Digesting the whole experience

It has been one week exactly since I have been home. About a hundred people have asked “how was the trip” and I say it was “good, great, fantastic, awesome” or something of the sort, but really I just don’t know what word could describe the trip and give it justice. There was just too many aspects, too many stories, too many concerts, too many emotions, too many everything to sum up that whole trip in one word.

The roller coaster that was the crazy chorale tour of 2012 will forever be a part of my memory, a part of my life experience. Since I’ve been home I’ve been tagged in over 100 facebook photos and each picture is a memory I get to relive every time I look at it. The videos bring me back to the moment where we did our own remix of “Soon-ah will be done” by William Dawson and counted off for the billionth time in a train station. All the memories keep flooding my mind and sometimes I think I’ll wake up in a different room other than my own.

From the light that exploded while we sang “Ziles Zinja” by Peteris Vasks in the Grand Prix round, to finding Seamus on the bus in Greece, each memory made will keep the UD Chorale of 2012 bonded together for a lifetime. To share those memories, videos, and photos together we made a facebook group and everyday its been updated with a funny story or picture or where to get our favorite beer from Germany in Maryland haha.

The thing about this chorale and this trip that separates out from every other one is that we bonded. We became a family not unlike the Von trapp family haha, but we became so tightly knitted into each others lives and memories from the journey that this 22 adventure took us on. So it is impossible for me to explain to anyone who was not on this trip in one word how was the whole experience. It was a string of experiences that created a family and created a lifetime full of memories that we will be laughing about 20, 30, 40 years from now. I know I sound nostalgic, and a bit like a halmark card but I only speak the truth from my own personal experience.

There is just something so very special about the UD chorale and that sticks with you for a lifetime. Even from getting back I think I’ve had more chorale alum reach out and wanted to know everything about the trip than the members of my family. We do so much more then sing the notes on the page and see each other in rehearsal. We dig as deep as we can in the music and human emotion to give the audience and ourselves the most authentic and raw experiences possible. I have never expected this experience and I cannot believe still that I’ve had the honor and privilege to be in this group for 2 years and hopefully a 3rd (my chorale audition is coming up in a couple of weeks! ).

I guess I’m still digesting the entire experience one day, one picture, and one video at a time. I still have no words to explain to someone how the whole experience was… it simply just goes above and beyond the way of words. This trip just went above and beyond expectations of everyone including myself. We took silver in the Grand Prix (officially: Dr. Head got the email saying if Latvia cannot go to the Grand Prix round in Italy next year we are next on the list!!), we saw incredible sights, we met outstanding people, and we touched people’s souls including our own. Just to have the opportunity to do all of the things we did is such a privilege and to have the opportunity to represent not just UD but the USA abroad on an international venue has been the most honoring and humbling experience.

Thank you to everyone who made this trip happen, who supported us, who kept us going. Thank you to everyone who read my rambling blog posts! Thanks for following the incredible journey that has been the Crazy Chorale Tour of 2012. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for helping to create memories that will last all of us a lifetime.

Thank you!

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