Tour Day 13 – Sandusky OH – Cedar Point!

Cedar Point. It seems like we come here every couple of years (in the last 5 years we have been here 3 times). So, for the sponsors there really isn’t a ride most of us haven’t been on twice. With that frequency, you can imagine some of the magic has faded. That is, with the glaring exception of Sam Porter who seemed to have his ride schedule planned out before we left for tour. While it may be old hat for us, it was new and exciting for many of the singers.

Going to an amusement park at this point in tour is a welcome distraction. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, the main point of excitement in the second week is getting geared up for homecoming. So, the amusement park got to cut some of those coming home jitters and give the singers a chance to direct their energy to something else.

We had all of the singers break up into groups of at least four and released them into the park. That process of breaking down into groups is a great exercise in prioritizing, compassion, negotiation, and compromise. The super aggressive riders immediately glommed onto one another and were off to the races, while other planned their day around seeing how effectively they can dodge the sun. The most confounding thing about groups is the girls that seem to want nothing more than to try to win the largest stuffed animals you’ve ever seen. It was quite a spectacle to see these kids walking around with these weird hello kitty/Pokémon hybrid monstrosities. But, they’re going to your house, not mine!

My group… the “post up at Starbucks” crew. I drank way more coffee than the day merited. But several of us sponsor couples basically sat there all day and moved chairs and umbrellas around to make the most effective use of the shade. It is close to the entrance of the park and gives a good “home base” of sorts for the singers to always know where to find us.

We ended the day exhausted and a little more tan. Only one more performance tomorrow. I know the singers are going to give it their all – but I bet they’re holding back something extra special for Homecoming!

Be home soon!

Joseph