Well, we made it, folks.
It’s finally finals week, the home stretch, and sometimes you need something to look forward to in those endless hours of studying.
I’m excited to go home and spend time with family and friends, start online classes and make some money, but before that, I can look forward to something that will take place right after I move out: A Cappella Choir tour.
Each spring, right after exams, this choir takes a five-day, four-night tour. We pick a destination and give concerts on the way there and back.
Last year, we went to Toronto, and this year we are headed to Nashville, Tennessee. We perform repertoire from this semester and last semester, usually at churches. Members of the congregation kindly agree to house pairs or small groups of us for the night that we are there.
The cost for the trip is typically under $100, and is very much worth it because of the memories you make in return.
I’ll be the first to say that home stays are an eye-opening experience, since you get to know all sorts of different people, if only for a small amount of time. My first host on last year’s tour, who had gone to high school with my aunt, coached a high school girls’ dance team. Along with three other choir members, I tried organic, sugar-free root beer for the first time, thanks to our host in Buffalo, New York.
In Canada, I marked a few more firsts- the first time I had been out of the country, for one thing. I had never used different currency before. I saw Niagara Falls in person, and yes, it’s every bit as neat as I had heard. I went to a gay bar for the first time. I found out that Smarties are known as Rockets.
I highly recommend a trip like this to everyone.
If singing and traveling and trying new things sounds fun to you, consider joining the choir next year.
Respond to Abigail at