THE END OF A LONG TRAVEL DAY

Good evening from the Tampa Marriott Waterside hotel!  It's currently midnight EST.

Today has been a long, but incredibly smooth day for travelling.  Since we left you last at the Dallas airport, our flight to Tampa was almost exactly 2 hours and was a pleasant flight.  The plane was basically brand new and the folks at Southwest let us board as a group, so we took up the back part of the plane.  Because we had some sugar and caffeine in our veins thanks to our layover, the orchestra was a more chatty and giggly on this flight.  We're having a great time getting to know each other and making new friends!

We touched town in Tampa right at sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.  The weather is a beautiful 73 degrees and comfortable, which reminded me of home (except it's a little more humid here).  All of us got off the plane safely and so did our luggage and instruments.  Everything seems to be in perfect condition! 

Charter buses were waiting for us to take us on a half-hour drive from the airport to the hotel.  Once we got to the hotel, we had a little trouble checking in our group, which caused our dinner to be a bit delayed.  But eventually, our group enjoyed a nice 10-minute walk down the street to Hablo Taco, where we got to build our own tacos!  The walk allowed us to stretch our legs and get a beautiful view of the marina right next to our hotel.

Our hotel is bustling with activity and music as it is primarily booked up by other National Orchestra Festival participants and ASTA Conference attendees.  As we were waiting to receive our room keys this evening, Robert Becker, the principal violist of Pacific Symphony, came over to greet us!  There's lots of string talk in these halls, and we're excited for who we'll meet tomorrow.  

Looking forward to tomorrow, when we're going to spend the morning at the ASTA conference and afternoon at Busch Gardens.  We're ending our first full day in Tampa tomorrow with a concert by renowned musician Jeremy Kittel.  

Pictures will be coming your way soon.  Have a good night, families and friends at home!

- Bella

THURSDAY TRAVEL DAY UPDATE

Hi everyone,

The day is finally here - ASTA travel day!  And hello from the Dallas airport!

The time is 2:35pm Central time and we’re set to board Southwest flight 1442 leaving from Dallas Love Field at 3:35pm.  Everyone is waiting at Gate 9, happy, well-fed (there are lots of restaurants at this small, manageable airport), and excited for the remainder of the journey.

Leaving LAX was remarkably smooth. 

Since it was early in the morning, our group of 68 was practically the only large group checking in at the Southwest counter.  The folks at Southwest and TSA have been incredibly accommodating and have taken great care of our instruments so far.  Since there are 68 of us walking through a huge, busy airport at 6 in the morning with our bright blue shirts, we passed crowds of staff and travelling families wishing us good luck at our performance in Florida!  If you’re a cello parent, don’t fret.  Chris Kroesen and I watched cellos be boarded onto and off of the plane from the gate.  The airport personnel were gentle and cello-friendly.  I’m confident our checked cellos will reach Tampa safe and sound.

The flight from LAX to Dallas was about 2.5 hours and uneventful (which is good!).  Games were played, passengers were quiet, and we were all able to grab a few minutes of sleep.  We’re now sitting at Gate 9 in Dallas (Love Field airport) waiting to board in about 40 minutes.

That’s it for Blog update 1.  So who is writing your blog?  It’s Bella Staav, PSYE Director and flutist (I’m posing as a string player this weekend)!  I hope to do the best I can over the next few days to grab a few quiet moments and a sliver of free Wifi to update you of our journey.

Once we land in Tampa, we’re boarding buses, heading to the hotel to freshen up, and then walking to the nearby Hablo Taco (a Tampa gem) for a build-your-own-taco dinner before heading to bed.  All of us look forward to that well-deserved meal at the end of this long travel day.  I look forward to updating you once more in detail this evening after dinner and also posting a couple quick updates/photos to facebook (since I don’t need Wifi to do that).  I'm posting a few photos below, but check out the PSYE page if you haven’t already.  Many more photos could be found here: www.facebook.com/PSYEnsembles

Lastly, do know that your children are safe and in the responsible good hands of our 5 incredible parent chaperones (Kelly Chu, Hans Chi, Kwei Peng, Marianne Vrahnos, and Bertha De La Torre) and staff members (Irene Kroesen, Chris Kroesen, Amanda Sansonetti, Bridget Bow <--it's her birthday today, and myself!).

Next stop, Tampa!

- Bella

PIZZA WITH A PURPOSE FOR PSSS

Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings (PSSS) is ramping up for a tour to Tampa, Florida in 8 days!  Before we depart, I’d like to ask for YOUR HELP.  Please join us in our “Pizza with a Purpose” fundraiser on Tuesday, March 1 at California Pizza Kitchen (in Irvine at Alton Square)!  Simply print THIS flyer, dine at this CPK location anytime on March 1 with your family and friends, and present this flyer to your server.  Twenty percent of your bill will be donated back to PSYE to support Santiago Strings’ tour.  Make a date with those important in your lives and munch on your ‘za knowing that you’re making a difference!

Feel free to spread the word and thank you for your support! :-)

We Have a Blog Now!

15 days until ASTA!

We're Counting Down

We're just two weeks away, Santiago Strings. Are you ready for ASTA?!  Share this blog with your family and friends, who can follow along from home as we journey to Tampa, Florida.  Find us at psyeblog.blogspot.com