I'm with the Band

When I was little, I had this t-shirt that I liked to wear which had "I'm with the band" printed on the front in blue sparkly letters. I never really understood it. Why was that saying significant enough to put on a t-shirt? And why did I own a shirt that said it? It really didn't make any sense to me until this past week when I found myself walking up to the front of the queue in C venues-a glamorous  multilevel theatre building used for the Fringe Festival-and saying to the kind lady behind the desk, "Excuse me, I don't have my pass yet, but I'm performing here. I'd like free tickets to this next show." That's right, miss, I'm with the band.

I've been in Edinburgh only one week, but it already feels like an eternity, like this has been my whole life. Up at 9:30 for rehearsal until lunch, cooking in a crammed little kitchen with a dozen other girls who I adore, more rehearsing for the rest of the afternoon with the occasional break that I spend walking through the bustling streets of Edinburgh and up breathtaking hills that overlook the city, and then of course finishing the day around 11 or 12 after hours more of rehearsing, with the occasional trip to a restaurant or bar with the girls. What a life!

This past week has been especially consumed with rehearsing in preparation for our show starting tomorrow. It feels like all we do is eat, sleep (sometimes) and sing. It's been a lot of work, but its been good. And tonight we were able to give Edinburgh a sneak peak of the results of all our hard work.  We performed a short little set at an A Cappella Sing Off with an all boys a cappella group called Semitoned. They were hilarious. We were hilarious. Both groups sang like gods. A good time was had by all.

I'm feeling rather overwhelmed by the magic of all this. It's hard for me to take in how absolutely Beautiful everything is around me: the city, our apartment, the venues, the hills, and, most of all, my wonderful friends who I get to spend everyday with (it's kinda like a never ending sleepover). I know I've done nothing to deserve this influx of Beauty in my life, but I'm grateful, humbled and grateful.

Tomorrow starts the beginning of our 2 week run at the fringe. It hardly seems possible that we've done so much singing and dancing and still haven't even put on a full show, but I know tomorrow is going to be incredible. My girls are the greatest thing since sliced bread and I'm so proud to be part of this group. So, Tomorrow, here's to you...