Country Living

Deer Isle is a small island off the North-Eastern coast of Maine. In the winter months the population is 2,500 and nearly doubles that on the summer. Despite the fluctuation in residents, the Opera house has year-round programming.

They provide housing for out of own performers. Right now I'm sharing a large house with just two roommates. It's such a treat to live in a rambling five bedroom house with a full kitchen, dishwasher, and washer-dryer! The comforts that one goes without in the big city.

Our donated home is quite a few miles from downtown and requires a 20 minute drive to rehearsal. It is very quiet and residential around here. There are no stoplights or street lamps, and it is pitch black at night. I've been exploring with daily jogs and bike rides (although today's bike ride was so hilly, I ended up walking more than biking).

The weather has been, on average, a perfect 72 degrees and sunny. At night it gets cool enough that we leave all the windows open. There are plenty of bugs here, but after the first night I've gotten used to them. You can't leave a glass of water uncovered next to your bed or you will wake up with fly soup.

They provide us with a company vehicle to get to and from rehearsal. Our big van broke down recently while we were parked at a pitch black gas station with no cell reception. We pulled in to fill her up with gas, and then she decided she wouldn't start.

The only other company vehicle available for use is a Standard, which is something I have minimal experience with. Once when I was in high school my friend tried to teach me, but I couldn't even make it around the cul de sac. In the spirit of adventure, I volunteered to learn to drive the company stick-shift.

Turns out its not as scary as I thought it would be. After a few jerky starts, I made it home and only stalled once I was parked in the driveway. Oh well, I was planning on stopping the car anyways.