Riverside, manicotti, and Manhattan skyline slivers at 1:00am

The weather here in New York City has been absolutely ridiculous.

...And when I say ridiculous, I mean beautiful.

Every single day since I've been here has been been filled with sunny, blue skies, and an average of about 80 degrees with a light breeze. With the exception of one very quick, intense downpour, I haven't seen a drop of rain in two weeks. Part of me wishes there would be at least one day of rain, because there are so many museums I'm itching to go to, and I feel like it would be a slap in mother nature's face to be inside on a nice day.

Oh, well. I guess I'll just have to keep enjoying this weather... (*sarcastic sigh*).

SUNDAY

This beautiful day started out with the most delicious breakfast at a little Polish restaurant here in Brooklyn Heights called Teresa's. They are apparently known for their super thick French toast made from challah bread, but I didn't want French toast (blasphemy, I know.. don't ask me why).

Instead, I stuck to a spinach and feta cheese omelet with (the most delicious) hash browns and toast. And coffee, of course! It was so tasty and also so filling... I didn't eat again until about 5pm.

Oh, and I went with these guys:

After deciding we couldn't stuff our faces anymore, we left, and I raced to the 2,3 train on Clark Street so that I could make it to something at 1pm at Riverside Church.

Just look at this beautiful building! When I was a junior in high school, I was lucky enough to join our Chamber Choir on a trip to NYC, where we sang in the sanctuary of this amazing place. The acoustics are beyond explanation, and the architecture is just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

But on to why I was there on Sunday...

One of my mother's friends from Charlotte, Therese Bartholomew, has been working on a documentary for the last several years. Her life story is heartbreaking, but amazing, and when I found out she was going to be screening it in NYC, I knew I had to go. The film (titled "The Final Gift") left me with tears in my eyes, but a warmth in my heart. She's just such an incredible human being. I don't want to go into her whole story here, but I found a trailer for the film:

It was so wonderful to see her and her husband here in New York, and it was also great to be back at Riverside once again.

MONDAY

I started off with my usual routine (wake up, fruit parfait, gym, coffee) and headed off to Bank Robber Music for another day of interning!

I am slowly, but surely integrating myself into their little community... Every day I'm there, I meet another person, and I am being trusted with more and more tasks. What's so great about the office I'm working in is that ALL of us are in the same room together. All day. This allows me to not only see what goes on in a licensing company, but also hear conversations that they have with artists, lawyers, record labels, etc. It's such a cool environment, and I feel like a little sponge, soaking up as much as I possibly can!

Monday evening, I had class, but afterward, I walked down to the promenade to check out the skyline at night:

Sorry the photo quality is so terrible! It really was quite beautiful. It's just as spectacular at nine in the morning as it is at nine at night.

TUESDAY

Tuesday was "let's go on an adventure to Little Italy" day! And we did. Allison, Josh, Eric, and I all took the subway to Canal Street (Chinatown) and walked our way over to the main area in Little Italy, Mulberry Street. Our goal? To sit down and eat a delicious, Italian meal for lunch.

This turned out to be a lot more difficult than it sounds. There are SO many choices in Little Italy as far as restaurants go, and the hosts/hostesses at each and every one are constantly throwing themselves at you to get you to sit down. That made me not want to sit down at any of them.. it was too hard to read the menu, because they would pounce on you if you even hinted in the slightest that you might want to sit down and eat.

But, we waded our way through it, and made the decision to sit down at Cafe Napoli, because there was a great table outside under the shade.

All of us (with the exception of Josh) ordered the manicotti...

And it was as delicious as it looks. I had every intention of saving half of it to eat at a later time, but it was too good, and I was too hungry, and...

... this was ten minutes later. Needless to say, I didn't need dinner that night.

Tuesday evening, I decided to try out my first NYC open mic! A music friend of mine, Desmond Myers, happened to be in town, and he let me know that he would be playing at the open mic at Bar4 in Park Slope. Like me, Desmond used to play the open mic at the Evening Muse in Charlotte, and it has been a couple of years since I've seen him. He's been living in Germany for the last two years- following his dream and playing music every chance he can get. He brought along several friends from Germany (who are in the United States for the first time) to play with him, and they blew the audience out of the water. He is a talented one, that's for sure.

I was also able to perform that night, and although it's been a couple of weeks since I've played out, I'd say it went pretty well. It was just so great to be around so many musicians, and I will definitely be back!

Around 11pm, Desmond and his friends decided it was time to head out... but because they were leaving the next morning, they wanted to do one more thing before they left NYC...

... walk on the Brooklyn Bridge.
And that's what we did! That's a photo of a sliver of the Manhattan skyline at 12:30am.

And here's an extremely blurry photo of Desmond and me:

When it hit about 1am, we said our "goodbyes", and I decided to head in for the night. I had been lugging my guitar with me everywhere we went, and my arms felt like they were going to break off.

WEDNESDAY

Once again, I went about my usual daily routine and then hopped on the train to work! It was another great day at Bank Robber Music.

At 6pm, I left, and hopped on another train to make it to class in the Chelsea district. We had two wonderful guest speakers-- one from Octone Records and the other from Mom and Pop Records. They were so energetic and passionate about their work in the marketing departments of these labels, and even though the class lasted for two and half hours, I was pretty much engaged the whole time. Ah. I can't believe I get a course credit for this kind of thing!


Anyway, that's all I've got fer ya, folks! I am off to the gym.. then coffee... then shower... and then I don't know what yet. I'm feeling all "musical" today, though. Maybe I'll go take my guitar somewhere and keep working on my Kickstarter songs. Yeah, I think I'll do that.

<3
Nat

Strong coffee, Coney Island hotdogs, and flamingo dresses

Once again, long time, no blog. I've still been busier than a little bee, trying to soak up as much of this wonderful city as I possible can. It's crazy to think that I've been here for a little over a week now. With as much as I've been cramming into my daily schedules, you'd think I've been here for a month at least.

Bottom line: I am so incredibly happy and so incredibly in love with New York City.

Here's a little recap of the last few days for you (whoever "you" might be!).

WEDNESDAY

I woke up. Ate my delicious breakfast (fruit and yogurt parfait, of course). Went to the gym.

You will find that this is a common start to all of my days here. It's the perfect way to refuel, reenergize, and reorient my brain for the day ahead.

At about 11:30am, I left for my internship and grabbed a delicious (and veryyy strong) cup of coffee from a little coffee/food truck outside the Trump Tower near Wall Street. And because I mentioned this in the last entry, here is a photo of where I'm working the entire semester:

I know, I know... it isn't the best photo. I'm sorry for this! I just wanted to give you a little taste of what it looks like from the outside. Maybe I'll post more in the future. And maybe I'll show you photos of the inside at some point, too. I'm just tryin' to keep you on your toes!

Anyway, my second day at Bank Robber Music was absolutely wonderful. One of their long-term interns (the lovely, Suzy) was there to show me the ropes and answer all of the questions I could possibly ask. And I asked a lot, too. She was quite the trooper, and I'm so glad to have met her! She definitely made me feel great about the internship I've chosen, and I've already learned so much just from those few hours with her.

At about 5pm, I left for class! Yes.. even though I'm in NYC, I guess I'm still in school, and I still have to go to class. But this is the only physical class that I have this semester, and it only meets on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. That's nuthin. AND it's going to be fabulous. Basically, it's just an overview of all types of entertainment in NYC. We have a planned trip to see "Once" on Broadway, several guest speakers that are coming in to chat about the business, and we might even get to see a Mets game.

And this is a class?

I know. So wonderful.

I can't remember what I did for the rest of Wednesday evening. You'd think that I'd have learned by now... if I don't document every second with photos or by writing things down, I will completely forget them. I don't know what this means for me in my later years.. not a good sign, that's for sure.

THURSDAY

Allison and I woke up, ate breakfast, went to the gym. Then, we decided to go exploring around the Greenwich Village area together. We stumbled upon this wonderful, little vintage clothing store:

Allison bought some super cute shoes, and I left empty-handed. But that's quite alright. I will be back! Plus, that just means more money for food. (Always a good thing).

We also sauntered on over to my favorite new place: Washington Square Park.

We walked around a bit more, shopped a bit more (which I can only do for so long), and then decided to head back. I was stupid and thought it would be cute if I wore my wedges all day... Bad idea. Wearing wedges while walking around NYC will always end in blisters. I've learned my lesson.

I ended up getting the greatest shirt and the greatest little skirt while we were out, though. I haven't bought clothes in months, so now I have some new items for my wardrobe.

Once again, I can't remember what I did Thursday evening. I'm pretty sure I made dinner of some sort, and then relaxed for the rest of the night. We had a big day planned for Friday, so I wanted to be well rested.

FRIDAY

As I'm sure a lot of you know (based on the amount of media coverage surrounding it), this was the morning that multiple bystanders were shot outside of the Empire State Building. Thank goodness none of my classmates or I have work around that area. Everyone was safe and sound and we weren't affected at all by the whole thing. So sad, though. I hate to keep hearing these stories. Thank you to those of you who texted or called me to make sure I was okay! You are wonderful.

At about 12pm, Allison, Josh, and his roommate, Eric, all left for:

CONEY ISLAND. Yes. Which only took 30 minutes to get to by train. And which just so happens to be:

THE BEACH. So so wonderful. It was the absolute most beautiful day, too. The sun was shining, but it was only about 85 degrees, and there was a nice, light breeze. It was so relaxing, and it made me fall in love with New York even more. I'm sorry, Nashville... I love you, too... but your closest beach is 8 hours away.

After soaking up the sun for a couple of hours, we decided to head out. But not before getting a hotdog from the one and only: Nathan's. And I'm talking about the REAL Nathan's. The ORIGINAL Nathan's.

There I am. Chowing down on the deliciousness.

Here's an up close photo of my hotdog, just because I know you are curious:

I ordered onions on it. Clearly, they decided to use an entire onion.

The way back home took us twice as long, because someone pulled the emergency brake on our train for some reason. I'm still not sure as to what happened, but after waiting for thirty minutes, we were allowed to move again.

Last night, we went to a show at ZirZamin on West Housten Street. It was such a neat, little venue! Allison's friend, Matt, was the entertainment for the evening, and he was wonderful. Such a fun show.

TODAY

I did my usual routine (wake up, breakfast, gym, etc), and then I decided to find a place where I could work on the mounds of schoolwork that I have piling up from my online classes. At first, I tried Googling a coffeeshop somewhere in NYC that had an outside area where I could work. In reality, I just wanted to find a NYC-version of Nashville's Bongo Java... a coffeeshop with a wonderfully large front porch. Those don't really exist in New York.

So, I decided to go with my Plan B. I thought it was a longshot, but I Googled "free wifi NYC parks". And sure enough- SO MANY parks here have free internet! Insane to me. And so wonderful.

So, I gathered all of my belongings and hiked over to the Brooklyn Bridge Park to work on homework for the day. It was absolutely perfect. I had a great view of the skyline, and I was surrounded by so many interesting people. I have to admit, I really wanted to people watch more than anything.

This little gem was taken by a woman sitting near me who was wearing the craziest dress covered in pink flamingos. I wish I'd taken a photo of her. After seeing me trying to take a picture of the skyline, she insisted on taking photo after photo of me with it in the background.



There ya go! A little smattering of photos and ramblings for you to enjoy :). Tomorrow, I have a few things planned, but for now, I'm going to eat some dinner and try to wrap up the rest of this homework.

I love you all.
<3
Nat

Flea markets, proposals, and upside-down umbrellas

WHEW. Long time, no blog.

It has been a whirlwind of a last few days, and until now, I haven't had a second to sit down and breathe... let alone, post in my little blog.

I'm not complaining! It has been busy, but that's mainly my fault. For some reason, I felt like I needed to cram as many things into the last weekend as possible... I think a part of me forgot that I would be here for another few months. I'm just afraid of missing out on things, I guess. There are events CONSTANTLY going on in New York City, though. If I tried to do everything, all of the time,  I wouldn't be able to function properly. So, today I took a little break, and decided now would be a good time to update you :). Hereeeee we go:

SATURDAY

 On this lovely day in NYC, I woke up and went to the Williamsburg Flea Market with my friend, Josh to meet our friends, Allison and Chris. Well, we thought it was the Williamsburg Flea Market (clothes, vintage things, yaddayadda), but it was the Smorgasburg Flea Market (aka: FOOD)... and we had all eaten already. So we just walked around and took in wafts of the delicious-smelling foods. And took photos of ourselves.

Me, holding tightly to my daily fuel (coffee). This was the lovely view from the Flea Market.

Then, we all decided to mosey on over to Central Park (because it was such a beautiful day, and the park seemed like the best place to be).

And there was a carnival going on.

 

And we took more photos of ourselves.

And then I creeped on cute couples in the park (like Allison and Chris).

And to top it all off, we all saw someone propose on a boat in the middle of the park. Everyone on the bridge and on the bank erupted into applause for them. It was so perfect and cute, I almost cried.

I can't even remember what I did for the rest of Saturday.. is that a bad thing? I don't have anymore photos, and honestly, I've been running around so much, if there isn't a photo to document my adventure, I won't remember it. Sorry. We'll call it "The Lost Evening".

SUNDAY

I woke up bright and early, and ran across the Brooklyn Bridge! Ah. This was so wonderful. Such a perfect, perfect start to my day.

Well, okay, you caught me... it was more of a "run, take a photo, run, take another photo, run, take a photo for someone else" kind of morning workout. It was still a workout, though. And a perfect one at that.

Then, I met up with my longtime, high school buddy, Jack! He was in NYC visiting his sister, and I was able to chat with him for a bit about life, etc.

And then it was off to Greenwich Village to walk around, grab some lunch at a little French cafe, and head over to Washington Square Park to listen to the most wonderful music.

Yes. This man is playing two horns at the same time. He was more than fantastic. Don't ask me how he did it.

Anddd, I spied on cute, little men playing chess.

I've decided I love Washington Square Park. So much. I will definitely be back again and again!

It was my friend, Josh's, birthday yesterday, and it was his roommate's birthday on Sunday, so we all went out to celebrate on Sunday night. I don't have photos of this, but it was certainly fun. And Allison and I stumbled upon the most beautiful sunset. Just look at this!

And I saw this guy with an upside-down umbrella around his waist on the subway.

MONDAY

It was my first day at Bank Robber Music! I have no photos of any of this, but I will try to take a picture of my office building tomorrow. It's located rightttt next to Wall Street in the Financial District, and the building is really awesome. The semester will be quite fun.

TODAY

I woke up and walked a few blocks to get breakfast with Allison at the Iris Cafe. It is such a quaint, little place to sit down and grab a morning meal... and the coffee is fantastic. I got the most delicious cheddar and spinach biscuit, and Allison got toast with avocado and mustard on it. So. tasty.

Afterward, we both hit up with gym (which is awesome, by the way... there is a hot tub. We've already decided we'll be frequenting this when the weather gets a little cooler.). And the rest of my day has consisted of running errands and lazing around. I needed a little R & R.

My first day of class is tomorrow (which doesn't really mean a lot... I have one physical class, and the rest are online). But, regardless, I'm going to try to get organized with my life so I'm prepared for whatever assignments I have.

LIFE IS WONDERFUL. So wonderful.

<3
Nat

And the adventures have begun!

I'M HERE. 

In New York City. 

And this view of the Manhattan skyline is just a mere three blocks from the front steps of my building:

Not even real, right? I keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming... but unless I have a much higher pain tolerance when I'm asleep than I thought, this whole thing is really happening.

You can't see it in the photo up there, but the Brooklyn Bridge is literally just another two blocks to the right. I'm planning to run across it sometime soon... maybe tomorrow even!

Although, I must say, I have done more walking in these last couple of days than I believe I have in the last couple of months. And when I say walking, I mean more of a light jog. The people in NYC do not simply walk. They always seem to be rushing to get somewhere.. although, I'm pretty sure if I asked some of them where they were going, they wouldn't have anywhere they desperately needed to be. It's just programmed into them to race around. All I have to say is thank goodness I naturally walk semi-quickly, or else I would have been trampled by now.

I'm not complaining whatsoever. I haven't even gone to sign myself up for the free gym membership that we get yet, because I've felt no need to. My feet hate me, but I'm getting a nice, little workout without forcing myself to jog on a treadmill for an hour.

Okay, okay, okay. Let me get back on track! For the whole semester, I'm living in the beautiful neighborhood, Brooklyn Heights... there are so many cute restaurants and shops nearby, and by living in Brooklyn, we avoid a bit of the insane hustle and bustle of Manhattan. It is so incredibly wonderful here.

In particular, I'm living in a student housing facility called St. George. The history of this place is incredible. Built in the late 1800s, it used to be the famous St. George Hotel, which was, at the time, the largest hotel in New York City. It once drew celebrities, athletes, and every presidential hopeful flocking to its many ballrooms, and a part of The Godfather was actually filmed here as well.

The Clark Street Subway is literally ten steps from our front door as well... so that makes it super convenient for when we want to go into Manhattan!

And heerree is my wonderful, little room:

It doesn't look like anything special, but it is so cozy, and it has all of the basic necessities. And it also might not look like I own much of anything, but I literally had to pack my entire life into two suitcases... I have clothes, bedding, and cosmetics. No posters or any of that other fluff. (I guess I'll just have to get some of that while I'm here?).

There are several awesome common areas in the St. George as well, but I really only cared about one thing. The kitchen. And HERE it is:

Ahhh. Look how many stoves and ovens there are! So. many. I could do some cooking damage here. I'll probably have more photos of St. George at other times, but that's all I've got for now.

Since Thursday afternoon, after stumbling out of the taxi with all of my belongings in tow, I have been having the greatest time ever. That afternoon, after settling into my room (which only took 30 minutes), I went exploring around the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood with my fabulous roommate, Allison, and her fabulous boyfriend, Chris. That's when we discovered the awesome view of Manhattan.

Then, we had a meeting with everyone from Belmont East back at the St. George. They just had a little introduction for us, and we were able to meet some Belmont alums who are now working and living in NYC. It was great to hear their stories and ask them questions about the city!

Later in the evening, I ventured out to the East Village with several people. We just explored, barhopped, and people watched for the entire night, and it was a perfect start to my time here. I was lucky enough to even see my very first subway rat... as in, a real rat... rodent... in the subway. Two of them, actually. Perfect. And there have been street musicians and subway musicians galore. And I don't if it's because I've been semi sleep-deprived or what, but surprisingly enough, I haven't heard a bad one yet!

Yesterday, I walked a mile to the Trader Joe's nearby to stock up on some groceries. The walk there was just perfect... the weather has been gorgeous, and it was great to explore the neighborhood some more. However, the walk back was a little bit unpleasant. I only had one bag, but it probably weighed about thirty pounds, which wasn't the greatest thing to try to handle while walking for a mile. I've learned my lesson: walk there, but take the subway back.

I also explored Manhattan yesterday. I took the subway (which I believe I've mostly figured out now) to 5th Avenue, and wandered through all of the shops for about 3 hours or so. Surprisingly, I didn't buy a single thing. It was just fun to be out and about.

And last night, after eating nothing but pizza and bagels thus far, I was craving a nice salad. My friend Josh and I found this great, little organic restaurant a couple blocks from the St. George, called Siggy's Good Food.

Doesn't that look delish? It was.

After that, we had a plan to meet some of the other Belmont students to go see a free, outdoor screening of The Goonies... on the USS Intrepid of course. We made it all the way to Times Square and walked what felt like a million blocks. And it rained. A lot. But that's okay, because we're in New York! Who cares if you have no umbrella and look like a drowned rat? At least, that's my opinion.

But when we got there, the line was superrrr long, so we decided to forgo the whole thing. Instead, we walked a million blocks back to Times Square and decided to feast on some food from the famous restaurant, Shake Shack. I had already eaten my deliciously healthy dinner, but decided to indulge in a shake... I mean, when in Rome...

And it was the most delicious thing I've had in a very long time. Seriously. There were bits of donuts in it, if that tells you anything.

Then, I called it a night. I mean, I've been here two days now, and I feel like I've already been here for a week. Going to bed at 11:30pm on a Friday night in NYC might sound lame, but I wanted to make sure I was able to function, because today I am going to explore the many, many flea markets in NYC.

Sorry for such a long post... I'm pretty sure I could have made this even longer, but I need to go meet some people in Williamsburg at the flea market there. I will update later, though :).

I am already having the time of my life, and I can't believe that this is where I get to spend my days over the next few months. There are many adventures in store for me. Have a superb Saturday!

<3
Nat

Bet your bottom dollar that...

Tomorrowtomorrowtomorrowtomorrowtomorrow!!

...Can you tell I'm excited?
Well, I am.

I keep saying it's already hit me that I'll be living in New York City for an entire semester, but I really don't think it has yet. I'm still in the "this is only a dream" state. I don't think the whole thing will really sink in until I get off the plane tomorrow, attempt to hail a cab to Brooklyn (where I'll be living), and get dropped off on the sidewalk (with two suitcases, a backpack, and my guitar). I will be alone. I will be lugging my life around in containers. And it will be wonderful.

That's when it will hit me.
I'm living in New. York. City.

But, as excited as I am about the little adventure that's ahead, leaving is bittersweet. The opportunity to live, intern, and study in New York City isn't something that comes around too often. Because of this, I've selfishly said that I won't be leaving for the entire four months I'm there. At all. For any reason. (Except to sing in someone's wedding in October and to visit my grandparents in upstate NY, of course!).

Luckily, there are many that have agreed to come visit me. But, plane tickets are pricey, and life moves at an ever-constant pace, so there are also many that I won't see at all.

Last week, I bid "au revoir" to my wonderful Nashville family. I went to one last super-indie Nashville music show (which was fantastic, by the way). I spent time with some great friends. I went on a fabulous date to the Holland House (which, if you're in Nashville, you should go to... get drinks, the mussels, and the cheese platter) and mini golfing with my fantastic boyfriend. And I watched a ridiculous amount of the Olympics. I have no photos of any of this :(. I promise it all happened, though!

This week, I was back home in Charlotte. I was able to see my talented brother play a show with his band, Birds with Teeth.

... Andddd someone from Carolina Nightlife decided to take a photo of us afterwards...

...Hilarious.

I was also able to meet up with some of my best friends from high school. It's been over a year since we've all been able to get together (Michelle's been in Europe for the last year, and the rest of us have been busier than bees).  Needless to say, it was so so so wonderful to down some sushi, sip on some wine, and catch up on each other's lives. I was also able to grab coffee with my fantastic friend, Ivette (but I don't have a photo of this either)!

And, OF COURSE, I was able to snuggle my little Yogermuffin (aka Yogi).

Thanks for la fotografia, Mish.

Last night, I created a LONG list of "NYC Things to Do When I Get Bored or Run Out of Things to Do". (Which, honestly, when will that ever happen?). But I made the list anyway. And PLEASE- if there is somewhere in NYC that I absolutely have to venture to (whether it be a restaurant, a bookstore, a museum, a park, etc), send it my way! I will continue to add to this list throughout the semester, and I'm always up for new adventures.

My creative Halloween costume from Junior year of high school... a lot of time when into this. Can't you tell?

Welp. All's well that ends well. It's been a superb summer, and I am beyond blessed to have so many loving and supportive people in my life. Thank you all for being just as excited about my adventure as I am.

And if you'd like to keep up with my Big Apple experiences, please feel free to keep checking this blog! (Just a word of warning, though... there will probably be a lot about food. And music. So, if you hate those, you might want to get out now).

<3
Nat

(ps- next time I type words on this blog, I'll be sitting somewhere in New York City. Eeeeeeek!)

The Only Living Boy (Girl) in New York

Exactly one week from today, I will have been in New York City for a little over 5 hours (Ahhh).

Because of this, I felt it extremely appropriate to release the following recording and video.

One of my wonderful Kickstarter backers, Chase Kliber, requested a cover of "The Only Living Boy in New York", by Simon & Garfunkel way back in March. Now, I have no idea if he did this on purpose (knowing that I would be on my way to the Big Apple) or if this is a favorite song of his... but it couldn't be more perfect!

I have always loved Simon & Garfunkel (and this song in particular), so I was more than excited to work out a little arrangement for it.

Thanks to my fantastic friends at Ripped Ears (and other great musician friends), we were able to do a live recording and shoot an awesome video in their home studio. It's their first video everrr, and I think it is just wonderful. (Ps- If you want the full effect, I would watch it in 1080p).

Watch the video here:

And if you like the recording, you can get a free download of "Only Living Boy in New York" here: The Only Living Boy in New York.


Tada!
Happy listening :)

<3
Nat

If it were socially acceptable...

... I would eat a fruit and yogurt parfait every day. For every meal. (Including snacks).



I am excited to wake up in the morning just to devour this:

That's all. (Slow news day).

<3
Nat

Swannanoa Gathering

I've fallen back in love with music again.

Okay, so maybe I never fell out of love with it, but this past week has showed me (once again) how wonderful music really is. In so many ways. 

For the last seven days, I've been in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, attending this fantastic, little music "camp" called The Swannanoa Gathering. This gathering is held every summer at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina, and there are so many wonderful programs ranging from a "Fiddle Week" to a "Traditional Song Week". For the last three years, I've attended the "Contemporary Folk & Guitar Week", and the people that I have come across at the Swannanoa Gathering have never ceased to amaze me, inspire me, and remind me why music is the most fabulous thing in existence.

Every year, I get something new out of my experience at Swannanoa. The first summer, I was there as a Youth Scholar, and I knew about one person at the camp going into it. My time was spent meeting the most supportive and loving people with an amazing passion for music. I had only gotten my feet wet, but I left with great memories and a hope to return the following summer.

Last year, I had only lost my father six months before, and the Swannanoa Gathering served as a place of much-needed healing for me. My mom and brother were able to attend as well, and my love for the Gathering rubbed off on them... they couldn't wait to go back.

And now to this year. All three of us returned, and all three of us walked away with an indescribable feeling of love for the place. There is nothing like the Swannanoa Gathering; not just because the setting is so beautiful and serene, but because the people that run the programs and those that attend the classes are truly wonderful.

There's a picture of me with my "Ukulele II" class, instructed by the most amazingly talented woman, Marcy Marxer. Marcy has worked with some amazing artists over the years, including Eva Cassidy and Les Paul, and I could have listened to her tell stories all day long. You can watch a video of Marcy playing one of the songs she taught us ("12th Street Rag"), here.

My other classes were just as fantastic, however, I forgot to get photos of them. My "Songwriting Games" class was taught by Cosy Sheridan, and she is such a warm and delightful lady. Her name really does describe her perfectly- she is such a "cosy" person.

Another songwriting class was taught by Cheryl Wheeler. Ah. I loved this class so much. Even though Cheryl had absolutely no plan for what we would do (it was her first time at Swannanoa, and she didn't really know what she was doing), I still walked away with so much more than I ever thought I would. Not only is she an amazing songwriter, but she also made me feel great about a lot of things that I have struggled with as far as music goes. Like me, she doesn't know half of the chords she plays, yet her songs are so beautiful. Also like me, she doesn't really know a lot of music theory. I'm not saying I don't want to learn more than I do (because I definitely do). It's just comforting to know that it is possible to be an incredibly talented and successful musician without knowing all of the technicalities. (However, if anyone wants to teach me, I would definitely take you up on it).

My last class was taught by Jon Vezner, Grammy award-winning Nashville songwriter. Not only is his songwriting wonderful, but he is an amazing person as well. This was a "Co-Writing" class, and on the first day, Jon paired each of us up with someone randomly (with the intention of getting us to write a song together in a matter of days). I have to say, I was absolutely terrified. But I ended up getting paired with the most amazing little lady (and best co-writer!) ever.

Here I am with Maya. (We had just been absolutely drenched by a rainstorm). Together, we wrote a song in about 4 days, and I have to say that I couldn't have been more proud of our finished product. We worked so well together, and I hate that she lives in Maine, because I would love to hang out with her more.

Here's a photo of us performing our song at the open mic on Thursday evening... Jeff Gilkinson (who was absolutely amazing) accompanied us on his five-string cello. Ahhh such a great time.

During the entire five hour drive back to Nashville, I listened to nonstop music. This may not seem that strange to you, but believe it or not, this is the first time in months that I've been able to listen to music in the car... I don't know why really... I've just had no desire for it. On roadtrips, I've been listening to podcasts of NPR TED Talks or RadioLab NYC (which are both fantastic podcasts, by the way). But until yesterday, music wasn't thrown into the mix.

Don't worry. That little podcast phase has come and gone. I mean, I'll still listen to them from time to time (because they really are interesting), but music will from now on be the star of the road show.

From the moment I peeled out of Warren Wilson College, I blasted tunes from Etta James and Billie Holiday to Punch Brothers and Alison Krauss. I was euphoric. Is it weird that I cried because I was so happy? Maybe the emotional moment was brought on by the lack of sleep from staying up until 4am every night to listen to wonderful Swannanoa songwriters and jam sessions.
...But maybe not.
I think that means I'm in love with music?

<3
Nat