And so it begins...

As we pulled away from Collegeville today and embarked on our St. John's Boys' Choir Junior Varsity Tour to South Dakota, it was only minutes before we heard, "Are we going to watch a movie?" We first watched a safety video required by the bus company. A video that made us feel like we were on a plane much more than a coach bus. After that, Pixar's The Incredibles seemed to suffice for our first movie choice, even for the staff member.

It was a slower beginning to the day with a long drive ahead of us and small city roads to maneuver like in Claire City. The boys made it through with the movie and a snack of cookies and water at as we rolled on. Sadly, the movie got stuck a few times, leaving us no option but to forward it (a few boo's ensued). Our first stop was for lunch at Camden Minnesota state park, where the boys could stretch their legs and their stomachs and breathe some fresh air. We had a few boys that forgot a sack lunch, but we had plenty of other singers and staff members that gave up their unwanted items. The weather wasn't great for playing outside, a bit wet and overcast skies. We boarded the bus after Mr. Kleespie challenged three separate lines for who could be the most behaved before heading onto the bus. We continued on our journey.

We took some time to be completely silent on the bus for a little while, during which I fell asleep. It wasn't long and we were in Sioux Falls, South Dakota! We pulled up to the Ramkota Hotel and Ms. Weber and Mr. Kleespie headed inside to check our group in. The boys got their keys to their rooms and you can only imagine the excitement and anticipation that followed. One boy was so overwhelmed that his luggage was left in the middle of the hallway, something I sternly corrected him for after I stumbled upon it. After getting settled in our rooms, it was only obvious that the boys needed to try out the swimming pool. The Ramkota has a great water-slide and obstacle course resembling something I used to watch on Legend of the Hidden Temple on Nickelodeon when I was a kid. The boys seemed to have a great time as well as Mr. Horner and Mr. Kleespie, who put on their trunks and joined in on the fun.

After a lengthy break in the pool, the boys got out and got dressed to get ready for dinner. We decided to go to a place called Valentino's, a pizza/pasta buffet right near the hotel. The price was rather good and the food was exceptional as well. There was lots to eat, including a full salad bar, which we made the boys go to first, before diving into the pizza, pasta, desert streusels, and yes, ice cream. After everyone seemed stuffed, we made our way back to the bus and back to the hotel. The boys are now swimming once again and we soon plan to have some music rehearsal time because after all, we are here to sing and make music. Rooms are to be quiet by 9:30 and silent 9:45, with hopefully everyone fast asleep by 10:00 (including the staff members). It has been a long day, but one full of relaxation and fun activities. Tomorrow we plan to sight-see here in Sioux Falls and later meet up with the Singing Boys of Sioux Falls to eat dinner and sing together, after which the boys with meet their host families. Remember to keep track of us on twitter.com/sjbchoir. I'll try my best to keep posting! Peace.