All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go.

Thank you, John Denver, for setting my mood this afternoon.

I am taking a breather to sit on the couch and take care of all my last-minute electronic forms of communication. Tomorrow is the departure for the rest of the summer. Music City Drum Corps is moving into Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee, for two weeks of practice before embarking on a country-wide tour.

My emotions are mixed. I'm excited, obviously, to participate in this wonderful activity again, especially in a new venue. This year, I'm assistant drum major; I stand there and wave my arms, hoping that everyone follows the tempo I set (or something like that...). I'm sad, however, because this is the last year I'll perform. DCI (Drum Corps International) has an age limit of no one 22+ before June 1st. Now, I don't think my body could handle another summer, even if I'm fairly stationary while I wave my arms around. Yet my career with DCI has been fulfilling on levels I never expected, and I'm sad to see it come to an end. I will also miss my friends here and my high school guard that I feel like I'm abandoning.

So besides this crazy week of prep work for leaving, I have been trying to soak up the most out of my abbreviated summer vacation. I taught some high school guard, swam a bit, made numerous Sonic runs, took a road trip to see The Boy, turned 22, and worried about my state of unemployment. I am planning on hitting up the job market once I return as an ageout from DCI, but if the job market doesn't drastically change in six weeks, I may be unlucky, like most of the country appears to be.

So whenever I write here again, I will (hopefully) be tanner and skinnier. I will also be much sadder, as my career as a performer in drum corps has come to an end. However, come August there will be a sense of change and upheaval that, while terrifying, fills me with infectious excitement about the future. Let's just hope that feeling lasts as I fill out job applications.