When people think of summer, they usually picture vacations, lazy afternoons, pool days, and sleeping in.


Our summer?


We packed up our 17-year-old and sent him off to live on a bus.


Not just any bus—but one carrying some of the most talented young musicians in the world.


This summer, Preston earned a spot with the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps, one of the most elite World Class DCI corps in the country. Getting into a World Class corps is incredibly competitive. Getting in at just 17 years old? Even more impressive.



Here’s the part that still makes me laugh.


Preston’s primary instrument is trumpet.

So naturally…he auditioned on tuba.

Because apparently that’s just something you do when you’re an overachiever.


In late May, we packed up the car and headed to Adrian, Michigan, where he reported for spring training. Calling it “training camp” almost doesn’t do it justice. These performers rehearse from sunrise until 10 or 11 o’clock at night, day after day, in the blazing sun, carrying heavy brass instruments while marching miles.


If anyone ever tells you drum corps members aren’t athletes, I invite them to spend one afternoon trying to keep up.


These musicians are absolutely athletes.


End of discussion.


One of my favorite parts has been watching Preston settle in and find his people. Almost immediately, he became friends with members of Team Japan, one of the international groups represented in the corps. It’s amazing how music creates friendships that completely ignore language barriers and geography. In a matter of days, kids from all over the world became family.


The Cavaliers are an all-male corps, and from late June through the second week of August, they’ll travel thousands of miles across the country—from Wisconsin all the way to Texas and everywhere in between. Every few days there’s another rehearsal site, another show, another football field, another bus ride, another performance.


It’s exhausting.


It’s demanding.


And somehow…they all keep smiling.


We couldn’t wait to see him perform, so we made a weekend trip to Muncie, Indiana, for the preview show.

Now, let’s be honest. The performance was the main reason for the trip…


…but stopping at Buc-ee’s ranked a very close second.

If you’ve never been to Buc-ee’s, I don’t really know how to explain it. It’s somehow a gas station, a department store, a barbecue restaurant, a candy shop, and a sporting goods store all rolled into one gigantic, beaver-themed experience. You go in thinking you just need a drink and somehow leave with homemade fudge, beef jerky, a T-shirt, and a decorative cutting board you absolutely did not need.


No regrets.


And then came the moment.

Watching Preston step onto the field wearing that iconic Cavaliers uniform is one of those memories that permanently etches itself into your heart. You spend years driving them to concerts, encouraging them through auditions, listening to endless practice sessions, and suddenly there they are, performing at a level you never could have imagined.


It’s surreal.


Since the preview was a standstill, we were treated to a song that is very special to the Cavaliers- "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." If you've read my blogs or know anything about me, you know this song is so special to me.


We’re not done chasing him around the country yet, either.


This weekend we’re heading to Wisconsin and Chicago for more performances, and in early August we’ll make our way to Allentown to cheer him on again before the season wraps up.


Apparently our summer vacation theme this year is, “Let’s see how many states we can cross while following a bus full of brass players.”


Honestly?


I wouldn’t have it any other way.


People often say childhood goes by fast.

They’re right.

One minute you’re cheering at elementary school concerts, and the next you’re watching your kid perform with one of the best drum corps in the world.


We’re unbelievably proud of you, Preston.

Keep working hard. Keep making memories. Keep chasing big dreams.

We’ll be somewhere in the stands, probably sunburned, slightly sleep-deprived, wearing Cavaliers gear we didn’t plan on buying…



…and cheering louder than anyone else.

Check out their 2026 show here:

https://youtu.be/aPiQQ0ZK1pM?si=WTEIDh8Bf4uIEJsZ