Spring Break

I was fortunate enough to spend my spring break with 75 of my closest friends in the "happiest place on Earth". That's right-the band went to Disney World!

Although the 17-hour, overnight bus trip was made slightly more comfortable by the charter buses we rented, I would not recommend sleeping in those chairs.

Once in Orlando, we visited Disney's Hollywood Studios, home of the Rockin' Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror. Ask some of the guys what they thought of the Little Mermaid show too! Even though I learned to love roller coasters on the trip, the Beauty and the Beast musical was my true favorite.

One night we ate at Medieval Times, a dinner and tournament show where grown men dress up as knights and joust on horses. That was quite entertaining, let me tell you!

I also got to go to Universal Studios and Island of Adventure for the first time. All the best roller coasters are in those parks. Dueling Dragons and the Hulk were probably the most fun. I never knew how much I loved zooming through the air and above water on thin pieces of steel while defying gravity until that day.

On Saturday we competed in the All-American Music Festival. We played the three songs we had prepared for the judges and attended the awards ceremony that night in Universal Studios. We won our division and also overall for concert band. The Mardi Gras parade that night only heightened our excitement.

On our last day in Orlando, we had park hopper tickets and used them to the fullest. The group I was with went to Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom that day. The highlights of Sunday included posing for the camera on Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom, watching the fireworks show over Cinderella's castle, laughing hysterically as Sam nearly got thrown out of the park for chasing Goofy and poking him, and singing Part of Your World from the Little Mermaid at the top of our lungs on the ferry while leaving the park for the last time.

The ride home was easier to endure because our exhaustion made sleep a necessity. I am grateful for the opportunity to go on such a trip and know that I will not soon forget all the fun we had.

P.S. For a glimpse of some of our wacky experiences, check out Carrie Beth's videos on Facebook. Our dance is hilarious!