On Tour, Off-Screen

Grace Rubacek - Fei Tian Academy student dancer, Shen Yun Performing Arts (UK Tour)

While on tour in the UK, I found myself writing this down as part of my travel diary, just sharing some thoughts that came to me along the way.

After you use your hands, brain, or body in the way we used to, you might feel energized and inspired. At least I did when I was making my friend’s birthday card last week. For thousands of years, we have used our bodies to write, wash clothes, play instruments, and do many everyday things.

Nowadays, we have ChatGPT, washing machines, and digital instruments to do many of these things for us. Just by sitting on the couch, you can do a number of things in a few moments with an iPhone that weren’t possible in the past. You could order a meal, write a news article, listen to the newest song, and read the latest news all in one go.

Pretty nice, right? Technology is great. We’ve improved so much. But while traveling and thinking about it more, I started to wonder if we actually improved too.

How many people can write an essay or solve math problems without a device anymore? How many people do things so fast with AI that they don’t really use their own brains? I’m afraid it’s probably a pretty shocking number.

How many people have tasted that long, hard-worked-for victory—something they put so much effort into succeeding at? Technology keeps improving, but it seems not all of us are. Technology is something everyone is pursuing now. It’s the most popular thing in the present day. It captures our attention and pulls us into a fantasy world of all the things we want to see, be, and do, or dream of doing.

A false reality that we get so attached to, almost like a drug. Once you step out of it, it feels uncomfortable, because you know you can’t really be that dream pop star or the person who travels all over Italy.

On the road, these thoughts feel stronger. Who am I? What are my goals in life? We pursue so much, yet it’s impossible to satisfy all our desires. And when we do satisfy them, do we actually feel fulfilled? Or do we just find more problems in our lives?

How many people can be grateful and truly cherish what they already have? I’m still learning, but I think it helps to look at yourself and take hold of what you can do innately as a human being. At the very least, we can be kind and respectful to the world around us.

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Grace Rubacek is a Fei Tian Academy student dancer touring the UK with Shen Yun Performing Arts on practicum. As she travels from city to city, she’s recording moments, questions, and reflections in a personal travel diary. This ongoing series shares those thoughts as they were written, and snapshots in real time, on the road.