Day 1 - The adventure begins

Two cramped and crowded flights, and here I am in Florida. The cruise line set me up with a cool rental car (about 10 years younger than my truck), and I'm grateful, but driving an unknown car through a city I don't know has been a challenge.

After a mighty four hours of sleep (I finally found my hotel at 2AM), I was up and off to my first training day. The Mouse's cruise line uses an advanced digital mixing board I have never before laid eyes upon. A company called ProSound is training me to use this board. I knew I was in trouble when my teacher announced to me that I am learning the most complicated digital mixing board on the planet. Indeed, it does seem to be just that. While it seems to have nearly endless options for mixing... That comes with nearly endless ways to screw things up! ;^)

With my brain completely scrambled by training, I went back to my hotel... The Mouse's "All Star Sports Resort":
All Star Sports Resort

The hotel is billed as "For Athletes and Fans alike". Since I am neither, I'm not crazy about the decor... Floor-to-ceiling sports. In fact, the courtyards surrounding the two outdoor swimming pools look like a fantasy realm of giant sports equipment. There are the football helmets that could easily house double-decker busses, giant baseball bats that double as support beams, etc., etc. Since the only sport that interests me is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (which is oddly not represented at all), I find it humorous that I am being housed across the street from the All Star Music Resort and the All Star Movie Resorts... Both of which are great interests of mine. :^)

Honestly, tonight I'm homesick. The first three weeks or so after moving away are always lonely. Since I'm here early for specific audio training, no other crew members from The Mouse's cruise line are currently staying at the hotel (they arrive Wednesday). It's just me, and what seems to be about 10,000 teenagers from Brazil. They move in packs... Large, giggling packs. I paid $10 to get online for 24 hours, hoping to hear from anyone, but nobody is responding to my emails, and nobody is on AIM. Weird.

It's not that I miss Mount Pleasant really---- I was stagnating there, but I DEFINITELY miss my friends and family. Sitting alone in a hotel a thousand miles from home is not really a fun activity. Too much introspection. I've moved and traveled a lot, but the first few weeks never seem to get any easier. The people I've lived, worked, and laughed with are not here, and I miss them already. Still, this adventure is just beginning. I may be a party of one... But I am STILL a party!