"Yay and Yikes"

That's what my sister posted on her Facebook yesterday after she got some great news...

She got a contract to sing on a cruise ship!

For those of you who don't know, my sister is an awesome singer. I realize there may be a little family bias there, but I really think she's actually really good, not just "she's-good-because-she's-my-sister" good. She has been a performer ever since I can remember. When we were kids, she would memorize musicals (most notably, "Jesus Christ Superstar") then sing them to me, from beginning to end. She was in choir. She was in plays. In high school, she made an awesome Audrey in "Little Shop of Horrors" and a fabulous Diva in "Starmites." After high school she got a job as a singer at Busch Gardens, where she has been working for years. She also received the highest honor a singer can receive - I asked her to sing at my wedding. HA! I kid. But she did sing at my wedding and she did a beautiful job.

My sister the performer! From left to right: Playing Audrey in "Little Shop of Horrors," 2002; as the Diva in "Starmites," 2003; in costume for the Busch Gardens Christmas show, 2006; and singing at my wedding, 2007!

Although Heather has been doing a great job at Busch Gardens, the time has come for her to move on, and now an opportunity has presented itself. Yesterday she accepted a job on Princess Cruise Lines. This job, I must say, sounds like the most awesome job ever. She will first spend some time in Los Angeles rehearsing. Then she will fly to Italy - yes, ITALY - to meet up with the ship. She will spend the first month of her contract cruising the Mediterranean - we're talking Greece, Italy, Spain, and other boring places like that. Then, they'll make their way to the Caribbean, and she will spend another five months cruising around down there. She also has full passenger status, which means she can go anywhere and do anything she wants on the ship. Other than performing, she has no other ship-maintenance duties. She will have her own room, too. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Can you imagine getting paid to travel the world and do what you love?

The only downside to this is that she signed a six-month contract, which means she will be gone for six months. I know that since I moved away it is not unheard of to go six months without seeing members of my family (although Heather and I have always been good about visiting each other when we can), but now knowing that we can't see her for six months (unless we go on her cruise, of course) is a little crazy. Especially since I have been spoiled with seeing her this summer - we've seen each other at least once a month for four out of the last five months! It has been great. Not only will she be gone for six months, but she leaves in just over two weeks already! She's giving her two-week notice to Busch Gardens on Monday and then she'll leave October 6th. Wow. Hence, her "yikes" on Facebook!

Even with her impending extended absence, I'm so excited for my sister. This is something she has been wanting to do for a long time, and I'm so glad she's finally getting the chance. I know she'll be great at it, too. She was born to be a star! If you want to see her in action, check out this highlight reel of some of her Busch Gardens performances:

VIDEO: Heather's Busch Gardens Highlight Reel

Heather, I wish you all the best as you prepare for this next step. Congratulations!