100 Days Until DCP! & Life Update

Hey Howdy Hey! Today officially marks 100 days until my DCP check-in day, the start of a magical adventure! Since my program is just 100 days away (it will be here before I know it!), I wanted to give a quick update of some of the highlights and things I’ve been up to since being accepted just over a month ago.

Since being accepted, I’ve definitely been keeping busy while making a lot of fun memories! I’ve included some photos below, so be sure to check those out! The weekend directly after being accepted, I traveled to Washington, D.C. on September 9th for a class field trip to see a production of MacBeth (not a in a theatre, so don’t worry about me mentioning the title of the Scottish play!).

The weekend after that (September 21st), I traveled to NYC for my DCP Character Performer audition! I wrote a blog about my audition experience, so be sure to check that out if you haven’t already if you’re interested! I will be hearing about the results of that audition really soon. I am honestly just so grateful for having experienced it! I am proud of myself no matter the outcome since it is very competitive and out of my control if I didn’t resemble someone who is “friends with” a character that they were looking for at that time!

That following Thursday, September 27th, I went with my mom and some family friends to see Ed Sheeran in concert at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly. It was hands-down one of the best concerts I have been to, largely due to just how talented Ed Sheeran is! He uses a foot loop pedal, where he records all of the background music for his performance that night live onstage before and during his song performances. His ability to command the stadium as just one man onstage was incredible and he will always be one of my favorite artists overall, but definitely my favorite artist I’ve seen live. His opening acts, Anne Marie (“F.R.I.E.N.D.S”) and Snow Patrol (“Chasing Cars”) were also entertaining. Then during the weekend, my family celebrated my brother Josh’s birthday on Saturday. He lives and works in Nashville for Teach for America, but it was great that he was able to come home!

Although he had to leave to go back to work after the weekend, I saw him shortly after when I traveled to Nashville last weekend (October 6th) to visit him! Gettysburg had Reading Days (basically fall break) and no classes that Monday and Tuesday, so I decided to spend that time off visiting him in the Music City. I traveled on Saturday and actually had a longer traveling day than I anticipated due to flight delays and cancellations, but I was still able to make to Tennessee that day and all was well! The visit was great balance of relaxing (much needed after most of my midterms being before fall break), spending time with Josh, and adventuring. Some highlights include getting southern BBQ on 12th South, checking out the Grand Ole Opry area along with Centennial Park and Vanderbilt, and getting to observe Josh teach during his school day. It was a lot of fun, and I hope to make it back to Nashville sometime in the near future for another visit! I also want to give a shoutout to Josh’s girlfriend, Victoria, who was super kind to show me around a bit and Josh for being such a great host. :)

The day after fall break, Gettysburg hosted Disney Night at Servo (the dining hall on campus). Of course I was super excited to check it out and did not want to miss it. I went with Whitney, my favorite co-Orientation Leader and a DCP alum, and her friend, Bailey. It was so much fun and I was super impressed with how “all-out” Gettysburg went! From the decorations and food to the dining center employees dressing up as characters, it was such a fun event. It definitely made me even more excited for my program!

And finally, I’m almost all caught up! This weekend was definitely a busy one, but so much fun! Saturday, my family traveled to State College for the Penn State vs. Michigan State football game. I had not been to a football game since my freshman year (since I studied studied abroad last fall), and it was great to be in that atmosphere again….I would argue the best atmosphere in college football (not like I’m biased or anything)! We tailgated with our good family friends, the Yeity’s, along with some others. Although the game did not have the outcome we wanted, we still had a great time tailgating and the Nittany Lions will always be my favorites to cheer on every Saturday in the fall. Today (Sunday), we had a Heckman family reunion at the golf course! It had been a long time since I have seen a lot my extended family so it was so special that most of us were able to get together! We played games, enjoyed golf-cart rides, and ate a lot of good food. I hope to see them all again soon and look forward to it!

So, that’s what I have been up to since being accepted to the DCP! Of course I’ve also been going to classes and keeping busy with activities at Gettysburg and also having a lot of fun in-between. My next update will be closer to Thanksgiving when I will be receiving more info about my program since it will then be about 60 days until it begins! I’m almost halfway the semester and cannot believe how fast it’s going….but after all, time flies when you’re having fun! Thanks for reading and I can’t wait to share more soon!

See ya real soon,

Maddi