Wanderlust runs Saturdays at 8pm in January and February
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by Wanderlust cast member Nicole Oliver
When I was younger, my mom and I would go on road trips. They were the best. We would pack up our small cooler with drinks, snacks and sandwiches. I was in charge of the maps. Bags, blankets, pillows all piled in the back seat. My mom and I had this unwritten rule where if we saw a sign while driving for a fun or weird place, we would exit and take an adventure. We always had adventures; Caverns in any state we visited, alien museum in Roswell, New Mexico riding horses in a ghost town in Tombstone, Arizona.
My favorite road trip ever was to The Grand Canyon. “It’s not going to be that big of a deal”, I thought to myself. I had seen pictures and had always heard of the Grand Canyon. To me, it was just a pretty big place with rocks and a big hole in the middle.
We were getting closer. There were trees everywhere which surprised me. On this winding road, we started to see cars pulled over on the side of the road. I was confused to as what was going on. All of a sudden my mom pulled the car over. “We’re here.” She was so excited, it was instantly contagious. I kept thinking, “We’re on the side of the road. THIS? This is it?!” We hopped out of the car and went through the trees. After just a minute, there it was. I mean. THE GRAND CANYON. Just past a few trees on the side of the road, no guard rail. The Grand Canyon.
It surpassed all my expectations and took my breath away. I was struck by how unbelievably big it was. Simply beautiful with endless colors cascading. We stayed for a bit in that area just taking it all in before getting back in the car to drive further in. I can’t recall how much time we spent there; hours, most of the day. We hardly talked to one another. I believe we were both swept away by this incredible creation. We took turns taking pictures of one another and debated taking a donkey ride down the canyon (we opted not to because we were afraid we would die). It’s a pool of memories that I will never forget.
I’ve been fortunate to be involved in a project called “Wanderlust”. We literally get to create these moments time and time again. That’s what drew me in. Living in past memories and being so connected to one person on stage for an entirety of the show. That relationship is the pillar of our show. It’s an ambitious production for sure but that’s the beauty. All the small details coming back into play, which seem meaningless but are the one’s you’ll never forget. Mine is my mom packing my favorite sandwiches for our trips in little plastic baggies that didn’t zip but folded over the top. How did I know that those small details would stay with me 20 years later? That’s this show. All the details and moments we have lived that make up the memories and relationships which will stay with us forever.