Day 10

"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right"

---The Beatles, "Here Comes The Sun"

This post, Day 10, is dedicated to everyone freezing their patooties off in the midwest!  I hope you all stay safe in the ice and snow.  Soon enough the sun will come out and melt all the snow away!  I am sending some warmth and sunshine your way.

 

Tomorrow I begin my internship.  It is hard to believe that it was my sophomore year when I began this journey towards this internship.  I was standing in the parking lot at the NAMM Headquarters when Dr. P took me off to the side and told me to just think about considering the NAMM internship.  I never thought that three years later I would be starting an internship in California, especially not at NAMM.  Thank you to all of the people who helped me along the way to this amazing opportunity.  There are so many people that are responsible for where I am right now whether they realize it or not. THANK YOU!

I am sure that I will have so much more to write tomorrow after a full day of learning the ropes.

Til then, stay safe and warm!

Day 9

"So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on"

-Taylor Swift, "Never Grow Up"

This morning I was up bright and early to drop mom off at the airport.  On the drive back to my apartment (34 minutes away from the San Diego Airport for those of you who might be wondering) it starting sinking in that this is not just a vacation for me.  On Tuesday I will begin my internship at NAMM and will be working out here for six months.  I never would have guessed four years ago when I started at ISU that I would be ending my college career in California working with such an awesome company!

For the first time I am living alone.  It is kind of weird to think that I cannot just turn around and talk to someone but I think I might actually like having my "own" place for awhile.  I can't wait to get into working and learning more about NAMM.  I know I will meet a lot of amazing people while I am out here and can't wait to leave with new friends.

I want to thank my incredible mother for taking this adventure with me.  I do not know how this whole trip out here would have gone without you.  Day 9 is dedicated to my mom...

I love you and miss you!  Thank you for coming along on my journey.  <3

Day 8

"We can break the cycle - We can break the chain
We can start all over - In the new beginning
We can learn, we can teach
We can share the myths the dream the prayer
The notion that we can do better
Change our lives and paths
Create a new world and

Start all over..."

---Tracy Chapman, "New Beginning"

Today's post is all about beginning something new.  Mom and I spent the day today with my cousin Steven down in San Diego.  Much of our conversations were based on new beginnings.  Steven recently began school again to receive a degree in Geographic Information Systems.  He is also starting a new job on Monday...two new beginnings for him.  I just moved 2000 miles away from family and friends and I am beginning an internship that may or may not determine the rest of my life...two new beginnings for me.

Day 8...two people with new beginnings on the horizon...

The more I talk to people out here, the more I wonder where I will go in six months when this internship is over.  Will I be ready to go home?  Will I want to stay here forever?  Will I want to go somewhere completely new and different?  Almost every single person I have talked to so far (including two family members, my landlords, and my banker) have mentioned that I am not going to want to leave after six months.  I am already seeing why I may feel that way at the end of July.  I cannot imagine being 2000 miles away from my family all the time but if the opportunity presents itself, I can see staying in the SoCal area for longer than my six month term as an intern.

Every day of this adventure marks the first day of the rest of my life...who knows where it will take me but I guarantee its going to be a great ride.

Day 7

"Oh how the years go by
Oh how the love brings tears to my eyes
All through the changes, the soul never dies
We fight, we laugh, we cry, As the years go by

There were times we stumbled
They thought they had us down, We came around then
How we rolled and rambled
We got lost and we got found
Now we're back on solid ground"

---Vanessa Williams, "Oh How The Years Go By"

Today I realized the power of family.  Mom and I met a cousin, Ken, in Carlsbad for lunch.  The last time we had seen him was probably at least 15 years ago.  I would have been 4 or 5 and certainly do not remember it.  As we walked up to the restaurant, Ken was standing outside with a huge smile and arms out for a hug.  To me, Ken is pretty much a stranger.  I knew his name and that he lives in California but that is about the extent of my knowledge of him.  And yet, I got the world's biggest hug from him and felt completely comfortable.  After catching up with him over pizza, he told me I can call him if I need absolutely ANYTHING while I am out here.  A man who was a stranger to me yesterday is now someone I can count on while I am out here.  That is family...people I can count on all over the world and even if I do not know them very well, they are people I can count on if I ever need them.  No matter how many years it has been since I have seen my family members, they are always people I can call when I need help.  Ken is now another amazing family member on my radar...

Day 7 represents the family that I can always count on no matter what!  I cannot imagine not having my family to lean on and learn from throughout life.

Tomorrow we are going to see another family member I have not seen in a few years!  I cannot wait to visit San Diego and explore with Steven.

Day 6

Today I am not starting my blog with lyrics...instead, I would like to share a poem that has been very close to my heart since my 8th grade year.  This poem was shared with the Mighty Snider Panther Marching Band every year before our biggest competition of the season.  Our band director, Mr. Klee, would put this poem in our "poop" sheet (information sheet) and then read it out loud to the band...

"When you get what you want in your struggle for self

And the world makes you king for a day,

Just go to a mirror and look at yourself,

And see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your parents, your children, your wife,

Whose judgment upon you must pass.

The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the one staring back from the glass.

Some people may think you are straight-shooting chum

And call you a wonderful guy,

But the man in the glass says you're only a bum

If you can't look him straight in the eye.

He's the fellow to please.  Never mind all the rest.

For he's with you clear up to the end.

And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test

If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of life

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be heartaches and tears

If you've cheated the man in the glass."

I put this poem up in my apartment to remind myself to always be true to myself.  If I cannot look myself in the eye and tell myself the truth then nothing else matters.  Having self confidence and respecting one's self is the only way to go through life.  This poem rings true in every aspect of life but especially when embarking on a new journey.  I am beginning a new stage in my life with this internship and if I do not respect the (WO)man in the glass then I have no business being here.  I will never make it through six months in a new place without having self confidence and being able to face myself in the mirror.

Day 6 is the photo of this poem hung up in my new apartment...

It is placed in an area (in between my bed room and the bathroom) that I will be sure to see it every day and every day I will be reminded to respect the (wo)man in the glass.

Tomorrow is another day...

Day 5

"Well if you ever plan to motor west
Just take my way that's the highway that's the best
Get your kicks on Route 66
Well it winds from Chicago to L.A.
More than 2000 miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66
Well it goes from St Louis, down to Missouri
Oklahoma city looks oh so pretty
You'll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona don't forget Winona
Kingsman, Barstaw, San Bernadino"

---Bobby Troup, "Route 66" 

Day 5

After 5 days of traveling and adventures, Mom and I arrived in sunny Carlsbad, California this afternoon.  I thought "Route 66" was fitting since we followed the basic route all the way here.  As we were driving in California this afternoon, this song came on Mom's iPod and we realized that we hit each and every city mentioned in the song (except for Chicago).  As for Carlsbad, my apartment is amazing (pictures to follow after I have unpacked and decorated) and my landlords seem like very nice people.  Not to mention their two dogs (one of which is a boxer just like my Rina girl!!!!) are so cute and playful.  I can't wait to spend the next six months in California learning about the music industry.

Tonight is a short post...more about life in Carlsbad tomorrow!

Day 4

"Way out West where the bad men are

And the only friend to guide you is the evening star

He's the roughest, toughest man by far

He's the Ragtime Cowboy Joe

He loves to sing (doo-wah)

Ragtime music as he swings (doo-wah)

Back and forth in the saddle

On his horse (a pretty horse)

Who is a syncopated gaiter,

And with such a funny meter
To the roar of his repeater.

How they run,
When they hear the cowboy's gun,
Because the western folks all know (what do they know?):
He's a high falootin', rootin' tootin'
Son-of-a-gun from Arizona,
Ragtime Cowboy
(Talk about your cowboy),
Ragtime Cowboy Joe."

---Lewis F. Muir and Maurice Abrahams, "Ragtime Cowboy Joe"

Wow! What an amazing day Mom and I had at the Grand Canyon today!  We began the day with a quick drive to Williams, AZ to hop on the Grand Canyon Railway.  We saw a live gun shoot out, experienced a fantastic traveling musician on the train, and even experienced a railway robbery (where I was taken hostage) on the way home.  This is what prompted the lyrics from "Cowboy Joe"...I feel like we fully experienced wild west cowboys throughout our adventures.  I never thought that a camp song could sum up my day so well but for today it is perfect.

The traveling musician on the train really got me thinking about the amount of jobs in the music industry that I never realized existed.  I think about the amount of people who probably had a hand in hiring the musician who performs every day on the Grand Canyon Railway.  The musician, himself, is just one person in a group of many who helped him to get to where he is.  There were people behind him who believed in his music, hired him, helped program all the music for his show, obtained copyrights for the music, and I am sure many other things.  It makes me think about all of my possibilities for jobs in the music industry.  Possibilities are endless and I can go anywhere and do anything music related.  I wonder, looking back in ten years, if I ever would have been able to guess where I will be.

Now that I had insight about the music industry, back to the Grand Canyon!  The weather was incredible...not too cold, not windy, and not a cloud in the sky.  The views were outstanding and it was not at all crowded.  I guess it pays to visit a national landmark during the off-season.  Mom and I were able to walk around for a few hours and visit pretty much everything we wanted to see.  We left the canyon with some fabulous pictures and some great memories.

Day 4

Tomorrow I move into my apartment in Carlsbad and my internship starts in one short week.

Til then...

Day 3

"From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA."

---Lee Greenwood, "Proud To Be An American"

Hello from Flagstaff, Arizona.  Today was a day full of driving and adventure.  Mom and I experienced the wide open fields of Texas and New Mexico before entering the more mountainous parts of New Mexico and Arizona.  It makes me proud to be an American knowing I can drive through our great country and experience so many beautiful sights.  We witnessed skies that seemed to go on forever, tumbleweeds traveling across the highway right in front of our car, mountains, and deserts.  Once we entered into Arizona, we witnessed the beauty of the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest.  It is hard to believe that these landscapes have been around for hundreds and thousands of years.

Day 3...I chose two pictures from today.  The first picture is of the Painted Desert in Arizona and the second picture is of the beautiful sunset we saw while driving towards Flagstaff.

Tomorrow we will visit another wonder of the United States, the Grand Canyon!  I am sure I will have lots to say about that trip.  Instead of driving from Flagstaff to the Canyon, we are going to take the Grand Canyon Railway.

It is hard to believe that a week from tomorrow I will be beginning my internship, the final step to receiving my Bachelors Degree in Music Business Administration from Indiana State University.  Music has been my life since elementary school.  I always loved music classes and especially loved when I was able to join the orchestra, choir, band, and ringers when I got older.  I learned a new side of music, the business side, when I began following small name artists.  I was introduced to artist managers, small concerts and concerts on a larger scale, and all of the thought and work it takes to put on an event.  After that, I knew I wanted music to be my career.  And here I am, getting ready to live this dream.  I never thought this day would actually come.  

Tomorrow is just another step in the right direction...

 

Day 2

"When the day is dawning on a Texas Sunday morning
how I long to be there
with Marie who's waiting for me there
every lonely city where I hang my hat
ain't as half as pretty as where my baby's at

Is this the way to Amarillo
every night I've been hugging my pillow
dreaming dreams of Amarillo..."

---Tony Christie, "Amarillo"
 
We hit the road bright and early this morning to continue our drive towards the west coast.  We conquered the rest of Missouri, all of Oklahoma (a first for both mom and I...neither of us had ever been in Oklahoma), and some of Texas.  Lots of laughs were had and many memorable moments were shared.  We are now up to 13 new license plates which brings us up to a grand total of 35 different state license plates and 1 province.  We also learned many fun facts about Oklahoma like that the shopping cart was invented in Oklahoma and the first installed parking meter was in Oklahoma.

537 miles later and we arrived in Amarillo, Texas just in time for the Jets v. Steelers AFC Championship game.  Mom and I hunkered down in the hotel with pizza, chips and dip, wine, and Mr. Bojrab popcorn to cheer on our Jets.  After a very intense second half of the game, the Jets were defeated 19-24.  Guess we will be rooting for the Steelers in the SuperBowl.

Tomorrow brings a whole new day of adventures.  But to close out today, Day 2, here is a picture of the view mom and I had at a rest area in Texas along the way:

Til tomorrow...

Day 1

"When the wintry winds are blowing and the snow is starting in to fall,

then my eyes turn west-ward, knowing that's the place I love the best of all.

California, I've been blue, since I've been away from you.
I can't wait 'til I get going.

Even now I'm starting in to call, Oh...

California, here I come right back where I started from.

Where Bowers of flowers bloom in the sun.

Each morning at dawning, birdies sing an' everything.

A sunkist miss said, "Don't be late" that's why I can hardly wait.

Open up that Golden Gate,

California here I come." 

---Al Jolson, "California Here I Come" 

 

This morning I packed up my life and left Indiana to begin a new chapter and the final step to finishing my college degree.  Beginning February 1st, I will be the newest intern at NAMM (www.namm.org) in Carlsbad, California.  After three and a half years of hard work in the classroom, it is now time to step out into the real world and put everything I have learned to the test.  I will be living in California for the next six months working in every department at NAMM.  I hope this experience brings me insight to the music industry and helps me to decide exactly what I want to do with my life.

My mother and I are taking this adventure to California together...sort of one last mother/daughter adventure before I am gone for awhile.  We are driving approximately 2250 miles (33 hours) over 4 days.  Our first stop is Springfield, MO which is where I am blogging right now.  Today's ride was fairly uneventful.  We drove through snow in northern Indiana, stopped in Terre Haute, Indiana to eat lunch with my boyfriend Adam, and continued through Illinois and Missouri to arrive in Springfield.  We occupied our time in the car with talking, music, and games. We began playing the license plate game (so far we have 21 states and 1 province) and we also played 20 questions which was pretty amusing.  Three more days until we are in sunny California :-)

Last night, while having dinner with my best friend, she drew this abstract picture of my trip as a way to remember her:

This is why I love her!  I think it either looks like a camel or a dinosaur...Mom actually called it a dinosaur butterfly, or a buttersaur!

Oh...by the way...I am using this blog to follow my adventures throughout this internship but I am also going to try to do the 365 day photo contest.  Therefore, this is Day 1.

Until tomorrow...