Planning My Big Adventure

[vanillalime]

One week from today, Lee Tergesen and Dean Winters will be performing a stage reading of a Tom Fontana play called "Screenplay By Stalin" at the Williamstown (MA) Theatre Festival. As I've mentioned on Twitter and at leeloni, I am going to be travelling there to see it, alongside some other Lee Peeps. So, I've been super-excited lately!

I'm sure it's going to be worth it, but it's going to be a bit of an adventure to get there. I'm arriving in Massachusetts Thursday afternoon via a 13-hour train ride from Toledo, Ohio that departs at 3:20 AM Thursday morning (YES, that's AM, folks). My home in Michigan is about an hour and 20 minutes away from the Toledo station, and it's still unclear exactly who in my family drew the short straw of driving me there. Heh.

Of course, there's then another 13-hour train ride on Saturday to return home again.

But whenever I feel a little nervous about the whole thing, I remind myself of one of my favorite lines in the 1970s AU Oz Magi story that pride_of_erin wrote for me for last Christmas:

It feels like an adventure, and sadly enough [Toby] doesn’t think he’s ever had one of those.

... because, that's me! I think it's time I had an adventure, and I figure a LeeFest is as good a time as any to have one.

(To be clear, though, it won't involve the sex, drugs, and disco music that Toby experienced in Erin's story.) (At least, I don't think so.) (But who knows what really goes on during these LeeFests?) (I guess I'll find out!)

I'm going to bring my copy of the script for "The Tip" episode of Oz that I bought last year, and hopefully I'll be able to get Lee and/or Tom and/or Dean to autograph it. AND I also made a special little gift for Lee that I'd like to pass along at some point, assuming that I can get over my fear that he'll think it's weird. AND I'm also hoping for an opportunity to get to the bottom of those strange Missing OZ Episodes/Season 7 rumors (MURPHY NUDE SCENE).

It's entirely possible, though, that I'll just melt into a giant puddle of goo and spend the whole time drooling like an idiot, thereby rendering all my plans irrelevant. ;)

Comments

[pride-of-erin.livejournal.com]

Aw, that's so sweet you're using my line for inspiration.  And I totally get how you feel - my Lee!Fest experience involved a 16 hour plane ride from Sydney, changeover at LAX, another 5 hour plane ride to JFK and then an hour long bus ride into Manhattan. And doing it all over again 2 days later. You don't want to know what kind of insane jet lag I had crossing those extreme time zones twice in such a short period - I pretty much time-travelled!

But I had NEVER been on a plane before, never left the country before, never been jet-lagged before, never travelled by myself before, and once I got there, was totally relying on the hospitality of internet peeps I'd never met to look after me. All this as a very shy, unworldly, autistic person with social anxiety. To this day I still can't believe I did it - it's by far and away the biggest adventure I've ever had. But such is the power of Lee!squee - I did it! I knew it'd probably be a once in a lifetime opportunity and the prospect of regretting not going was more terrifying to me than all the other terrifying things about doing it. And it was worth it - completely and totally worth it.

As far as your gift for him goes? Just remember that Colleen presented him with the Oz dolls and various manips and he didn't think THAT was weird, soooo... I think you're good 😂😂😂

[vanillalime]

It still blows my mind that you came all that way to see Lee! It makes me realize that I shouldn't complain about my own travel plans, because they pale in comparison to what you went through.

I'm totally going to be relying on Anne to help get me through the whole thing. I doubt that I'd be going if she wasn't going to be there to lead the way (both physically and spiritually).

I knew it'd probably be a once in a lifetime opportunity and the prospect of regretting not going was more terrifying to me than all the other terrifying things about doing it.

THIS. Exactly. I can think of a hundred reasons not to go, and some of them are very good ones. But the fear of living with the idea of "What could've been...." for the rest of my life outweighs them all.

[suespur.livejournal.com]

My favorite part of your adventure is Lee will always always always remember you! Yours is one of my favorite-ever stories that happened to somebody IRL.

[mazephoenix.livejournal.com]

Have fun, and say hi to Lee for me.
Ohh..Murphy nude scene..can it leak somehow?

[vanillalime]

Thanks! Hopefully, I'll actually be able to say "Hi" and not just make strange grunting sounds. :D

[trillingstar]

You are going to have SUCH A GOOD TIME OMG!!!

I am honestly so very, very happy for you. Lee is amazing and will put you at ease. You'll be telling dirty jokes before you know it. Maybe you'll even get to bring home a lock of his hair. *GRIN*

Anne and Milti are great company, too. Also Dean is a magical creature, I'm pretty sure, because I had like 48 Ryan O'Reily bunnies attack me within minutes... he's buoyed by positive energy, I think!

I'm so excited for you. EEEEEE TAKE PICTURES!!! *twirls you*

[vanillalime]

Alas, LeeFest 2017 was too good to be true. Hopefully, there will be a next time.