The Fear is Real...But so is the Family...

If you would've told me six months ago that not only would I be a part of the #1 haunt in the Country, but that it would be life changing, I would have called you crazy and gone about my day. Isn't it funny how life works...

Pennhurst had been a fascination of mine long before it was ever a haunt. The history, the legend, all of it. As someone who has always been obsessed with ghosts and the unexplained it held a mystique and was practically in my backyard. I literally remember the moment I learned that it had been purchased and was going to become Pennhurst Asylum. My eyes got wide, I uttered a few profanities, and I was excited beyond belief! But never in a million years did I even imagine I would ever be part of it.

My decision to audition for the 2015 season was actually a blind leap of faith. I was sitting on a plane traveling to Georgia to say goodbye to my pillar of strength, my granddad. It was one of those moments when you just say "screw it, what have I got to lose." A few weeks later I had my audition and learned I had indeed landed the job. I hate to even refer to it as a job because it ended up being so much more.

The first night I honestly had no idea what to expect but after our first actor meeting in front of that amazing building that now feels like home, it became abundantly clear that these people were something special. These people weren't merely co-workers, they were a family.

Over the course of the season I learned the ropes, laughed every night without fail, and muddled through my own personal struggles with the support of this beautifully wonderful motley crew. I remembered what it felt like to preform again, how it felt to go back to being myself. In this dark and dingy maze of the macabre, I found the light that had been missing for a very long time.

The season may be over but the people I've become close with will remain in my life forever and their friendships mean more to me than anything. You can't put a value on that. Opening yourself up to new experiences can give you everything you never knew you needed.

So thank you Pennhurst for bringing us together. Thank you for giving me an extended family. Thank you for teaching me how to breathe.

WE ARE PENNHURST!!! THROW DOWN AND HAUNT!!