On Sunday, we finally had a day off. Woohoo! So what do we do on a day off? Sleep in, do laundry–hooray, no more stinky rehearsal clothes!, pack the company suitcases, pack our own suitcases, run errands, and before we knew it the day was already over. Some of us watch tv, mainly the boys watching the Madrid soccer game on their iPhones, go shopping in the nearby town of Kingston. And most importantly, we rest.

Yesterday was a travel day; we were picked up at 8:15, drove to the city, got a little lost on the way to the airport, had a couple flights, another drive, and finally checked in to our hotel around 8pm.

On this tour, I decided to bring some crochet needles and yarn with me, and it’s the smartest move I’ve made. Crocheting is keeping me sane. It’s a perfect distraction from everything, a sort of meditation that gets me focused on something other than all the steps and rhythms running around in my head. I think that having something else to focus on (on the occasion we have downtime) is integral to not becoming overwhelmed when you’re on tour and there really is no escape. Which isn’t to say I don’t love touring and dancing, but sometimes you just need to take a break from work.

Here’s what I’ve been making, crochet squares from scrap yarn that can be sewn into a blanket!