Leaving for the US of A #TerrificTravels

I have the wonderful privilege of being the South African representative who will be coaching, guiding and mentoring a group of 11 talented artists taking part in the AMTC #SHINE Summer event in Orlando, Florida over the next two weeks.

Finally I am beginning to slowly recover from jet-lag after looooong hours in transit. (I still have some moments of feeling like I've just stepped off of a trampoline and my body continues swaying involuntarily). I traveled with the Gautrain from Pretoria to OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg arriving around 3pm to arrange travel and check-ins with the group of candidates and their families. Our flight departed at 7pm on Thursday 26th. It began with 11 hours to Paris, approximate 5 hour lay-over, then another 8 hours to Atlanta.

At Atlanta we nearly missed our connecting domestic flight due to lengthy customs checks and then after an hour's flight to Orlando, we sat on the tarmac for another hour and a half thanks to a lightening storm which made connecting the plane to the disembarking stairs and tunnels a risk for airport staff.

Add in another half hour's drive by charter bus to the hotel arriving at around 8pm on Friday 27th and that rounds it up nicely to 32 hours of travelling, ouch!

Our first day began with (well, Starbucks... and then...) a full day of shopping and outlet mall hopping and even a trip to Walmart. We had the most entertaining and sweet driver named Bill from the Mears Travel Agency, who played tour guide and soccer score announcer; and even demonstrated the correct way to swing a baseball bat - at length.

I thought I might just take a nap after the full day, but ended up skipping dinner and sleeping right through!

Today we had a full day of photo-shoots for all my candidates, with hair and make-up done on site by the experts, their looks selected and refined by excellent stylists, each 'look' captured by pro photographers and all this in a well-oiled machine of production efficiency. A great and productive day today. I even managed to go to the gym after and work out some of the jet-lag kinks.

Tomorrow my team attend the Pre-SHINE Launch 'training' and on Tuesday the games begin with #SHINE Summer registration and the first of all their showcases. It's so rewarding to see them all experience the US and AMTC for the first time and also those who have been before, increasing their skill-sets and upping their game.


The weather is lovely, hot and humid - unlike home. Hopefully I'll have some time to visit the gorgeous pools at some point! I adore staying at the Gaylord Palms with its gorgeous exteriors, spectacular alligators in the pools around the hotel, wonderful restaurants and luxurious rooms.

The only thing missing is my husband - who's birthday is tomorrow. *sad face* Wish he could be here, but thinking of him performing on the eve of his birthday at the very special charity event #67Blankets for Madiba Day as one of the Leading Men of Musical Theatre, hosted by the Auto & General Theatre on the Square.

Love you my angel, sending you tropical heat love from Florida!

Chat soon peeps,

.