Things have been absolutely bonkers in my life right now. I’ve experienced some new things that I have never even imagined. It seems as if life is playing some sort of cute joke on me, like it’s saying “haha gotcha!!!!”
Starting in September I made a plan. It was a great plan and was only going to lead me to success. I was to set out on a 3 month adventure that was going to include old friends, family, dancing, performing, traveling, and best of all… EUROPE. So I began to work my ass off in Chicago to make the money to get things going. I worked two restaurant jobs and did gig after gig getting paid to dress up as a cool character and walk around/perform at fun events and parties. Not too shabby eh? Once November rolled around it was time to set out on this extraordinary trip. I spent 6 weeks dancing as a snowflake, flower and party mom in Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal’s production of “Casse Noisette” aka, The Nutcracker. Then it was back home for a week with family before the next destination that was EUROPE. Left for EUROPE on January 7. It was time to get a job you guys, that was the entire purpose of my trip. I had set up about 8 auditions each in a different city all within 6 weeks. It was going to be epic, I could feel it!!
This is where things REALLY take off. I’ve been in Europe now for a tad over two weeks, I’m in Copenhagen, Denmark, and almost finished with my second of 8 auditions with Danish Dance Theater. I’m showing my solo, 2nd to last to go of about 30 other dancers, who mind you are all in the room watching me as well, along with some of the company dancers and the director and rehearsal director. So I had quite a mini audience. Half way through the solo I have no idea what happened but I somehow landed on the side of my left foot and before realizing it I heard a pop. Everyone winced as they saw it and I thought, “Shit, what just happened?” Finished the solo, cause I’m a champ, and was immediately propped up with an ice wrap. Took a taxi to where I was staying, which was with people I had only met for the first time the night before. Haha it’s still so crazy to me that I had just met them and here I am coming home unable to walk! Of course at this point I’m in shock. I’m asking myself questions like do I go to the doctor? Do I just wait and rest it and see how it feels after a week? Maybe I’ll be able to dance and finish some of the auditions? It would be ok to miss a couple I guess. Am I finished? I’m going to have to go home aren’t I? Am I dreaming? Is this foreeeeever??
My first thought was to call my dad, he would know what to do and could help me of course. He called our insurance to find out how we would be covered for an emergency abroad. Found out that we would be ok and that I should go to the ER now. So off to the ER I was. Now the only other time I have ever been to the ER was when I was maybe in first grade. I was doing flips on the monkey bar, duh, and smacked heads with another kid. But I have never been for an emergency like this and I can’t believe the one time that I need to go I am alone in Copenhagen, Denmark. Crazy!!
Once I got to the ER I had an xray and the danish doctor in his cool accent said “It’s a fracture! But I don’t think we need to operate.” Excuse me??? You don’t need to operate? Well hell ya, you better not be cutting this foot open!! And just like that it was time to go home in a big ass boot and crutches. Back to the US, Austin to be exact, to be with family and just recover for 6 weeks. No more possibility of living and dancing in Europe by the summer of 2015. Just. Like. That.
And so, I begin my recovery process here in the beautiful Austin, Texas. And I have decided to document it through this here blog. I want to share. I want to share this experience because I can feel that it is going to be a really incredible, amazing, and beautiful ride on this roller coaster named LIFE.
Felicia Shares. 