

73 my new water bottle

74 there was not a nuclear bomb

75 nothing was stolen (except perhaps JB's dress shoes)

76 that labor and childbirth doesn't last as long as this band trip

77 my travel pillow

78 granolA bars

79 gorgeous day for traveling

80 prayers of friends and family

81 that sciatica did not appear until today.

Errant marching band shoe found at the hotel breakfast venue.
Not JB's dress shoe

The Happiest and Largest Wave Pool on Earth
at Typhoon Lagoon

Band trip Sunday

100 gifts

82 chance to brush teeth for 20 seconds

83 at breakfast stop. we are 6.5 hours drive away from high school (if we could drive straight through without stopping. Which we can't.

84 I am told it is promising to be a beautiful day in Pgh today

85 Advil

86 beautiful mountain scenery of southwestern Virginia

87 saw the New River Gorge in WV

88 thought of Bil Lepp

89 a lovely thank you text from a student

90 the only thing I lost was one cheap earring and I had three of those so now I still have two.

91 there were no traffic accidents. The only bus breakdown was before we even started the trip

92 I did not hear or read one word about the election campaign during this entire trip. Not. One. Word.  Hallelujah!

93 We did not leave anyone behind.

94 If there was any illness among the students, it didn't get passed around.

95 JB found one of his shoes. 

So I didn’t quite list 100 gifts.  But I was 1000 times grateful at making it home.

The student who lost his shoes ended up finding one of his own and someone else’s shoe.  He went home with two right shoes.

I was explosively happy to arrive home