sundance.

In 2010, I took my first journey to Park City with one of my best friends for our inaugural trip to the Sundance Film Festival. I had signed up with extremely low expectations in the early fall to hopefully be a volunteer, so I was in complete shock when I opened an email in my inbox that said I'd been chosen. It was one of the top ten moments of my life being at that festival and I had to do whatever I could to feel this way again.

So I did the very next year.

And then two years after that.

I just returned from Round 3. With each trip, my fascination with the festival climbs to a higher level and I feel like I get to experience it from a different perspective as my traveling companions change. The environment itself, Main Street being at the base of a ski lift, is like a postcard.

I feel like I've been photoshopped into this picturesque town that only exists in coffee table books. I would pinch myself to see if it was a dream if my hands weren't chilled from the very real 3 degree weather at 6AM.

This year, the highlights came in a few different forms:

Fruitvale.
This film is based on the infamous shooting of an African-American man that was shot by a Caucasian police officer, on New Year's Eve in Oakland, California. While it's a true story this isn't a documentary, but a fictionalized depiction based on true events, where we see Oscar Grant's last day he spent on this Earth. The writer and director of this film, Ryan Coogler, is only 26 years old [which makes me feel particularly useless as I sit on my couch not creating anything even close to the caliber of this film]. He decided that this story needed to be told because even though he had no personal connection with Grant, he knew Grant. They shared a zip code. And as we know, we can be quite touched by the stories that we filter through on the news even if we don't have a personal relationship with someone, we have the capacity to be touched and moved. Everyone in that theater at the Library on Park Avenue, was touched. At the closing of 'Fruitvale' the only audible sound that could be heard were the sobs of the audience.
I was thrilled to see they won the Audience Award, Best Dramatic Film, and that Harvey Weinstein will make it possible for everyone to see this movie in this next year.
Keep this film on your Oscar watch for 2014, no doubt.

Newlyweeds.
Although not on the same level as 'Fruitvale,' the experience I had at this screening was unlike any other. At Sundance, after each film, there is a Q&A where the writer, director, producer and any cast that has chosen to attend the festival, come to the front and the audience is able to pose questions. I would later be coined by the producer of the film, "the girl that asked 5 questions." I have no shame in this because when else can you talk to the people behind the story and the people that it is told through? After "the girl that asked 5 questions" was done publicly asking questions, I had a one-on-one conversation with the Director/Writer and found myself talking to the lead lady about the meaning behind her tattoos, followed by a group photo of us all. You probably wouldn't be familiar with any of the names of this cast as I wasn't either, but I'm pretty excited to watch their careers evolve.

The Sightings.
Okay, okay, not gonna lie. While it is wonderful to be a part of the beginning of these actor's careers, I also have obnoxious reactions to the ones that I watch weekly. So when I was eating lunch with two of the ladies and I saw Dexter walking down the sidewalk, I stopped mid conversation and ran out of the restaurant. I ran/skip/hopped across the street, with no regard to traffic or ice spots and tapped Mr. C Hall on the shoulder. I told him I loved 'Six Feet Under,' [still holds the prize of BEST season finale ever in my humble opinion] and of course am obsessed with 'Dexter.' Because who doesn't idolize a serial killer? His response: "I should've worn the shirt," to which of course he was referring to his "kill shirt." At that point, I obviously handed my new iPhone 5 to a complete stranger and directed her to take a picture of me and my favorite serial killer. When I returned to the restaurant, most of the people sitting near us were looking at me [apparently my rapid departure caused quite the stir]. An older couple who apparently don't subscribe to Showtime asked me, "who was that?"

Later that day, Allison and I went to visit our friends waiting in line/wait to see if we could spot Paul Rudd after his film was done screening. And we did.

When he came out, he was walking pretty quickly and the fans were swarming him a bit. When it appeared that he wouldn't be stopping, I had to at least do something to attract his attention my way. So naturally I yelled, 'Clueless is my favorite movie!' At an independent film festival. He chuckled/smiled [who knows if he heard me or if he was just smiling for our flashing cameras] and went straight to his car. The fans booed him and walked away, angry that he didn't stop. Allison and I stood there looking at the action shots we were able to get and were discussing our next move, when it happened.
Paul Rudd gets out of his car and walks up to Allison and I.
Paul: Sorry guys, I thought I had an interview. [Yes, talking directly to us and only us]
Allison: [Silence]
Me: Incase you didn't hear me before, 'Clueless' is my favorite movie.
Paul Rudd: Thank you, I appreciate that.
Allison: [continued silence]
Me: Can we take a picture?
At this point the haters caught wind that Paul Rudd had reappeared and begun to descend upon us, cutting my intimate conversation with him short.
Pictures were taken and a memory made. Allison regained her ability to speak after we were a safe distance away from Paul.

Also spotted: Octavia Spencer, Michael Cera, Leslie Bibb, Stifler's mom, the backside of James Franco, some kid that was in the new 'Footlose,' Matthew McConaughey [ughhhh] and Rob Corddry.

Polygamy Porter was drunk, delicious food was consumed [Shabu!], friends were made waiting in lines for movies, and another perfect time was had [less for some flight delays and luggage troubles].

So if you're looking for a fantastic way to spend the third weekend of January next year or a cure for those post-holiday blues, I highly suggest taking a little jaunt to Park City. Guaranteed, once you have that first dance in the sun, you'll want that song to play forever.

Who is going with me in 2014?

traveling strangers.

It should come as a shock to no one [even if you don't know me in the 3D experience] that I absolutely love to travel. This morning I am embarking on a journey for my 3rd time to the Sundance Film Festival which has turned into my favorite winter get-a-way. Film. Snow. Music. Cozy bars & lounges. Stories being told in the theater and in the freezing lines awaiting to become a part of a film story, while writing your own. it is all fantastic. If there ever was an element for me, this is it.

I not-so-happily got out of bed at 3:30am to make travel day happen, but my morning grumps were over by the time I found my seat in 9A. I usually refrain from talking to people on planes in fear of being poisoned by their halitosis or long monologues of their career and what number business trip this is for them this year. However, there had been some talk by the airport workers of a reroute to Redmond, OR if it was too foggy to land in Spokane. We had some laughs about how little sense that made and the pilot confirmed minutes later that those airport workers were silly and we would obviously just come back to Seattle.

Spurred by this, the short-haired brunette lady in 9B, began to talk about her annoyance with an entitled "little blonde lady with too much money who was yelling at a TSA agent" as she hated the process. And technology. Then apparently she pulled out her iPhone.

She made me laugh and she appeared to be an advocate for good dental hygiene and she didn't have a laptop lying across her lap, so I assumed we were safe.

For our short jaunt from Western to Eastern Washington, we talked about our home of Seattle, her ill-suited 25 year marriage and how that led her to living in a MIL unit with her lesbian friends that are marrying this summer, their twin sons, and her battle with cancer. "At least I got some awesome wigs out of it!" She is cancer free now and I think that's awesome.

As we parted ways she told me what I had been thinking the whole time. "You know, I usually avoid talking to people on planes and usually just read whatever is on this," she said as she held up her Kindle. I looked down at my lap where my book was waiting to do the very same thing. "I really enjoyed talking to you today and I hope you have an amazing trip to Sundance and whatever other adventures you find yourself on." I told her I hope she makes it to Carnival in Brazil next year with her girlfriends.

I walked through the Spokane terminal and browsed through some titles of books I had no intention of buying and instead invested in my hydration, with a water. My clerk, a 58ish year old man asked to see my ID in compliance with my written request on my debit card. "What a great picture. But it doesn't do justice to the woman standing in front of me." Let me revisit the time I woke up and how awesome an unexpected comment like that can make a person feel while traveling. I black-girl-blushed by the sweet grandpa comment and told him how kind he was to have said that.

I hope you find yourself in your element on a fun adventure in the near future. And I hope you find some strangers that aren't egomaniacs and attend to their dental health.