This past Sunday marked 5 months here in Los Angeles, and 6 months since I left home. I know I've been falling behind on recording my daily adventures since leaving NJ, so the anniversary gives me a good excuse to impart the long list. Or at least, the long ramble... which I'm certain this will be.
:)
Bear with me...
I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I headed out 6 months ago. All I knew was I was going to be open to the possibilities... to anything, really, that the road would offer. It was foreign beds and drawn-out Interstate driving for a month and even at the first sight of California, I knew I had already come so far. Letting go of my full-time job was the biggest thing. Maybe it was the only thing. My mind was already far from that office when I finally told them I was leaving. It wasn't easy - don't get me wrong. But it was time.
I still remember the way I felt that day, driving white-knuckled, worried that all the junk in my car might spill over at any second, or cause me to swerve at every turn. Rob was beside me, assuring me that I could legally keep the luggage piled high, blocking the rear window. The Garden State Parkway sped past, in all its familiarity - memories of countless drives to Red Bank in the summer of 2008 rushed back. First stop, Virginia. We visited an old friend, Vinaya, and took a 2-mile hike up to the Cascades waterfalls. Our last morning there, we had homemade donuts from a quaint stand not far from Virginia Tech's campus.
Then it was off to Nashville. I can honestly say this little city has changed my life. At the time, I didn't know it. I just knew that I was falling stupidly in love with that town...with all its music-loving energy, its country-style hospitality, its unassuming sensibility. I wasn't in love with country music (and am still not), but loved feeling surrounded by music and the business around it. After a week there, a guitar endorsement, some gigs, and a new batch of friends, we continued the journey to Arkansas, the words of my old friend Kevin So still ringing, "You'll go to LA. You'll hang out there for a bit. But then, you're going to want to come back to Nashville."
I've been back there twice since he said those words.
After spending two nights with my family in Whitehall, I was off to Texas for the first time in my life. I didn't know what to expect. All I know is, when that big Houston skyline came over the horizon, I knew all the things they say about Texas-sized this and that had a little bit of truth in it. The highways looked like what you'd see in a spaghetti bowl. The cosmopolitan energy was there. I really wanted to like Houston, but in the end, the thing I loved about it were the people that I met. All the Kollaboration Houston folks who graciously showed me around and refused to let me pay for anything. I played two gigs out there before we headed to New Orleans for some sightseeing and of course, Mardi Gras.
I won't say too much on it, but I love gumbo and I don't like Mardi Gras. I'll go back, but mostly to see what the town is like on a normal day, and to catch a set at Preservation Jazz, which was closed as the musicians saw it fit to flee the city during the merriment. Maybe it was because me and Rob are pretty laid-back and chill when we're around each other. And packed, drunken crowds and projectile beads don't exactly lend themselves to that.
Soon, it was back to Texas for a show in Arlington. Another good friend, Melissa Polinar came to the show and let us crash at her place for the night. We met her family - all very awesome. I couldn't believe how middle-of-nowhere her place in Texas was, but decided there was something charming about it. The final leg was in Austin, where we would stay for two weeks with family. We were there for SXSW, which meant extra traffic, but I found the means to enjoy the city anyway. I played a few shows while my mom and sister were in town. I learned the difference between West 6th and Dirty 6th. I played GoodPhil at UT Austin, in the beautiful Riverbend Theater. Then we headed out, finally, to California. Our only stops were lunch in Las Cruces, after a quest for sopapilla, and overnight in Tucson (Tucson Tamale Company is heaven, and the most notable thing about our stop there). I almost felt it when we crossed the state line into California.
The last five months have been just as crazy. I've been here in LA, making friends and gigging, writing and sightseeing, but also spent a great deal of time traveling. It was NYC and Nashville in late April to May, then San Diego for a weekend when my friends Jessica and Joyce visited for Memorial Day weekend. Dominican Republic and Alaska in June, then Virginia Beach, Nashville and Iowa in August. I still have so many goals, and my to-do list is going to be the death of me. Marc Lacuesta, who I collaborated with in Nashville in August (band name coming soon!), would often massage my shoulders and notice these impossible knots. Once he told me, "It's because nothing in your life is settled...everything is up in the air" and it's true. But right now, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Here's my conclusion about LA so far - of course, realizing this could change in a week's time - the traffic is hands down worse than NYC. People are much more approachable and laid back. The music scene is much bigger, with more opportunities. There are also more people willing to scam you. 60 degrees is cold. Rain is scary. Downtown is my favorite part of the city.
That's about it so far... I'll be sure not to wait another 6 months before updating you on the big movements of life.
