The circus has always been one of those magical experiences for me, shrouded in wonder and a little bit of mystery, and I liked to imagine what it would be like to be a part of it all. I wanted to wear the glamorous costumes (I think that's where my love of fashion initially stemmed from), see the world (a new city or town every few days would quench my wandering spirit), and get up close & personal with animals that can literally bite your head off (it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise then that I went to school for biology, with the initial goal of moving into the animal husbandry field. The coolest job I ever had was taking care of the jaguars one summer at the Chattanooga zoo). In fact, it left such an impression on me, that I actually applied for an elephant trainer internship with Ringling Bros. my senior year of college (I made it to the 3rd round of interviews). It's kind of crazy to think how different my life would be had that panned out.
But then life happened (ie. the highway robbery that is student loan interest rates) and I let go of my childhood dreams in order to pay the bills. A part of it definitely still lingers, and I'm still amazed by all things circus. So naturally, a visit to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, FL was a must-do for me.