RoadHug

Health insurance. I swear if I hear someone mention health insurance again I’m going to throw something. (Actually maybe I shouldn’t since I don’t have any coverage to take care of any medical bills for throwing my arm out). The reason I bring this up is because when you’re chasing a dream you have to initially sacrifice many of the benefits that job-holders have. Some examples – health care, steady paychecks and somewhat of a normal/predictable schedule. But despite the negatives, it always surprises me when people say that chasing a dream is hard. I think it would be much harder (and would probably lead to more health problems and visits to the doctors) to go to a job that someone hated everyday; the whole time dreaming of what they’d rather do.

So to all of the go-getters, fearless fighters and visionaries; mad props to you. Country songwriter and icon Alan Jackson has a great song for you:

To Do What I Do
By: Alan Jackson

I’ve been a waiter, a roofer, a clerk
I’ve shoveled manure ‘til my pride hurt
When you’re starting out it’s all part of the work
To do what I do

I’ve been evicted for not making rent
Made my Daddy wonder where my good sense went
For the price of a dream my years have been spent
To do what I do

So I stand here tonight with my six-string guitar
To be something I’ve always been in my heart
Just for the chance to play you my songs
The thrill when I hear you singing along
Has been worth everything I’ve been through
To do what I do

I’ve played for empty tables and chairs
For drunks who don’t listen, crows who don’t care
Been told countless times, “Boy you aint goin nowhere”
To do what I do

So I hope the critics and skeptics alike
All bought a ticket to this show tonight
They’ll see firsthand that I have survived
What doesn’t kill you makes you more alive
And I’m one of the fortunate few to do what I do

There’s so much joy this music can bring
So I count my blessings when I step up to sing
‘Cause there’s so many people who would give anything
To do what I do

So Happy Friday people. Now go do what you do!!!

As soon as technology allowed us to burn cds, I got into the habbit of making a new disc almost every week. I had CDs for different seasons, different moods, different occasions; pretty much everything. But as soon as iPods hit the market, I lost the drive to keep up with my own mixes. While there were still options to create your own music categories it just wasn’t the same as making a mix of ten-to-fifteen songs that I just knew I could turn to when I wanted to feel a certain emotion or bring old memories back to life. So, I decided to act on my nostalgia and make an August mix. Some of the songs are a bit older and some are quite new — really it was just the culmination of the songs that make me think of August. You know; that last month before the leaves start to change and everyone gets back to work! (Sooo not ready for summer to end yet).

1. Everything’s Right – Matt Wertz

2. Bullet Proof – La ROUX

3. King of Anything – Sara Bareilles

4. Memories – Kid Cudi featuring David Guetta

5. Who Says – John Mayer

6. I Could Say – Lily Allen

7.  Ridin’ Solo – Jason Derulo

8. Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight – Amos Lee

9. Love Love Love – Tristan Prettyman

10. Dynamite – Taio Cruz

11. Summer Girls – LFO

12. Hey Soul Sista – Train

13. Six Pack Summer – Phil Vassar

14. Cooler than Me – Mike Posner

Yes I’m referring to the still semi-new, overplayed Usher song “OMG.” OMG because I’ve heard that song every day for the past few months whether I’ve wanted to or not. OMG because I still find myself singing along to the “oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh’s” even though I fight my hardest to resist the urge. But mostly OMG because the last time I heard it I had the silliest memory pop back into my head.

It was the summer of my seventeenth birthday and I had just started my first real relationship. We had been dating for six months which was a big deal for me at the time. Before him my last “relationships” consisted of making out with a guy in front of his TV while his parents were asleep upstairs, writing notes to each other between classes and then eventually breaking up because one of us got grounded and lost phone privileges. But now here I was with a real boyfriend who I went on real dates with at grown up places like the Olive Garden (hey, in upstate New York that’s fancy cuisine). So when it was time for his birthday I thought it would only be appropriate to get him an adult-like present. I knew exactly what to do — take him to a concert!

That decision was only half the battle. Finding the right concert was a much harder task than I had imagined. His birthday fell right smack dab in the middle of June and as I searched for concerts in our area around that date, only one popular artist emerged. That artist was Usher. Hmmm did he even like Usher? I mean, the boyfriend and I went out almost every weekend and he really liked Usher’s song “Yeah.” Oh and I also remembered him playing Usher’s “You Got it Bad,” in a mixed CD in his car. So why not take him to the Usher concert? I figured it would be fun no matter what so I spent my next paycheck on the best seats in the house.

And good seats they were! We were almost able to touch the stage. Now this would have been great for any other concert, but when you’re taking a dude to a concert where the male performer spends 95 percent of the show shirtless, oiled up and dry humping the bed on stage (yes, there was a bed on stage), you can imagine it’s not exactly the most desirable seat in the house for him. Luckily the boyfriend was a pretty awesome guy with a great sense of humor and we were able to spend most of the show entertaining ourselves while the crying and screaming female fans fought to get a whiff of the sweat pouring off the semi-nude icon.

So what did I learn from Mr. Usher Raymond? I learned that taking someone to a concert deserves a bit more consideration of the performer’s demographics. I also learned to wear extra padding when there is a chance that thousands of love-struck teenagers will trample you at the drop of the first musical note sung. And OMG I learned that Usher does about 5,000 crunches a day. (That part I’m not complaining about).

I spent the weekend in Newport, RI with my best girlfriends from college. Between the girl talk, Prosecco, lobster, handsome strangers and sailboats there were so many moments where I looked at my friends and observed how much we had all changed over the years. Lauren was about to head to India to perform live alongside nightclub DJs, Rose Anna’s position as an account executive left her with a packed schedule of business meetings and client dinners, Kristen’s non-profit organization that she started to help prevent and treat Malaria was just kicking off with mentions in Vogue and celebrities were starting to wear the charity bracelets, and Anna was searching for apartments in Boston as she prepared to start business school at Boston College in the fall.

I remembered all of us walking around on campus at the University of Miami completely unsure of what we were looking for out of life. I mean yes, we had an idea of what we wanted to do, but life has taken those ideas and completely improvised them. Old focuses have shifted and we bent and changed shape in order to fit into the new roles we’ve since take on. But some things don’t change. At all. Like how we went out dancing and formed a protective circle around each other so that men on the prowl couldn’t even get close to us. We spun around and did the running man while Kristen was determined to win a challenge that I taunted her with—the challenge being to grab every guy’s butt in the whole club (which I’m pretty sure she succeeded at doing). I laughed so hard that I had to hold onto the wall and try to find a way to breathe. I hadn’t laughed like that in years.

As Rose, Kristen and I headed back to the City this morning, I kept looking over at them and smiling because I think having them in my life kicks major booty. I’ve already texted Anna and Lauren in order to start planning the next adventure. I don’t think people put enough emphasis on prioritizing the friendships in their lives—work, boyfriends, and all of the other little distractions get in the way. But you need that unit…that group of supporters that have your back, keep you humble and honest, love you despite your quirks, and tease you until you want to pee your pants. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” Well Ralph, I think you might be on to something here. So thank you friends, for loving me through all my stupidity and letting me love you through yours. ☺

Pianos everywhere! I was in heaven these last few days as I decided to take a piano tour around New York City. Yes, a piano tour. What’s that you ask? Why were there pianos placed randomly throughout NYC points of interest? Good question!

‘Play me I’m yours’ is a charity project that sets up pianos for the public to play in New York City, London, and a few other European cities. I was on 42nd Street in Times Square when a rendition of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” found it’s way above the taxi horns screaming, past the tourists telling their family to squeeze together to all fit in the picture, and directly into my eardrums. I kept following the sound until I came up to a hand-painted piano with a crowd gathering around. The crowd was silent. Ok, if you don’t understand how MAJOR this is for the Big Apple let me tell you, it’s HUGE! They were all watching a young girl–probably around the age of 8–as her fingers clumsily found their way across the keys, slowly conquering each note with a grin. As she finished the song, the crowd applauded, some hustled back to their commute, and another curious bi-stander hopped in to take his turn next.

Twenty piano destinations later (from Central Park to Brooklyn) I was in heaven! Not only did I play for audiences in the street, but they all seemed pleasantly surprised. They all looked, well, happy. And the colors of the pianos! Wow! Each one was painted brightly by British artist Luke Jerramand and each one was so different from the next.

There are currently 60 different pianos across the five boroughs in NYC, and they are kept out for the public to use from 9am-10pm daily. “Sing for Hope” will donate the pianos to local schools and community groups once the display wraps on July 5th! So hurry, you still have a few days left to dominate the black and whites while overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge!