Ashland, I love you


senior year of high school -fall 1998
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last month

The first time I went to Ashland, Oregon I was 15. It felt like this grand adventure. my parents were never the types to discourage us from traveling without them. They weren't hesitant in the least to let me get on that bus. what they probably didn't know at the time, was that that trip would change my life. I know, it sounds totally cheesy, but my trips to Ashland (nearly annually since 1996), have been a huge part of my life. Even during the financially lean years in college. my friends and I would somehow make it work. my most constant companion on these trips has been my friend mel, followed in a close second by our friend may. One summer May and I even auditioned to, and were accepted for, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Summer Seminar for High School Juniors. We spent an intense two weeks as "semies" learning everything there is to know about OSF. We attended every production running at the time, even the boring ones. that i feel asleep in--but only because we were going going going from 7am-midnight, right? right. Over the years, I have eaten in numerous restaurants, shopped till I dropped, frolicked in lithia park, seen an outdoor production in the snow, and walked. and walked. and walked. I have seen some amazing work over the years. I have become familiar with many of the actors, and have met and spoken with a handful. When I was younger, i wanted to be an actor there. What a dream come true. Reality has now set in, but the good news is, I'm still in theatre. I can still make my dream of one day being a part of OSF a reality. It's not out of the realm of possibilities for me.

The trip I took this year was a bit of a departure from my normal trips, for the first time since I started going, neither mel nor may were by my side. However, my lovely sister, who managed to score us the most charming house to call home for a few days, and small group of our friends made this trip very enjoyable and quite memorable. It made me realize more than ever how much I love this town. ashland, i love you!!

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