I hate sweating, getting nervous, and having adrenaline rush through my veins. Roller coasters? Meeting new people? No, thank you! I love the calm, the norm, the familiar. The only time that I will accept that awfully quick pounding of my heart and rush of blood circulating through my body? When I'm on a stage about to perform.

Sometimes, I feel as though performers for theatre don't get enough credit. If you've never been involved in a theatrical production before, let me just say that there's absolutely nothing more exhilarating than the opening night of a show. Knowing that your hard work, sweat, and tears that went into countless hours of rehearsals for the past couple of months is about to pay off. Just thinking about those moments is already making my heart thump faster than its normal rate.

Imagine: the back stage manager just called places. Everyone is scrambling to sing their last warm up in the green room, touch up their make up, take their last sip of water, and rush to their places in time for the curtains to open. As you whisper break a leg to everyone around you and close your eyes, your heart is pounding so hard that the audience can probably hear it. You hear the conductor tap their baton on the stand to get the orchestra's attention. As the overture starts to play, the lights in the theatre dim and the audience quiets down. You close your eyes, take one last deep breath, and you're ready for that first note of the opening number.

I've performed on a stage for as long as I could remember, and I can't even begin to describe to you just how passionate I am for it. It's such a rewarding experience that teaches you so much more than just music, dancing, and acting.

Being involved in theatre teaches you patience, how to work well with others, dedication, and setting high standards for yourself. It also shows you what you're capable of, thus building your self-confidence. Being able to go on a stage and perform in front of hundreds of people is not an easy thing to do. But I love it. I miss being on a stage every day. If I could do it for the rest of my life, I would.