Florida is a fantastic place to go to get away from it all.  You can find yourself alone with the ocean in a number of places, and you can also get involved in some lively local scenes.  There are places that are very secluded, with exotic natural settings that speak to the quiet part of the soul, but there are also places that are just buzzing with human activity.  The bigger cities have a lot to offer, just as much as the quiet spots on the beach.  It’s one thing to come here to become part of a scene, however, and quite another if you’re coming here to do research for a part you’re playing when the part is an old man who is sort of a lot like Hemingway or whatever.

I found a place to get hotels here that my friend recommended, and I decided to go right into Miami, because I knew I’d be spending a lot of time alone, but I also wanted to have the option to be around people if I started to feel crazy.  I’m trained in the old-school way of acting, where you have to inhabit the character from the inside.  So that if I’m playing the part of an old man, I have to understand what it’s like to be old.  So I spend part of the morning meditating on gravity until I feel really heavy, and I try to have as many memories as I can so my head is full and I can’t remember much more than what my head is already full of.

Then I put on a fake beard and talk with a raspy voice and I am almost ready.  The day was much easier than the night because I could get an inner image of Robert Duvall, and what would he do if he were me playing this part, in my head.  And I also tried to think about peanuts, because that’s all my grandfather talks about.  I am not so sure why, but I think something might be wrong.  The day is great because I can hang at the beach and no one’s asking too much, but then at night I’m so bored and I go out to the club and someone is approaching me and wants to know what’s with the beard.  I don’t want to talk about it, because an old man wouldn’t want to talk about the beard, because he is above such things.  Before the night is out, I am not very popular, but tomorrow night I might go to the senior center and see if bingo is better than techno for meeting people, in my state.

Rome is one of the Western world’s ancient cities that continues to hold a prominent role in the contemporary world. It is the religious center for followers of the Catholic faith from all over the globe and has incredible art and architectural elements that attract and amaze followers of most other religions and those without a belief religious belief system. The city contains artifacts from various centuries and while it enjoys a thriving contemporary society most of the people who visit it are interested in exploring some of the historic buildings, pieces of art and ancient relics. Many of the hotels and inns offer information and brochures on some of the more famous historical landmarks in the city. Click here for information on where you can stay when you are visiting Rome.

One of the most famous landmarks in Rome that dates from the ancient period is the Colosseum, which is located right in the middle of the city. Among other things, this makes it incredibly easy for tourist and others to find. It is an amazing landmark and is the largest coliseum ever built during the Roman Empire. Construction for this amazing theatre began under the emperor Vespasian between the years 70 and 72 AD. It was not complete until 80 AD during the time of emperor Titus and was originally named the Flavian Amphitheatre, which is based on both of the emperor’s names. It had a seating capacity of about 50,000 audience members who were there to watch the gladiator contests and various public spectacles. These large gatherings were the main and sometimes only form of entertainment and anyone who could be there would come. The Colosseum also hosted various dramatic performances and most of these would be re-enactments of various stories from Roman mythology, which in turn was in large part based on Greek mythology.

The Cirque du Soleil’s new production Banana Shpeel will open on Broadway next month and is scheduled to play through May 30th of this year at the Beacon Theatre. Previews for this sure to be spectacular production will begin on March 17th. This new production from the well known and almost universally loved and respected company borrows performance styles from vaudeville and combines some of the traditional Cirque du Soleil performance style with elements of hip hop, comedy, tap, slapstick and more. This is certain to be a sell out production and theatre package information is available here and at information centers throughout the city and online.

The Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian company that is based in Montreal, Quebec. The company is self described as being a blend of theatrical circus acts and street performance. It was originally founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by Daniel Gauthier and Guy Laliberte, who themselves had been street performers. The company has grown and expanded and is now known and loved throughout the world. Each of their shows blends their circus style based performance technique with a unique story line. They also borrow and incorporate circus performance styles from around the world and use them in a particular theme or story.

They are a permanent fixture in Las Vegas and many people visit that gambling center for the sole purpose of seeing a Cirque du Soleil show. They have also won numerous awards and honors. Some of these include two Drama Desk Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Bambi Award among many others. Some of their standard permanent residency shows include Love, Zed, Mystere and Zumanity among many others. This upcoming New York production will be a succession of hilarious encounters woven into a continuous though wacky storyline.

Washington, DC is the hub of some of the most important work in the country, and it’s a country that’s always a work in progress, and there’s always a new process to help move things along.  In the view of the life on the street, as it’s lived by the people here, one of the most elemental processes is found in music, and it can only be released when dancing.  There are plenty of secrets here, to be sure, and some of these secrets seem to be connected to how the world spins.  Music might be as important in politics, because it gets the blood flowing, allowing for the political impulses to flow more freely, and with compassion and inspiration.

It’s a pleasant surprise to make the trip to the city, book a great hotel, and see some sights.  Just at the moment when everything seems to be running as it should, and as you had suspected, there is the sound of something sweet that turns the head and the feet in new directions, and this sound is coming from Gato + the Palenke Music Club.  The songs speak of joy and sorrow, and contain rhythms that reflect the desires that lie hidden in hearts that understand the road ahead is a difficult one.

The front man here is Jaime Salazar, aka Gato, young enough to still dazzle, and old enough to know some of the more essential ground rules for survival.  He comes from Colombia, and the band plays a stunning array of rhythms from all over Latin America, including the multiple Latin Americas in the United States.  They began this decade, playing covers together, and have been moving into their own songs, while honing a very distinctive sound.  With a blend of percussion and guitars, this music speaks multiple tongues, and livens up the DC nights

As I approached Brookings Hall at Washington University I has to pause for a moment and take in the historical awe and inspiration as well as having a moment of honor for the community I was about to become a part of. I know that might sound overly dramatic, I was just extremely proud to have been accepted into this university in St. Louis, Missouri and I also happen to be a bit sentimental about these major life transitions. In addition, I come from a family history of Washington alumni and am proud to carry on the tradition. My uncle was the last undergraduate to come from this school and we were always close when I was growing up. I couldn’t, nor could he I believe, be happier to follow in his footsteps.

In fact, my uncle went with my father, mother and me when we went to St. Louis to tour the campus. We all stayed in one of the local Missouri hotels near the campus. It was really exciting because my uncle and I shared a room, while my mom and dad shared another one. I felt like I was making the transition into adulthood and had a different respect, or not respect really, but it was like my parents viewed me from a different perspective. Anyway, it was great and my uncle took us around the campus and gave us his private tour. My uncle was an art history major, which was the first departure from a long line of business students. In fact he was the first in my family not to go to the Olin Business School and I hear that his decision was somewhat looked down upon by certain family members. That sounds funny to me, but I’m from a different generation and just have to respect his groundbreaking nature I guess. And I appreciate the fact that he paved the road for my application as a music major, which also lies outside the margin of error for the Olin Business School.

I’m a flutist and have loved music and playing the flute since I was about eight years old. At first it was just something I was taking in school, that is from my family’s perspective, but when I started playing outside of school in a small group, my family noticed I was really passionate about it. There was a brief hesitation on their part to embrace the fact I wanted to be a professional musician, but ultimately they decided it was my life and I could do what I wanted. They were actually great that way. As long as I wasn’t breaking a law, they would be behind me. And maybe they’ll come to a concert when I play with the flute choir on campus.

Some of the greatest blues, well and jazz too since I’m mentioning it, that I’ve ever heard and seen played live was in New Orleans, Louisiana. That’s right, the big easy, home of the nation’s Mardi Gras capital for, well and of course the recent Super Bowl winners the New Orleans Saints. Wow, that city has a lot going on, huh? And before I go on, I want to point out that the great blues I heard was not during Mardi Gras but a regular old day during a regular old summer with regular old sweltering heat and humidity. I didn’t mind it though, and actually that was kind of a crazy summer of self discovery, but more on that later. For now I just want to stress the experience I had with the music that seemed to permeate that fevered afternoon. Even into the night I could feel it in the walls of my New Orleans hotel luxury suite.

The incredible musical adventure began at a place called the Funky Pirate on Bourbon Street. The club was on Bourbon Street, it wasn’t part of its name if that was confusing. Unfortunately I can’t remember the name of the guy playing that day and I have since tried to find out whom it was. All I remember is the feeling of near possession by the blues. I know that sounds made up or a little exaggerated but I’m not kidding or embellishing. That music got into me in a weird way and it’s still there. I honestly feel everything in my life a bit more intensely, like a haunted yet vibrant awareness flowing through me and my heart beats to a blues beat.

Oh, and I started to play the guitar after I can home from that trip. It’s almost like I had to or something. And it’s not that I’m striving to be as great as that guy or anything. I just have to play something I’m feeling. So far I’ve learned a few blues riffs and chords and it’s really satisfying just to sit and work though a progression.

Carlsbad, California is a small town…a small surfing town that is just down the coast from Los Angeles, and just up the coast from San Diego.  This is a great place for the populations of those two larger cities to find a bit of relaxation, without losing the Southern California vibe.  Along the coast of Carlsbad, there are many activities taking place year round on the beaches, and in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.  Everyday of the week you can see the surfers on their boards, all lined up and waiting for the perfect wave to catch, kind of looking like little seals sitting just off shore.

Many people find that snorkeling and skin diving in the waters just off Carlsbad, is a great way to relax and to catch some wonderful sightings of the life that lives underneath the sea.  Just past the surfers, and past the breaking waves, many take out their small sail boats or kayaks and paddle up and down the coast.  Further in, in the shallow waters, many kids will be seen in the warmer months, either body surfing or boogie boarding.  This is truly a laid back environment, with many people either sunbathing, participating in a game of Frisbee or building sand castles.  There are barbecue pits along the beach, so many people take the time to hang out, grill some shrimp and share a picnic in the calm surroundings.

There is a small boardwalk which runs along the sands of the beach, and as in many California beach towns, the joggers, the bicyclers, and the rollerbladers are a plenty.  The beach hotels offer the chance of waking up in the morning and taking your tea or coffee while you watch and incredible sunrise.  And at night, the sunset will provide you with not only the peaceful feelings that the sunset brings, but many opportunities for some great photographs as well.  Carlsbad is truly one of the most charming beach towns in Southern California.

What to do, what to do on South Padre Island. It suppose it is all a matter of what brought you here and maybe how old your are. For the college student on Spring Break the island may be one kind of experience. If you are a business person band from wearing your tie while on a conference, the experience might be a little different. Personality plays a hand in it as well. Some business people might take the opportunity to pretend they are on Spring Break during there conference and act accordingly. They may be hoping they have a job when they get home.

No matter how old you are, or what kind of party there is going on, there are some fun activities to do while you are visiting. If you are really stressed out and need some tranquil time but don’t want to hide away in the spa, you might consider getting a sandcastle lesson. They offer lessons to get your hands grounded in the sand and your mind creative with sculpture possibilities. It is always a good thing for your mind and soul to do things that are different so you feel more balanced and alive in your life.

If you like to exercises and want to try something you can’t do in the middle of the desert or forest then try snorkeling or maybe Kayaking. The sea is filled with endless sport opportunities like boating and water skiing.  There are plenty of tours companies that can get you out in the warm sun and fresh air in or out of the water. They even have Dune Buggyand Jeep tours. Then there is the nice way of topping off your evening with some cocktails at one of the many splendid restaurants. You may want to get a sunset cruise for dinner. So make your plans with one of the fabulous hotels found here in South Padre and see what will help you to unwind.

I had always wanted to go to New York City. It has just been one of those cities that has existed on my dream trip list for as long as I can remember. Of course when I was young I had dreams of starring in a Broadway musical, but those dreams didn’t hesitate to remove themselves from my young mind once I was told I was tone deaf and was repeatedly reminded that I simply could not sing. The brutal discovery occurred when I was in the fifth grade and assigned to the part of Kaa the Snake in our elementary school production of The Jungle Book. We were all just assigned parts and no one had to sing or anything. I grew up in a very small rural town in Kansas and we only had about fifteen students in the entire class.

Well, I took the part and ran with it. My mom made my costume and I was eager to get out and sing and act. However, immediately after the opening night performance I went out to greet my family and the first words my brother said to me were, “You really can’t sing, can you.” I didn’t understand his question seeing that I just did sing. I sang a whole song onstage and by myself. I didn’t realize he meant that I couldn’t sing in tune, but this was definitely the beginning of the end. My Broadway career was over and I had barely turned eleven.

And while my singing and performance dreams left me my fascination with New York remained strong. It was only last year that I was able to visit the city for the first time though I will have to say it was worth the wait. It turns out that my company was asking for volunteers from my department to represent it in a convention in Manhattan. As if that was exciting enough the trip was scheduled to occur on my twenty-second birthday. Naturally I was the first to volunteer and couldn’t wait to settle into the company provided room at one of the boutique hotels in New York City. While I was there I did everything a tourist was supposed to do, including taking a seat on the roof of one of the buses that toured the city and visiting both the Empire State Building and Coney Island. I guess my favorite event, if I had to choose one, was my seat at the Minskoff Theatre where I saw The Lion King.