Summer Vacation

“Welcome back to America”, I thought to myself, as I reached the new automated kiosks at passport control. Along with our customs declarations, a receipt now prints out with the most unflattering photo I have ever seen of myself.  Whose idea was it to take pictures of passengers just as they are disembarking from long, international flights?

The agent didn’t even ask a question when he looked at my list of countries that I had visited since leaving the United States in January. Despite lengthy periods in India, I still managed to log seven countries on this trip (India, Nepal, Australia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines).

As I stepped into the back seat of my parents’ car, it finally hit me: My American summer vacation has arrived!

The first day at home was filled with my favorite of all the American summertime activities: drum corps! I picked up Kristen and we drove up to the Boston Crusaders rehearsal site to get a first-hand look at the 2014 show. I am constantly in awe at the musical and physical demands that are required of each member and this year’s show takes the athleticism to another level. Several times during rehearsal, we looked at each other and agreed that we could never survive a drum corps tour at our age (and this is coming from two marathoners in great physical shape).

2014 Boston Crusaders in warm-up

After rehearsal ended, we went back to my parents’ house for a BBQ by the pool. We then piled back into the car to watch the show. It was great to see so many people from my drum corps days and to enjoy what may be my only live show of the season. I couldn’t have asked for a better first day back.

2014 Boston Crusaders - In Performance

As the week proceeded, I was mostly just excited to be completely out of the work environment. I can wear anything I want while I eat breakfast. I don’t have to say good morning to ten people and remind them that I still don’t drink coffee. Whenever I sit by the pool, there are no hotel staff members approaching me to ask questions about work while they are in uniform and I am in a swimsuit. And, best of all, I am not forced to choose every meal from a menu and ending up with way more food than I need.

One night, my family got together for a belated birthday celebration and I actually chose to skip all the fancy restaurants in favor of grilling seafood at home. After eating every meal in a restaurant for the past six months, things that make me happiest are basics like fat free salad dressing, meats that are prepared with cooking spray instead of oil, and appetizers that are not all deep-fried.

The evening before 4^th of July, Kristen and I did a 10k race that finished on the center of the field at Patriot Stadium. I hardly ever run at night, so my legs felt heavy and tired before the race even started. I knew that this would not be a personal best for me. The entire race, I was stuck behind the female champion who all spectators all cheered on with great enthusiasm (meanwhile ignoring that I existed).  She was running alongside an older guy with the nastiest, hairiest back I have ever seen. I wanted so badly to pass them, but my legs just wouldn’t cooperate.

pre-race

Race medal

After the race, we stuck around the adjacent outdoor mall and enjoyed some sushi and hibachi in suburban paradise. On the way back home, we drove past the fireworks in Boston. I felt so patriotic.

Fourth of July is always a fun time at my parents’ annual BBQ. It was raining this year, but we still made the most of the day inside. My contribution to the meal was a Pinterest-inspired dessert that would get people talking. “Bears on the beach” was definitely a hit.

Pinterest dessert - bears on the beach

Spending some time with my cousin on 4th of July

The next day was my Dad’s birthday and we celebrated at my brother’s lake house in New Hampshire. We basically just parked his boat at the sand bar and spent the entire afternoon drinking while we were waist-deep in water. If you are ever without a beer can in your hand, someone will inevitably ask: “why aren’t you drinkin’?” The environment is fun, but one visit each summer is enough for me. 

Afternoon at the sand bar

Afternoon on the lake

My all-American summer vacation continued with a baseball game to cheer on the Boston Red Sox with a friend of mine who scored a pair of great tickets. I haven’t been to Fenway Park in well over a decade and I can probably count the number of baseball games I have seen since college on one hand. It was fun to be in such a historic stadium, but damn - those seats are the most uncomfortable things I have ever sat in. If my knee wasn’t banging into the row in front of me, my spine was drilling against the wooden slab of the seatback. Also, the width of each seat can barely accommodate an 8-year-old, let alone a normal-sized adult.

If you ask me, every Red Sox ticket should come with a free yoga session afterwards.

One of the best parts about being at home is seeing all my good friends from the past. I was lucky enough to be around to celebrate the birthday of one of my best friends from high school (a birthday I haven’t celebrated with much more than a Facebook message in the past eight years).  A bunch of us got together for trivia at a nearby seafood restaurant / bar.  We split into groups for the trivia part and, of course, my group won the entire event. (This was little to do with my knowledge and entirely to do with a classmate from college, who can recite facts like an encyclopedia).

Another night, I went out to dinner with an ex from college, who still looks great (and is very much in a committed relationship). I was slightly jealous that I am not the other half of this relationship, but it’s nice to know that my good taste stands the test of time.

Speaking of college (and good taste), I spent one afternoon visiting my alma mater with my mom. The plan was to update my collegiate wardrobe, but the gift shop was not open so we just walked around campus. I have such a deep sense of pride when I think about all of the amazing schools I attended. That said, there is something truly special about Boston College. The architecture is undeniably gorgeous, but beyond that, the overall atmosphere reflects a collaborative learning environment that is both competitive and fun. In my completely biased opinion, BC is the epitome of an all-around aspirational American university.

Boston College, "The Dustbowl"

Burns Library at Boston College

By the end of my second week in Boston, I felt like I had fully reintegrated myself back into American society. And, that’s a good thing because I have been told that my entire summer will be spent in North America this year. The next stop for work will be Chicago, but before that, I get to close my New England vacation with a weekend trip to Maine.  

Drum Corps Withdrawal

My least favorite time of year has arrived once again.  It's that quiet transition period between the end of the drum corps season and the start of autumn activities.  

Throughout summer, the excitement of drum corps always occupies an important part of my morning routine.  I start my day by checking DCI scores from the night before and reading discussion forums - before bothering with any "real" news stories.  On weekends, I spend even more time streaming my favorite performances from the latest regional competitions.
  
After finals week in mid-August, it takes a while for withdrawal symptoms to set in because I continue reading the season recaps and watching the countless videos that appear on youtube and the DCI fan network.  For non-drum corps people, this would be the equivalent of reflecting on a great party at brunch the next morning...  

It's always fun to re-live the excitement of finals - not only as a former performer but also as a fan.  The shows are so filled with nuances that I seem to notice something new every time I watch them.  One of my all-time favorite endings is the 2008 Phantom Regiment:  

A recent show that has catapulted to my personal top-10 list is the 2012 Carolina Crown.  This show reminds me of the physical demands of drum corps and the famous "drum corps body" that members get to show off when they return home from tour.  I don't think people realize just how difficult it is to run around the field with perfect technique, while blowing a focused stream of air into an instrument and producing a nice sound.  In my opinion, 2012 Carolina Crown were masters of making a difficult show look easy: 

One of the best memories from tour is the mini-celebrity status we achieve wherever we go.  From the small crowds in the stands while we rehearse to the fans that watch our show warm-ups, it's always fun to have an audience.  Here's a clip from a Phantom Regiment brass warm-up.  It brings me right back to the days of being part of this glorious horn arc:  

Once I have had my fill of video clips like these, I start to realize that I will have to wait another nine months for the next season to begin.  I suppose every sport goes through an off-season, but nine months feels like an eternity.  

I'm sure I wouldn't miss drum corps so much if there were other things to keep my attention, but late-August is generally just a dull period.  The summer weather is coming to an end, college football season is yet to begin, and we still have a few more weeks to wait until television premiers.  

This year is different for me because of the global travel.  Being in India throughout the month of September will prevent me from experiencing the crisp fall weather, pumpkin-flavored everything, and college game-day energy on Saturday mornings.  

On the bright side, I get to work with a team of Americans in a couple weeks and I'm sure at least one of them will be discussing college football.  Also, Hulu will be perfect for discovering all the new tv shows.  Now, if I could only get a pumpkin muffin from Starbucks...

Drum Corps Finals in Indianapolis

Qatar Airways agent: "Would you like me to check your bag through to...um...IND? ...where is IND? India?"

hahaha

No, that would be Indianapolis.  It's a small city in the middle of the United States.   

After almost four months of globe-trotting, I am finally returning to the United States...and I couldn't be more excited.  Who cares if no one in the entire country of Qatar has heard of my final destination.  The only thing I cared about was being back to see some old friends and watch some live drum corps for the final show of the season.  

I was still a little buzzed from dinner when I passed through security and I was more-than a little paranoid that I would be arrested for public intoxication.  In reality, I don't think my two drinks over the course of the entire night would be enough to get me into any trouble, but I was also exhausted because my flight wasn't even scheduled to depart until 2:30AM.  

These overnight flights are killer because they mess up my sleep pattern even more, but I didn't have many options if I wanted any chance of arriving in Indianapolis for Saturday's show.  

The first flight to Rome was uneventful and, of course, I didn't sleep at all.  Movies on a tiny screen are just too enticing.  

I then connected on an American Airlines flight to JFK, which was delayed for unknown reasons.  For the first time in a while, I was hearing familiar accents all around me and it was glorious.  

There were several factors that made my flight annoying.  Generally speaking, American Airlines is completely sub-par to all other international carriers.  The flight attendants are all rude and ugly, no personal entertainment systems, and food that is completely inedible.  When I declined both meals they served, the flight attendant actually asked: "Are you on a diet, honey?"  I responded honestly that I am actually quite hungry, but I simply can not eat the food they are serving.   Frozen pizza on a flight from Italy??  Seriously?? Shame on you, American Airlines. 

The woman next to me was really annoying and she took up part of my seat, which just added to my aggravation.  Her only redeeming quality was when she spit out the coffee and exclaimed: "What am I drinking?? This cannot be coffee!!"  Oh, America...

By the time we arrived in New York, our flight was delayed just long enough for me to barely miss my connection.  My annoying seat partner also missed her connection and she was uber stressed about it throughout the entire flight.  The silver lining is that American re-booked me on a Delta flight later that evening. 

In retrospect, I actually needed the extra layover time so that I could get some urgent work accomplished.  I don't recommend working after being awake for more than 30 hours, but I didn't have much of an option.  I frantically secured some flights and visas for the next round of business travel.  The flights were not much of a problem, but the requirements of the Indian visa application were stressing me out. 

Finally, after another flight delay (I hate New York airports), I boarded my flight to Indianapolis.  As soon as the plane was about to take off, I started feeling faint and then I realized that I had forgotten to eat in the airport.  Once we were in the air, I felt like I was about to vomit and I just anxiously awaited the flight attendant to bring something to ease the hunger pains.  Unfortunately, the remainder of the flight was just as bad.  My apologies to the people in the last row, adjacent to the toilet.  I could not arrive in Indianapolis fast enough. 

I felt like death by the time I arrived at my hotel - probably a combination of stress, lack of food, and lack of sleep.  By this point, it was almost midnight, so I decided to just inhale a chocolate bar and get to sleep. 

Saturday morning, I felt marginally better and started my day with a breakfast sandwich from Subway that tasted like heaven.  I then rushed to prepare the remaining documents for my visa application and sent everything to New York for processing.  

By 10am, it was FINALLY time to start my vacation.  

A couple friends met me at the lobby of the hotel and we caught up with some stories and a lot of laughter.  Apparently, people were talking about me at the bars the night before and popular opinion is that I am in the CIA!  

We then decided to walk over to Lucas Oil Stadium so I could get tickets for DCI Championships.  No good seats were available.  Bad for me, good for drum corps.  Still, I was excited just to be there.  Even though I have never lived in Indianapolis, I felt like I was at home.  

I was so excited to see Silver Jewel again!

The afternoon consisted of lunch at Rock Bottom (where we became BFF's with the waiter), souvenir shopping at the DCI festival marketplace, and a little corsage-making at a nearby hotel for all the Boston Crusaders age-outs.  Just being around drum corps people was making me happy.  

We're such crafty florists!

The show was SO GOOD and I was totally psyched to be able to see some live drum corps for the first time all summer, even though I was falling asleep by the end.  

Here's my brief recap on the 2013 Top-12:
- Blue Stars and Spirit - Didn't see them because I was too busy watching Crusaders brass warm-ups with Kristen.  I'm pretty sure I didn't miss anything too exciting. 
- Blue Knights - Good show for their standards, but a little too "Bands of America" for me.  What's with the giant ball they kept pushing around the field?  
- Madison Scouts - My favorite Madison show since 2003.  Awesome emotion and accessible music.  Bravo. 
- Boston Crusaders - As an alumnus, I always support what they're doing.  Early in the season, I thought the show felt disjointed.  By finals, it was my favorite show on the field.  Bravo, Boston!

I will rise!  (In my opinion, the best moment on the field in 2013)

- Cavaliers - Big step up from last year but still missing the magic from their championship years in the early 2000's.  I love the secret society theme for the all-male corps.  
- Phantom Regiment - Also, as an alumnus, I am always a huge supporter of their sophisticated style.  No one has the mystique of Regiment and everything was performed well, but I just feel like the show needed more "wow" moments. 
- Bluecoats - Good show from them and nice twist on a patriotic theme.  
- Santa Clara Vanguard - Best SCV show since Scheherazade.  Brass arrangements were stellar (nice job JD Shaw), and every section was strong.  If it only had a little more demand, they would be competing for the championship. 
- Cadets - The corps is so precise but their props are a mess.  Get it together, Cadets!  Those boxes cost you a shot at winning. 
- Blue Devils - Snore.  I can never get into BD.  This year was no exception.  They have some innovative ideas but their show felt like it lasted for an hour. 
- Carolina Crown - New. Fresh. Interesting.  Brass and guard were particularly amazing.  Well-deserved win and I'm so excited I was there to witness the first new DCI champion since 1996!

All the corps lined up for scores

Once the scores were announced, I literally could not keep my eyes open any longer.  I really wanted to hang out with my friends after the show until 4am like last year, but I needed to catch some z's.  

The next morning, I was forced to set an alarm for myself because I somehow thought it would be fun to run 2 races...on the morning after finals...one day after flying for 28 hours from Qatar.  

With less than 12 hours of sleep in 3 nights and still feeling a little queasy from my freak illness, I braced myself for the worst.  

The first leg of the race was a 10k.  I struggled a lot, but I still managed to finish in 9th place overall.  Then, there was an hour-long break.  Then, a 5k.  My body was not amused.  I finished with my slowest 5k time ever, but still somehow managed to place 10th overall.  With a combined time from both races, I earned another medal for finishing 2nd in my age group! 

After the awards ceremony, I rushed back to my hotel. Quick packing. Lunch. Back to the airport. My seat partner on this flight was a member of Carolina Crown percussion.  Sweet!  We became friends and talked about drum corps throughout the entire flight.

I landed in Boston, completely satisfied with my decision to take the detour to Indianapolis.  It was far too short of a trip, but I maxed it out and was so happy to be there for finals.  It also felt good to race again, even though my times were not so hot.  My life sometimes feels like a whirlwind, but I like to live without regrets. 

DCI 2013

It's Opening Day! ...No, not baseball (who cares about that?)!

Tonight, Drum Corps International begins its 2013 season and I could not be more excited.  Between now and August 20th, I will be following my two former drum corps as they travel across the United States to present yet another year of incredible shows for thousands of fans each night.  For the first time since 1999, I won't be in the country to attend any shows live, but I will definitely be following the scores and watching streaming videos from every regional competition and throughout finals week. 

Of course, drum corps is about more than just scores.  When I was a member, the scores were just our reward for the hard work.  We were completely removed from the world as we practiced all day, performed every evening, and traveled during the overnight hours. We needed updates from the staff just to hear about the big news stories.  These days, I couldn't even imagine being disconnected for a single day, let alone two months.  Yet, it was refreshing back then.  I had only one thing in mind: perfecting the show. 

My involvement in drum corps changed my life.  Not only did drum corps provide me with amazing friendships, but it also taught me about pride, dedication, teamwork, and confidence.  We woke up every morning as a team, rehearsed as a team in any weather condition, pushed each other to thrive, and pushed ourselves even when we didn't think we had any strength left.  We relied on each other for field positioning, for harmonies in every chord, and for energy throughout the show. 

To this day, people laugh when I tell them I spent 3 summers touring the country in a "professional marching band".  Honestly, I don't even care anymore.  There are so many adults without any real passions and I am so fortunate to have something that I am truly passionate about.  Whenever I go to a show, it takes me right back to my years as a marching member - eating out of a food truck, sleeping on buses, showering in high school locker rooms, and practicing for hours in 100-degree heat. 

Anyone who has seen drum corps on tv, in the movie theaters, or online can appreciate one dimension of the performances.  Those who have been to a live show can experience even more excitement.  But only those who have performed in a world-class drum corps truly understand what it's like to be on the field, surrounded by your best friends, and hearing tens of thousands of people cheering for you.  That is something I will never forget. 

At the end of the summer, the struggles fade quickly but the memory of the experience only gets stronger.  If you ask me now, I spent 3 summers as a rock star, while my friends did boring office jobs.  I can't wait to see what the rock stars have in store for us this year!