Asheville, NC

Population: 90,902

Cut to: one of my favorite places in the world—Asheville, North Carolina. Beards, flannels, and witty bumper stickers, oh my! We arrived in Asheville on January 30, some phlegm still clinging to our lungs. Our performance of Twelfth Night was at The Asheville School, a very well to do college-prep boarding school for intimidatingly well-groomed youths. I can’t imagine getting to perform in a theatre like this now, let alone in HIGH SCHOOL. The meals provided by their cafeteria were probably the best meals we’ve had in weeks. The students rotate groups with which to eat lunch every few weeks, and they eat “family style.” There are no phones, and there is lots of polite small talk, and the teachers pass food around the table. It’s sweet, and also a little cult-like. It made me a little sad that these kids were missing out on the stresses (and freedoms) of public high school lunchrooms. Where will you sit? Will the pizza have a surprise toenail topping? What if a food fight breaks out? It is survival of the fittest out there, and you guys are missing out on this!! The whole school was required to attend our performance. (“Nothing like a captive audience to make for a high-energy show!” she said, a crazed smile plastered on her face.)

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After a full day of being spoiled at The Asheville School, we had some free time to explore Asheville. We bopped around downtown, admiring all of the weird specialty shops Asheville has to offer (one was a store completely dedicated to hot sauces). I took some pals to one of my favorite bookstores ever, Malaprop’s. I could live in this bookstore. There is a café, so I could probably live here forever, existing solely on tea, bagels, and knowledge. I had to resist the urge to buy every lonely book that might need a home. I just finished Nagin Farsad’s How to Make White People Laugh, which is hilariously witty by the way, and so I picked up a copy of Naomi Alderman’s The Power for some fierce feminist fantasy fun. (I started it, and I am so obsessed already. Review to come.)

We drank locally brewed beer, which is a favorite pastime of Ashevillians. I tried to go stargazing in a dark spot, as I have in Asheville previously, but forgot to check the weather. It was 100% cloudy. So, I basically set us up for a horror-movie-style situation. Two young artists on the side of the road on a pitch-dark mountain, staring at the starless sky, hoping not to get murdered by bears. Living the dream.

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The next day, a few of the company went for a hike at DuPont State Forest. It was a beautiful day for watching waterfalls and trash talking unsuspecting Clemson fans. I had a grand time.

I didn’t want to leave the mountains.

Daytona Beach, FL

Population: 68,055

After a brief 8-and-a-half hour jaunt in the vehicles, we arrived at an oceanfront hotel in Daytona Beach with the weirdest weather whiplash I have ever experienced. I woke up early the next morning to catch the sunrise and did some yoga on the balcony, to the sound of the waves.

All but one of our company members made a journey to Blue Spring State Park to see the 178 manatees, basking in the spring. This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. These big, peaceful creatures float in the warm, shallow water, catching some rays in the clear green water. A few of us went on a kayak excursion through the water. We saw manatees, herons, and a few gators. I almost got eaten by one (a nightmare from my childhood), but luckily I lived to tell the tale.

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Let it be known: I, Jamie Boller, am a terrible swimmer. I would really like to remedy this, so I’m taking opportunities at hotels with pools to bully someone who likes me into giving me some lessons. I am proud to say, I had my first lesson and I didn’t drown in the 5ft pool! (Maybe next time I will take off my metaphorical life vest, floaties, and inner tube and swim like a beautiful manatee.)

Cut to—my favorite performance of Twelfth Night yet, performed in a LECTURE HALL at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. My Uncle Bruce and Aunt Wendy drove up from West Palm to see the performance, and I am so thankful I got to see them! The audience was a strange amalgamation of local senior citizens, random Daytona dwellers, and a few curious students/faculty from Embry. This audience knew their Shakespeare. They laughed; they “oo’d” and “aww’d.” We even got a few standing ovations at the end. The cast had a blast with this performance, seeing who could crack each other up first onstage. (I lost. I cracked up.)

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In a few short days, I will be in my homeland of MEMPHIS, TN! I am so excited to hug my family, cuddle my cat, and share my hometown with some excellent friends. If you are a Memphis friend reading this, come get a drink with some Players this weekend!

Your Dear Lady Disdain,

Jamie