Philadelphia Story.

It has been quite an exciting day. I left New York early in the morning via "Megabus" on my way to Philadelphia. When I stepped off the bus, I felt as if I was hit by a wave of nostalgia. Philly was where I first lived away from home. It was such a period of growth for me. I began to establish independence and a clearer knowledge of what I wanted to do with my life. It was quite an inwardly emotional homecoming of sorts today.

I visited the Rock School which is where I did my last year of formal training. My word it has changed! The school has grown, and it was exciting to get to look in on the eager and talented young students continuing the tradition. Wow were they good!

If I had only gotten to tour my old school and see my teachers, that would have been enough in my quest towards closure. However, by some stroke of fate, I happened to be in another part of the city and saw one of the ballet masters of Pennsylvania Ballet who had also been one of my teachers! I called out to him, and he invited me to come and watch the company's rehearsal on stage. I got to see a former colleague of mine from Kansas City Ballet who I hadn't seen in years rehearse his lead role. He looked remarkable. Although I don't find myself jealous of dancers anymore on stage, I do still get inspired by their passion for the craft. It was wonderful to see him and several others from my past.

Currently, I am writing this entry while on the regional railway. I spent many a day on the train in and out of Philadelphia, and for some reason I always enjoyed writing on the train. It's something about the rhythm and the sound as we rumble along. It's a much different energy than the subway, naturally, but I find I feel safe surrounded by so many people. it's quite comfortable for me.