Not My Usual Blogpost – On Hamilton, Collaborations, Travels & Other Tangents

I get down on myself at times. I wonder what I’m doing with each breath in and each breath out. I spend too much time on my devices, feeding my vices.

I haven’t written in a while. Mainly, I’ve been working on different projects, none of which have been brought to fruition just yet. I’ve also been following a friend’s blog. She publishes daily.

Every. Single. Day.

I can’t help but compare and wish I were more prolific. So, I thought I’d type this up to give you a rundown of the things I’ve been working on, both travel-related and unrelated.

Hamilton

I’m thankful to have landed — through the help of a friend — the ultimate volunteer gig Seattle has to offer. I usher shows, and subsequently, get to watch them. (What better way for a traveler to spend her time while not on the road?)

It’s been five-plus years since I became a volunteer usher for the Seattle Theatre Group. Sometimes I usher at the Moore or Neptune theatres, but mainly I’m busy seating patrons of the Paramount on 9th and Pine. 

It’s a beautiful venue that nearly met the wrecking ball, but thankfully — ninety years after opening its doors in March of 1928 — the theatre still stands.

Happy Birthday, Paramount Theatre!

The Paramount celebrated its 90th birthday earlier this month. And these past six weeks have brought another cause for celebration. The theatre’s been hosting some mighty distinguished guests — that is, the traveling cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smashing musical success, Hamilton.

At this point I’m tempted to type “’nuff said,” drop the mic, and walk off.

But I don’t have a mic, and without one the gesture’d be sad and anticlimactic. 

I’m assuming that those of you who aren’t already obsessed with Hamilton — as I am — have at least heard of the musical, cultural phenomenon by now. You can listen to the original Hamilton cast recording on Youtube. But FYI, it’s addictive. While inserting the link for y’all just now, I was in grave danger of spending the next 142 minutes musically reliving the life of our “founding father without a father.” But then I sternly reminded myself to stay on track.

“You’re writing a blog post, for Pete’s sake! Stay focused!”

(It’s a constant struggle with me and my perceived “squirrels,” I tell you. For example, right now I’m wondering who Pete is.)

Nik Walker as Aaron Burr

I’ve gotten to see Hamilton four times already. And right after I push “publish” on this blog post, I’ll be driving south for yet another “show divine” on 9th and Pine. I’m ushering today’s matinee, which is the cast’s final performance at the Paramount. Their three-week run at Keller Auditorium in Portland, Oregon, begins Monday. And then it’s on to Salt Lake City, Utah, after that.

With four shows under my belt now, I can say without hesitation that the cast slays. In particular, I was so inspired by the performance of Nik Walker, aka Aaron Burr, Sir, that I made contact to request an interview for my blog. You may be wondering why an interview of Aaron Burr, Sir, would belong on a travel blog. Well, here’s the grand idea all laid out to Nik in a letter, penned by me!

Pardon Me, Are You Aaron Burr, Sir?

@nikkywalks, give us a verse, drop some knowledge!

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Mr. Vice President,

Greetings, Nik! I’m a volunteer usher at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. I’ve seen the show thrice now and am excited to be ushering again this evening!

I’m a blogger who interviews travelers to give voice to those with interesting, inspiring, or downright delicious stories to tell. After witnessing your incredible performances, I was struck with the idea to interview you.

Wondering where the connection lies? You playing Aaron Burr, Sir, intersects with travel in two ways:

Number one: History is happening with your being a part of the first traveling Hamilton cast to hit the stage in Seattle!

Number two: You travel back in time six nights a week, plus during matinees on Saturdays and Sundays!

…

Could we meet for 30 minutes or so for an interview? We can determine later in which room it happens. Thanks for considering.

I have the honor to be – awaiting your reply!

Stefanie Bielekova

If you haven’t already memorized the show lyrics, you might not have caught all the Hamilton references. I assure you they are sprinkled throughout the letter!

Nik Walker Writes Back

I received a kind reply from Nik Walker. He felt very honored to have received the interview request. However, he let me know that all press requests must go through John Gilmour, the tour’s Press Agent & Communications Director.

Now I should mention that part of my job at Rick Steves’ Europe entails letting people down gently, via email. We get tons of emails every month with all sorts of requests for Rick. Some want interviews. Others want mentorship. Some want a writing gig. Or to meet with Rick on the road. Some are businesses that want to be listed in Rick’s guidebooks. And yet others are hoping to have their articles linked to on Rick’s website.

So, I reply:

Thank you for your email. We appreciate your taking the time to write to us regarding [fill in the blank]. I will forward your message on to [fill in appropriate department]. We do receive many similar requests each week, and are unable to accommodate everyone. If we are able to move forward with your request, [appropriate department] will be in touch with you directly. Thank you again for your interest. We wish you much success!

Throwing Away My Shot?

It is extremely difficult to make it past this stage of the game. For that reason, I haven’t contacted John Gilmour. (Although I did get all up in his grill on LinkedIn.) I suppose it’s a defeatist attitude I’ve taken. But I felt the air deflate from my balloon, and I haven’t been able to resuscitate it. In a way you could say, I threw away my shot. (Not a very Hamilton thing to do.)

I’m so thankful, though, for getting to watch incredible performances at each Hamilton show I’ve attended. I basically turn into a blubbering baby during the second act. (Bring tissues!) And Nik Walker’s performance, especially, impressed me. He’s got mad stage presence, and his rendition of “Wait for It” and “The Room Where it Happens” gives Leslie Odom Jr. a run for his money! 

And, although I won’t be interviewing Nik Walker for my blog, I’m writing about him now, aren’t I? 🙂

Also, when one door closes, another one opens.

Yellow Pear Press & My First Giveaway!

Recently a marketing coordinator from Yellow Pear Press contacted me through my blog. No, it wasn’t an offer to publish my yet-unwritten memoir. But it’s still pretty exciting. Here’s an excerpt from the email:

I'm writing from San Francisco independent publisher Yellow Pear Press with a suggestion for your Spotlight Traveler section. Georgeanne Brennan is a James Beard award winner and 30-time cookbook author, and we're publishing her dreamy new travel book, Windows on Provence, this April. She lived in Provence for years and writes beautifully about the food, culture, and people of the region. I'd love to set up an interview with her for your blog, and we'd also be happy to offer a few copies of the book for a giveaway.

I did a bit of online stalking and liked what I read. In truth, some of it had me wanting to sell everything, move to France, take up cooking, and start getting my hands dirty in a Provençal garden of my own! I’m pleased to announce that — while I haven’t quit my job to move to France — I am now in possession of two of Brennan’s beautiful books, sent to me by Yellow Pear Press, as promised.

I’m also excited to say that I will be hosting my very first giveaway, so others can enjoy these glorious cookbooks too. More details on that to follow in a future post!

Other Collaborations  

Greek-American Traveler, Lena Papadopoulos

I’ve got a few other collaborations in the works, one of which is near completion: an interview of a young American (cue David Bowie music here). Her name is Lena Papadopoulos (on “the Gram” as @lenapapadopoulus), and she’s actually Greek-American, with fantastically interesting experiences to share.

I’m looking forward to posting her Spotlight Traveler interview quite soon!

A post shared by Lena 🇬🇷 | Heart+Soul+Travel (@lenapapadopoulos) on Feb 26, 2018 at 4:12am PST

Photographer & Television Host, Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

I can hardly contain myself about this interview! Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli is a professional photographer, television host, and world traveler. He’s also celebrating the grand-opening of Gallery Bonuccelli in Solana Beach, California, this week.   

What’s so special about this interview, you ask? Well, it’s still in the works but is set to be my very first Podcast! I don’t want to give away too much, but please keep an eye out for the first episode of “Podcasts from Stef” and give it a listen once it’s published! You won’t regret it! 🙂 

A post shared by dominic arizona bonuccelli (@dominicbonuccelli) on Jul 24, 2017 at 3:17pm PDT

Aussie Traveler & Vatican Resident, Joanne Bergamin

Once I have that first podcast under my belt, I’m hoping I’ll get faster at publishing these babies. The next podcast in the works is with Joanne Bergamin, known on Instagram as @swissguardwife. You guys, she lives in the Vatican! I’m looking forward to chatting with her, hopefully in the near future!

A post shared by Joanne Bergamin (@swissguardwife) on Sep 19, 2017 at 9:20am PDT

Upcoming Travels!

And, finally, I’ll wrap this up with a brief word on my upcoming travels.

It feels like I haven’t been on an adventure in ages. My last trip of note was a mini road trip through the American Southwest in November. Some of you already know it started with running a half-marathon with my sister in Vegas! Afterwards I drove off into the desert sunset, making my way through Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park, followed by a trek to SoCal’s Salvation Mountain and East Jesus. I then popped on over to Phoenix before heading south to Tucson, and finally reaching Rio Rico, Arizona, to visit my folks for a week before flying home to Seattle.

Tour Reunion Recap

That was a great trip. But it seems like ages ago. I’ve been itching to get out on the road again ever since. In January, instead of traveling elsewhere, the travelers came to us! We had our annual tour reunion at Rick Steves’ Europe. Over a hundred European tour guides came to town, and — let me tell you — they know how to have a good time! You can catch me in some video footage from the event that Rick posted on his blog: Video: Celebrating Our Guides – All You Need is Love!

Or, find it right on Youtube, here: 

(Pause at the four-second mark, or catch me dancing in a circle around Rick thirty-seconds in!) 🙂

Europe, Here I Come!

Whenever I get my tour schedule for the upcoming year, it feels like opening presents on Christmas day! This year, Christmas came about a week ago, and when I opened my presents, I was giddy like a child runnin’ ‘round the schoolyard after shoving a Snickers and some Skittles in my gob! But once I get the okay to book flights is when the real excitement begins, so I’m going to keep a wrap on details until then.

But I can tell you that they’re sending me to Europe again! And I couldn’t be more excited!

So, the next time I get down on myself for spending too much time on my devices —  Or the next time I’m wondering what I’m doing with each breath in and each breath out — I should remind myself of the wonderful experiences and opportunities that have come my way.

Shouldn’t we all?

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Thanks for tuning in for this longer-than-expected update. I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to! Or what you’re looking forward to. Or anything else you’d like to talk about, for that matter. Chime in over in the comments section!

Also, check out this fun Florentine feature I recently wrote for gogobudgettravel.com! They also featured this little bio of mío as well! 🙂

Ciao for now!