Bring only one carry on! Having multiple bags can lead to more stress and time spent on the plane.

Unlike most of the population, going to the beach is not something I look forward to when summer approaches. I know this sounds inhuman to most people, but there are a few others like me out there that would rather be anywhere, doing anything, other than going to the beach. However, if all of my friends are planning a beach day, I will suck it up. A couple weeks ago, I found myself doing just that, and here’s how it went:

1. Water is your best friend.

This may seem so obvious, but those who are still not consuming enough water on a daily basis, like myself, clearly need a refresher. Life can get so crazy with everything that is going on that not only may you forget, but caffeine may seem like your best friend instead. Which coffee may be a close second I am not going to lie, but there is only so much coffee can do for you while water can do a million others. Putting your obvious health aside, water can also keep your skin looking fresh with age and keep your energy longer.

The sun is barely awake but the shrill sound of my alarm is assaulting my slumber. My eyes are tired, but my heart is inundated. My world is suddenly filled with a wispy morning holding on to the promise of magic. My makeup brushes transform me into a being that can be seen from the back of any auditorium. Everything comes together; seeing team mates, playing your music over and over, stretching in cramped hallways and having team heart to hearts in secluded stairwells. All the nuances of a life art: the smell of hairspray engulfing a dressing room, the heat radiating off the metal lighting stands backstage, the littlest things give me the shivers because they just let me know that I’m home. It is bliss and adrenaline and the closest thing to pure magic I will ever get.