RopinRita'sInEurope: 2012

I am currently on a Ferry, on my way to Dublin, Ireland! We just left Birmingham, England, where we performed for two weeks. During those couple of weeks, I was able to get a lot of touring done!

On our first day off in Birmingham, I visited my Mom in London, England. She worked the flight over, I was able to spend the day and night with her, and then she worked the flight home the next day. It was short but certainly sweet! She took me to see Abby Road, which was exciting. I can now check that off my list!

Next thing to check off my list; my first understudy roll with this show! Two Sundays ago, I was given the opportunity to skate the roll of 'Nani', the older sister of 'Lilo', from the film, 'Lilo and Stitch'. I really enjoyed her character. She does and short pairs number in the show which was new for me, so that was a great experience. She also does a jump in finale, which was of course a lot of fun for me! :)

During the next couple of days off, a group of us toured around in style. We rented a Hummer Limo for the day and visited the famous Stonehenge, as well as the city of Bath. It was really neat to see the mysterious, standing stones. Check!
I enjoyed the city of Bath very much. It is an endearing town, filled with small shops, alluring architecture, and lots of history. It is also home to the Roman Baths. Around Britain's only hot spring, the Roman's built this beautiful temple and bathing complex. Needless to say, it was very interesting to see!

Next up, the cast Halloween party! Yes, I realize we dress up nearly everyday for a living, however, sometimes, it nice to be able to choose your costume :).
This year, my roommate, Jen and I went as Loofahs! We were able to find a fabric store in Birmingham, and made our own costumes. They turned out great and the party was a lot of fun. Everyone dressed up. There were certainly some amazing outfits!
Celebrate Halloween in Europe - Check!

On Friday, we only had one show in the evening, so I decided to take a train to Warwickshire. It is here, in this small, very cute town, you can find the Warwick Castle. This medieval castle was built in 1068, and was at one point, the home to King Henry II. What a spectacular structure!

I'm very excited to get to Ireland! My parents will be coming next week while we are in Belfast. They are going to take me to see where my Dad's Mother, my Nana, grew up, a farm in a small town just outside of Belfast. I am very grateful to have this opportunity!

"The longest road out is the shortest road home." - Irish proverb

I thought that this was an appropriate quote.
May the Luck of the Irish be with you all :)
Xox

Nani

Our Ride :)

Stonehenge

City of Bath

Roman Bath

Loofahs!

Warwick Castle

Dinning Room

Hello again everyone!

As you all can see, I've started a new blog. This time, Ropin' Rita's gone to Europe! On Thursday September 13th, myself and some fellow colleagues of mine flew from Toronto, straight to Glasgow, Scotland.

For those of you who do not know, I have started a brand new adventure away from home. New show, new group of people, and new countries! I'm currently performing with Disney on Ice; Mickey and Minnie's Passport to Adventure. It involves four Disney films: Lion King, Little Mermaid, Lilo and Stitch, and Peter Pan. I am an ensemble skater and am found in most of the group numbers within each film, including a 'fish' in Little Mermaid, a 'hula girl' in Lilo and Stitch, a 'pearly' and a 'pirate' in Peter Pan. It is a great show! So far it has been a lot of fun to perform with, and the people here have made it an easy adjustment from Toy Story 3. I think it is safe to say, this will be a great year! :)

The first two weeks in Glasgow were spent on the ice rehearsing. All the new skaters, including myself, were taught the entire show in just four days. Telling you my brain was on overdrive is an under statement. New choreography, new counts, new lyrics to memorize, names to remember, lots going on. With the help of our amazing line captains, and performance director, we were ready for the tech run-throughs and dress run-throughs. Before we knew it, it was Friday September 28th, opening night!

Before our second week of rehearsals started, we were given two days off. One of which fell on my 22nd birthday! The day before my birthday, my roommate, Jen, brought a cake to the arena during rehearsals, where she had the whole group sing me happy birthday. It was so nice of her and the cast to wish me a happy birthday! Later that evening, we all celebrated at a bar down the road from our hotel. When I came back to the room, Jen and a couple other girls, Melissa and Christiana, had decorated the room with a birthday banner and streamers all over the floor (quite the mess for the maids). It was a fun evening, and was so nice to have nearly the entire cast there celebrating with me. Goes to show how great of a group we have here! :)

On one of the days off, Jen organized a private tour for a small group of us. We had a private tour guide who took us around the outskirts of Glasgow. We visited Dunkeld Cathedral (a medieval cathedral), saw Sterling Castle, walked through the remains of a different Castle owned by a very wealthy family, and even went searching for Nessie, the Lochness monster! We drove through small towns, and saw some breathtaking views and landscapes. It was a wonderful day of touring.

Our first week of shows went great. I can finally say I am confident with the choreography and no longer have to count in my head or wonder if my arms are doing the right moves in time with what my feet are doing. We celebrated out first successful week with an opening night party. Let's just say it was well deserved :).

We are now in Newcastle, England. We have officially begun our "Western European Tour". We will be in the UK for the next few weeks, performing in Manchester, Birmingham, and Belfast. My Dad will be coming to see me in Dublin, Ireland which I am very excited for! And while we are in Birmingham, my mom will be working a flight to London. I plan on taking a train over to spend a night with her in London. It will very nice to see them again!

After the UK, we will be in France for a month, including Paris for two weeks! Then we'll be spending Christmas in London, England. I'm already looking forward to all the Christmas markets!

Speaking of Holidays, I'd like to wrap up this blog post with a wish for a Happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends back at home. I miss you all dearly and wish I could be there to help stuff down turkey, dressing, corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, and of course, pumpkin pie :).

"I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself". - James Baldwin

I came across this quote and thought it was appropriate. Although it is now October, I have just began a new adventure for myself. I like to see this as a new beginning, similar to a new year, or season. I plan on setting new goals and challenges for myself. When I read this quote, my first thought was, "I would like to get a little lost with myself this year". I hope to spend my spare time traveling, seeing new sites, and trying new things, pushing my boundaries. So, wherever you may be in the year, or season, it is never too late to start fresh. It doesn't have to be at the end of a count down to a new year for you start setting goals for yourself. Start now. Start challenging yourself now. It is never too late :).

All the best,

Erika xo