Across the Pond.

Hey babes.

Despite my still-existing and still-annoying jet lag, I've decided it's time to reflect on my trip to England. So with my 1.5 liter of Smart Water by my side and a red bull around the corner, let us begin.

For those that don't know, I just returned from a trip to London, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Oxford. I went with a group of fellow UCO students for a ten day English adventure.

Before I left people where like "OMG ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR LONDON VACAY!" and I was like "YEAH OMG WHAT?! I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY HOLIDAY, AH! LOOK I'M SO BRITISH ALREADY" and now that I'm back and people ask how my vacation was I look them in the eye with the poise and grace of the queen herself and say "Listen, bitch. That was not a vacation. That was an excursion."

Now, that doesn't mean I didn't have a wonderful time, not at all. It was an incredible experience. It simply means that the trip was intense in every way. Our professor, Kato, put it best. When we had returned home he sent us all a message that read:

"I've been thinking a lot the last two weeks about the difference between vacation and travel. It seems to me, vacation is about restful relaxation. Travel, on the other hand, is about challenging exploration. I'm proud that we were 'travelers' rather than 'vacationers'..."

That pretty much sums it up, y'all. We didn't stroll around and munch on crumpets while sunning ourselves in the park. We hoofed it all around England, shoved food in our mouths for fuel, and cut through parks to get to our next exciting destination.

With that in mind, let me tell you about my travels. There is too much to describe to put it all in, plus I'm still so close to it that I don't even know if I remember all that happened clearly yet. I'll break it into units to make it a little easier for you. And me. And my mom, hey Deb!

Please read this post in a British accent.

Airplane Ride There:

I'd love to say that I stepped on to our almost nine hour flight to England looking fierce and ready to fly fabulously. But that wouldn't be true. What really happened is our flight to the Dallas airport from Oklahoma got delayed...so the hour we were supposed to have to grab food, coffee, etc. before we got on the big flight had completely disappeared. We had to BOOK IT to the England flight and were the last ones on the plane. Sweatily we arrived, sweatily we remained. The flight was...well it was a flight. Cramped and hot and long. Instead of stepping off the plane looking like a superstar ready to take on London, I stepped off looking like I'd been stepped on. But that was okay. Because I was in London.

London-The First Four Days:

The first day was probably the most intense, mainly because it was a crash course for intense travel. We got out of the airport with our bags in tow and onto The Tube (The tube is like the subway. Not the sandwich place, the New York one.) for about 30-40 minutes. We had to make a pit stop somewhere I can't remember so that Tim and Kato (our professors) could go and get the keys to the place we'd be staying in. We crashed in a park while we waited for them and I remember that is when I discovered that Jet Lag is no joke.

We arrived in Farringdon, the tube station closest to the flats we'd be staying in. Yeah, I said flats. "Apartment" is just soOo American, mate. Breathless and exhausted, we walked about a mile to said flats. Up three flights of stairs. To our un-air conditioned rooms. Now if y'all know me at all, you know that heat is truly my Achilles heel. The no AC bit was rough, but other than that, the flats were nice! They had a kitchen, two bathrooms, a living room and two bedrooms. Plus, we were barely in those flats. We were too busy being in London.

After we threw down our bags and my heat induced temper tantrum subsided, we immediately had to rush to a rock and roll walking tour of London. I still feel pretty bad for our Wayne Coyne lookalike tour guide...his audience consisted of jet lagged zombie people blinking American sleep out of their eyes. At one point I leaned against a building and came close to falling asleep right then and there. I don't remember much of that trip. Just that I wished I had been more awake to hear all the cool stuff he was saying. I did snap some pics, though. The sites were beautiful.

 This is Carnaby Street, it was hoppin'.

 

 

We got back and were able to sit for a bit, which was much needed. We collected ourselves and walked to a cute little pizza-pub restaurant and had our first meals and beers.
 

The next day was our touristy day. We saw so much and it was lovely. All the energy I lacked the day before was back and better than ever! We saw the London museum, The Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham palace, West Minster Abbey, Big Ben, and The Eye.

The next day we finally had our first full English breakfast which was pretty darn tasty. Also massive. It comes with weird things like baked beans and a giant sautéed mushroom and something called black pudding. After I'd eaten a few bites of the black pudding (which isn't pudding at all, more like a solid bread-like substance) we asked the waitress what black pudding was exactly. She said, in her adorable English accent, "Oh, it's a mix of pork and other things. It's black because of the blood, that's what gives it it's color. It's also called blood sausage!" Oh. Okay, girl.

After we'd eaten our bloody breakfast, we headed out for our travels of the day. Our first stop was St. Paul's cathedral. You guys, it was gorgeous. The architecture, the sculptures around it, the leafy green trees, the massive steps that lead up to its massive doors. And the inside. So, so lovely. We were lucky enough to catch part of a service. The choir sang it's soft, melodic hymn and I truly did shed a tear. The beauty that is St. Paul's does that. I lit a candle, said a quick prayer and we were off again.

We walked across the street and onto the bridge that separated us from it. The Globe Theatre. Oh, also the Tate Modern Museum. Seeing the globe was surreal, I didn't feel anything but a numb awe. Well, not until later. Not until I walked in to see "Antony and Cleopatra" and I just cried. I walked through the doorway into the theatre space and I just...I cried. At the beauty, the history. At the meaning behind it. Yeah, it isn't the original Globe. But it's still the freaking Globe. I felt close to the Bard, himself. I felt inspired. I felt so thankful. Plus the show was great.

Before the show we toured the Tate, which had some really cool stuff inside. All in all, it was a really wonderful day.

       Lol @ me beveling in Birkinstocks

The next day was a much lighter day, activity wise. We went to the British Museum. That place is pretty daunting, man. There is just so much to see, so much to take in. I feel like you could walk it for a day and still miss half. I saw awesome artifacts from ancient Egypt and Greece, two periods that have always fascinated me, among many other things! After that, we went to this little Irish pub in Leicester and I had probably the best meal of the trip-bangers and mash. It was quite tasty. Though I can now say I understand why the English are really not known for their food (the food isn't bad, just a little on the bland side) this dish was real yummy. This is also where I had my first Aspall, the cider that I drank for the remainder of the trip. That night we saw "War Horse". I honestly cannot describe how amazing it was. Possibly the best show I've ever seen. Straight show, for sure. It was impeccable, clean, poignant, funny, moving, and more. The puppetry is out of this world. I went in not super excited to see the show, having no idea what it was about or any strong desire to see it, and I left feeling so dumb that I ever felt that way before. I left exhilarated. Theatre can do that, it can. It reminded me that the theatre not only has the capabilities to still move people, it is. It does. It always will. I know I'm gushing but that show was unreal. Ahhhhhh.

 

Stratford:

 

The next day we boarded a train that took us to my very favorite place of the whole trip, it took us to Stratford. Shakespeare's birthplace. Guys, I could have stayed there for all ten days. Sadly it was just two. Two sweet, pretty days in a sweet, pretty town. It was gorgeous. Lush, green, cool air and grey skies. Buildings so old you'd think they were painted onto the thin air, the details so foreign and wonderfully strange they brought a smile to your face. The people were kind, the stores were quaint, and every single thing I saw was picturesque. My mom, who I sent pictures to constantly, put it best. She said that Stratford looked like what she had always imagined England to look like. It's so true. Before my trip, when I thought of England I thought of tea cups and rolling green hills and roses and carriages and....I dunno...I guess basically I pictured a scene from a period piece on the BBC. Stratford gave me that. We saw two awesome shows at the Royal Shakespeare Company; "Roaring Girl" and "The Arden of Faversham". I also got to tour Shakespeare's birthplace and visit his grave in the breathtaking Holy Trinity Church. That was my favorite part, walking the grounds next to the river by the church. It was so pretty it was honestly hard to believe it was real, hard to believe it wasn't a scene from a fairy tale. I miss Stratford already.

 

 

 

Oxford:

 

Our next stop before heading back to swinging London town was Oxford. We were only there one day. We went on a literary walking tour around the town and it was really cool. Oxford's buildings are so pretty, so important looking. Which is good, because they are important. Everything in Oxford, it seems, exists to promote and produce education, enlightenment. Universities, libraries, churches. That's Oxford, man. It's where the smart people are. Another awesome thing about our brief stay is that we, by total lucky chance, were able to stay at a 5 star hotel-The Randolph. We were supposed to stay at a university, but they didn't have our rooms ready so they put us up. Way up. This was also the night we each got our own rooms-bliss. Five star hotel and a room all for me? Hell. Yes. After the walking tour we were welcome to explore on our own or head back to the hotel. Though I slightly regret it now, I chose hotel. I regret because other than the walking tour, I really didn't see a lot of Oxford. I don't regret ultimately because man, I needed that little installment of R&R. I took a bubble bath, watched tv, and generally exploded the contents of my suitcase around the room BECAUSE I COUUUULD! It was a fun, quick stay and I'm really glad we were able to experience yet another amazing place.

 

 

 

London: The Last Three Days:

 

Our last two real exploratory days were spent at the Hilton hotel by Paddington Station. Here our only "planned" itinerary items were seeing two more shows. The rest of the time was ours to do with whatever we wanted. I spent the two days doing a little resting and a little shopping. A very nice way to end such a crazy European trip. My friends and I went to the Camden street market, the shops of Oxford Circus and an amaaaaaaaaazing five story bookstore in Piccadilly. One night we saw a show called "Drowned Man". I still don't know how to describe it. It wasn't even a show, per se, but more of an experience. A three hour, five story, abandoned warehouse where you follow characters and have to wear a mask that looks like a witch doctor mask while treading through smoke, sand, dirt, horror, sadness, and more, kind of experience. The other night I saw Les Miserables on the West End. It was....ugh it was freaking perfection. I bawled my eyes out and my heart felt so full as my friend Guy and I left the theatre, full of love and song. It was an amazing night, an amazing end. The next day we went to our last destination, the Heathrow Hilton that's attached to the airport. Our journey across the pond had come to a close.

 

 

 

The flight home was brutal, as we had come to expect, and I was so, so happy to see my guy waiting for me once we had landed. I've spent the past two days just crashing hard. I think I took three baths yesterday.

 

My next step is beginning the process of preparing to sell my house, buy one in Lubbock, get moved and start grad school.

 

I'm incredibly lucky to have had that brief, long, amazing, exhausting, life changing trip in between the closing of one chapter in my life and the beginning of another.

 

 

Cheers, mate.

 

 

 

all these things that i have done...

Today I took my last final (well, hopefully...assuming I pass my gened's and don't have to retake them this summer.......like seriously fingers crossed....) of my undergraduate career.

It was a theatre final, just like it should've been. I spent it with my people, fellow actors, technicians, dancers, etc. I spent it with a professor who I've known the entirety of my five years at UCO, and I spent it in the building that made my dreams come true-Mitchell Hall. The only way it could have been made more perfect would be if we trekked across campus to give Pegasus Theatre a little love. Dreams came true there, too. But then we would have been sprayed by Broncho Lakes mysterious rank liquid, so what are yah' gonna do?

Part of me thinks I should wait to write this post. Perhaps on Sunday, after I've crossed the stage and switched my tassel to the "I GRADUATED" side. Perhaps I should wait even longer than that...not let myself get nostalgic until I've had some time to live in the now. Perhaps the post would be better or longer or funnier or sweeter.

But I'm writing it now.

I'm writing it now because I think none of this has truly hit me yet. Like today in class, I had friends be like *meaningful look* "I'm going to miss you, Kelsey." and I'd be like "what, why? Oh because it's the last day of class! Well, I 'll see you around weirdo!......ooohhh because it's my last day of class with you ever....oh because I'm done at UCO....I'm graduating....BUT, I'll still see y'all!!.....oh I'm going to London in a week and moving to Lubbock, TX by the end of the Summer...ohhhh..oh....I...I'll miss you, too."

I think I need to understand what this all means, I need to access all of my feeLz before it's too late and the next project eats them all up.

Five years. I'm allowed to feel some feeLz whenever I damn want to FeeL them.

UCO: A Divas Reflections on Being A Broncho

-My freshmen year was perfect. Seriously. I had my own house, my roommate was my (and still is) my best friend. I met Tyler. We had a real rocky first year because...well...I was 19, but hey...it all worked out, didn't it? I made lifelong friends. (Seriously, I know that sounds like a line jacked from "7th Heaven", but honestly I am still very good friends with at least 80% of the people I met my freshmen year) I was cast in three of the four shows that year, one of which was my first college lead. Let's reminisce about that, shall we?

I was Masha in Chekhov's "Three Sisters". I had originally been cast as a silent maid in that production. A little over a week before opening night, the actress playing Masha was dropped from the show and the director asked me to step in. I was so scared. I'd wanted this part since the summer before I started college, I'd bawled my eyes out for a day (or 3) when I didn't get it...I went to every rehearsal and envied the other actors for getting to say those beautiful words....and then somehow, some way, the clouds parted and the angels sang and...I got a chance. Though I felt horrible for the actress that I replaced, I felt a joy I still can't describe. Also, a terror. I had a week to learn a Chekov lead, my first lead in college. I had to show people I was good, I had to show them I could do it. At the time, I was still just a freshmen that was lucky enough to be cast in "Antigone" as a chorus member and "Three Sisters" as a maid. This was my chance to show everyone I wasn't just any faceless freshmen that lucked out by getting some stage time at all. This was my chance to show them I was Kelsey Fisher, y'all.

That whole production is pretty much a blur for me. Cramming so much in so little time multiplied with sheer ecstasy, throwing myself into a show harder than I ever had before, left this spot of my life a little hazy to access once the experience came to a close. I remember that I got my first Irene Ryan nomination from the adjudicator his (or her...I don't know...) self. I felt like I had finally carved out the first big step in what I hoped would be a lovely path at UCO.

I did, and it was.

I went to my first ACTF. It was in Amarillo, Texas and it still remains the best time I ever had at ACTF...besides maybe my second year going. Which was also in Amarillo. The only reason it challenges my first year is because Tyler and I weren't together the first year but were the second. So, yeah. Anyways, I have so many memories of the trip. It was bananas. Between Mason, Tyler, Taylor, Andy, Alli, Craig, Damen, Jill, Summer, Tim and everyone else...it was just a blast. A messy, theatrical ACTF-y blast.

I was also in a beautiful show called "Changed Forever", a show we devised about the Oklahoma City Bombing. It was a life changing experience and I am so grateful I was a part of it. This show gave me my second ACTF nomination which I spoiled above. Yay! Amarillo pt. 2!

I received an award from the College of Fine Arts and Design for my excellence in theatre. As a freshmen, I was on cloud nine. What more could I possibly ask for?

Basically, I met two of my best friends (T and Tand, I'm looking at you. I love you both more than words can say. You are my family.) as well as my soul mate. Plus I got to do some good theatre. Plus plus I somehow got almost perfect grades my first year of college. (All A's....and one C...still bitter..)

Like I said, my freshmen year kicked ass.

-Sophomore year brought with it some sorrow, acting wise. That Fall semester was the first (and thank God, only) semester that I didn't get cast in either of the shows. I mean, yeah I was in one acts and stuff...but I'll never forget the kick in the stomach, the freaking punch in the heart that I felt when I walked up to those two cast lists and didn't see my name. I, being the drama queen that I am, darted out of the building. I didn't want anyone to see me cry. I knew that for some, this was fair. I had been in three shows already, it was time for me to warm the bench. For me, it was devastating. I went into a bathroom in another building, an upstairs bathroom that looked pretty unused. I broke the eff down there. One of my best friends, Ashleigh, found me and comforted me. We sat on the counter of a janky bathroom on the second floor of what I'm pretty sure was the business building. I remember it like it was yesterday. Sophomore year also brought something pretty amazing. It brought back Tyler Waits. It was technically the summer before sophomore year...but still. He had been cast as the lead in one of the two shows that semester. He tried to contain his own excitement and took such care of me. I remember that show well, I saw it every night. Saw Tyler finally have HIS moment at UCO to really show his stuff. Yeah, he'd been cast a lot in general...but his portrayal of Roat in "Wait Until Dark" was Tyler at his best. He was captivating.

Spring semester came and, thank God, so did a cast list with my name on it. Little Women. My second Bob play. It was lovely and I was thankful. To any that heard my speech for and about Bob at last nights banquet can see how deeply I meant what I said when I proclaimed that Dr. Robert E. McGill had always been my beacon of light, my home. Any time I felt lost, he took my hand and showed me the way. This was just one of many examples of his kindness throughout my years at UCO. I received my third ACTF nomination from this show. A lucky girl, I am. 

This is also the year Brittany Johnson and I became friends. Though we had been in Changed Forever together, we didn't really get close until we had improv together the Spring semester of sophomore year. She, Rachel Turner and I became fast, intense friends. Though the beautiful Ms. Turner (soon to be a bride, exchanging that Ms. for a Mrs.!!! Ahhh!) had a big girl job and less time to hang after awhile, Brittany and I got even closer. In high school, I met Addie. Freshmen year, I met Taylor and Andy (and of course Tyler). Sophomore year brought me another best friend in a feisty, half of her head shaved package known as Bratney. I love her dearly. 

-Junior year was a blast. I got to play another dream role, Dorine in "Tartuffe" alongside one of my best friends Taylor Harris as the bad guy, himself! I was in a dinner theatre production called "Happy Anniversary Angel, Love Gino" which introduced me to some of the fabulous people in the education department (the director was an Ed professor) and expanded my improv skillZ (which are not very big anyways, so I'll take what I can get) and was overall just a lot of fun. Plus I got my fourth ACTF nom, another year of theatre, friends, challenges and beer. I was also cast in Dr. Bristow's last show before retirement at UCO. "The Lark", it was. One of my other best friends, Andy Harp, got his Lead Role on in that production and killed it! My part wasn't huge or anything, but hey, I had finally been cast in a Bristow show (aka-a show that is beautifully directed) and I was ecstatic.

In between all the stage time a little slice of sass walked into my life. Another wonderful best friend. My soul-sister baby boy betch, Tyle Bivens. We met at Tartuffe auditions and after that I just couldn't really shake him. I tried. Just kidding. Kind of. But really though, after that first meeting, it was done. We weren't fast friends, really, we were more like instant friends. Instant friends and fast best friends. Life got a little shot of pizazz when that fellow diva entered it. I love em' so much.

-Senior year pt.1 was crazy. Crazy, wonderful. We had a new professor, Kato Buss, come to UCO. At the time I dreaded the thought of any kind of change, especially my fourth year of college. Little did I know that not only was Kato going to be an amazing professor to all, but that he was also going to be a wonderful friend to me. I'm so goddamn grateful that dude became a BronCHo. I was cast in my first Shakespeare play, Henry V. I played a welsh guy named Fluellen. I was cast in Kato's premier show "Anton in Show Business" where I played three other guys and received my fifth and final ACTF nomination. Anyways, It was a manly year, y'all. But so much fun. I was also cast again by the lovely Dr. Bob as Amanda Wingfield in Tennessee Williams "The Glass Menagerie". I'm still on a high from that. I may be about thirty years too young to play her in real life, but Amanda is and will always be a dream role of mine. I hope I get to play her again someday.

Oh, yeah. I got engaged. Tyler Steven Cute Butt Waits proposed to me on December 22nd 2012. I came home from a shift at Hideaway. I was grumpy, covered in sauce and sass, and ready to be home. As I walked in the door I noticed a huge box under the tree, a box that hadn't been there when I left. I, being the present lover that I am (I want you guys to know that I just started typing the word "president" instead of "present", so from now on I will only be referred to as The Honorable President Lover. But not in a Monica Lewinski way.) I asked who it was for. He coyly smiled and said he didn't know, how about I check? A surge of energy passed through me and I just knew he was going to propose. I tore open the present and inside the box I found a robe. As you can imagine, I was underwhelmed. I was like "oh, thank you?". Side story: I always steal Tyler's robe. Boy robes better than girl robes. Okay, back to the story. I was like "I guess I'll stop stealing yours now heh heh heh..." and put it back in the box. He, flustered, was like "Well, wait! Did you check the pockets!"  The light returned to my eyes and I lunged (not really, but kind of I'm sure) for the robe again and inside I found the box. I opened up and saw my beautiful ring, looked at Tyler in front of me and said yes as he asked that wonderful question "Will you marry me?". We sat on the floor and took selfies and laughed and were engaged. I asked him why he put the ring in a bathrobe and he explained how he thought I would be so excited about the robe that I would immediately put it on my body and dance around luxuriating in it, happen to notice a pocket was heavy and be shocked to find the contents inside, SURPRISE! I laughed at him for awhile and told him he was absurd. Then we kissed and life was, life is, just freaking lovely. I love that dweeb.

Also, Addie got engaged to the love of her life! Love was living large in the wintery months of 12' and early springy months of 13'.

I wrote and directed my very own one act. It was such a cool thing, seeing my brainchild on stage. Plus Tyler was in it and he was real cute. 

Oh, I also wrote and directed FUBAR with some of my greatest friends including Andy, Guy, Pipkin, Brittany and our beloved stage manager Sierra Carter. More on her later. We were, and are still, pretty damn proud of that show. 

Senior year pt. 2 has been so strange. A beautiful kind of strange, yes, but strange nonetheless. I was the Duke in "Measure for Measure", once again directed by Dr. Bobby McGill, and "Bobrauschenbergamerica" by Dr. Buss aka Kool Kat Kato. (He'll hate me for calling him that.) (If he reads this.) (Are you there Kato? It's me, Kelsey.) Both were challenging, both were beautiful and both were directed by my mentors. Bob and Kato mean the world to me and I hope with my whole heart I'll get to work with them again someday. I really, really do.

I went to SETC with Brittany and Ms. Sierra Carter, another best friend I've met along the way. Though we became friends the year before, it was this past year that we really bonded. She is such a weirdo but in the best ways. She's sweet and caring. She's crazy and hilarious. She's utterly bizarre and beautiful. I'm so glad you came into my life, Si. You are an inspiration.

I got into grad school. Read my previous blog to recap on the crazy amount of excitement, pride, and joy I feel about all of that.

Last night I received my last brawnie award, I spoke for Bob (who is retiring) and I also received an award from the College of Fine Arts and Design for my excellence in the theatre department. The very same award I received my freshmen year. What an incredible way to bookend my time here. What an honor.

UCO has made me who I am today. It has supplied me with friendships that will last a life time. It has challenged me. It has punished me and it has rewarded me. It introduced me to the love of my life, my future husband.

Thank you, UCO, and thank you to every single person that I had the pleasure to meet along my journey as a broncho. I may be trading my school colors of blue and bronze out for red and black, but the place that UCO has in my heart is irreplaceable.



With so, so much love.