Barbie: Beyond the Trip

A Fool's Golden Work-Life Imbalance

"I can't believe how good that food was..."

Barbie snickered, elbowing her boyfriend in his full gut playfully, "And I can't believe you ate that much!", but then gave it a wry consideration... "On second thought, yes I can... it's you!"

Ken laughed, throwing his head back. He shrugged to play it off.

"Can't help it! That was the best steak I'd ever had! New York food really is amazing..."

The blonde couple had just left a hidden gem that Brooklyn and her family had recommended in the Diamond District near Rockefeller Center. It had promised to deliver a delicious steak, fabulous salads, and many other delectable delights that would please any picky eater.

Neither Ken nor Barbie were picky eaters by any stretch of the imagination, but the restaurant lived up to everyone's hype.

And now, they were walking through one of the trendiest neighborhoods in upper Manhattan, hand in hand, enjoying the sights and sounds their new East Coast home had to offer.

Plus, with the recent acceptance of Fool's Gold Records as the Barbies' new label, they were busier than ever... which meant getting out to enjoy some free time was becoming far and few between. Which also meant that Ken was more determined than ever to ensure his best girl wasn't too bogged down with a work-life imbalance.

Getting closer to the Broadway theater section, they noticed posters adorning some of the walls, advertising for plays, festivals, concerts, and other performing arts events in the area.

"Oh, look at this!", Barbie admired the décor, "So fun! I can't wait until I have a poster of my own up on the wall like this..."

Ken smiled and nodded, squeezing her hand tighter, "Well, you keep doing what you're doing and it'll happen sooner than you think", then he winked and kissed her temple, "Superstar"

Barbie giggled, loving his new nickname for her.

He was the utmost supportive, and she loved that... he was always there for her, no matter what. Through her ups and downs... And now with the new successful contract they squeaked in in the final Eleventh Hour at the end of August with Fool's Gold, she knew she would need his support and care more than ever, especially with the new semester at NYU underway.

Not to mentionthe Pet Name stage of their relationship was well underway... Hun, Babe, Sweetie, Superstar...

"Hey, look at that"

Ken drifted over to her outstretched point a little way away. Further down the wall was another poster, this one advertising for something. The two of them walked over and studied the sheet, reading its contents. When Barbie caught the gist of the poster, she lit up.

"Ken! It's open auditions for a Broadway Play!"

Her boyfriend smiled, "Sounds like a great opportunity"

Barbie smiled and nodded, looking up at him, "Wouldn't that be amazing? Singing in a Broadway Musical! Acting in a play!", then she thought of something else, "I have to tell Brooklyn about it! We can audition together"

At that, Ken seemed to falter a bit in his excitement. While he wasn't against Brooklyn joining in at all, he was more a bit uneasy that Barbie was racking up more and more on her to-do list, piling more onto her plate. He was becoming worried...

"You want to go for it? Do you... I mean, would you have enough time? With everything going on, school-wise, work, recording your songs, it'll be a lot, right?"

His girlfriend nodded, still smiling at the poster, "I know it'll be a big undertaking, but absolutely. And between Brooklyn and I, I'm sure there's enough parts for each of us, right?"