A trip. A movie premiere. Finishing a great book. A date. Seeing family and friends. A concert. Whatever it is, I find myself in a complete state of glee the eve of a day when something fun, stellar or amazing is about to go down. I lay in bed like it’s First Day of School Eve. Tossing and turning and smiling and unable to think about anything than that specific greatness awaiting.
Hell, even the promise of a sunny day from the Weather Channel gets me amped. Just the mere idea of what tomorrow holds doesn’t give me anxiety, it gives me excitedness and eagerness. And I find it hard to harness.
Needless to say, this is pretty much me all day, every day:
*Last night’s glee totally tied to the KC trip to see the Kansas family*
Maggie and I have started a roommate tradition during the holidays of having a little date night. Typically it involves dinner, but this year, we decided the Of Monsters and Men concert would be the perfect option. So I bought tickets and we were off!
Only to find, I forgot the tickets. Cab home, search and nothing. So now, I’ve lost the tickets. Cab back. Buy some more from someone on the street, go in and have one hell of a time. (Note: lesson learned, it’s time to carry a purse. The stuffing-it-in-your-pocket method has failed more than a handful of times. Time to adopt a new practice).
The show this Icelandic band puts on is nothing short of stellar. Granted, you can’t really understand what they’re saying due to their accents, but their spirit and energy are quite catching. We couldn’t stop smiling, laughing, dancing and singing right along. If you get the chance to see these guys, take it!
Also to note, the band passes around instruments. Everyone pretty much plays every single thing. When the keyboardist was on the clarinet and playing the keys, I was completely mind-blown.
As Maggie said at the end of the night, “Europe does everything right. They have cooler clothes, accents and can play a variety of musical instruments.”
The silence is over, sort of. My apologies for not writing nearly as much as I should have been…the month of July just got lost beyond me. And I’ve returned from my coastal adventure to the East where my friend and I attended a few concerts and slept on a pirate ship. It was to say the least, amazing.
But instead of rehashing a vacation, I want to talk about something else, friendship. Amanda and I affirmed a friendship a year ago when we went on vacation to Colorado. Since that last summer, we’ve logged four other trips and most recently, this eastern adventure. I could not imagine a better travel companion to navigate a city alongside.
My true aha! moment of man, life is good, came while we were in New York. We made our way down to NYC to catch The Lumineers and Old Crow Medicine Show in Central Park and decided to hit up our New York friends for couches to crash on. Most of the “closer” friends were traveling, so we were coming up empty-handed. Then I reached out to Christin, a girl I studied abroad with in Ireland and hadn’t seen since we left the Emerald Isle. And to be fair, we hadn’t really talked much. But she insisted we come and crash with her.
The minute we walked in to Christin’s place, it was like we were back in Ireland. As we readied ourselves and wandered the city, we managed to find a bar with a vacant rooftop where we spent the afternoon catching up on life. It was just perfection and as if this was an everyday thing we did. When we got to the show, I was so overcome with joy that I nearly started crying. It was just so moving to know that there are people in this world that vouch for you and want to spend time with you, no matter how much time has passed.
I have many friends like this in Chicago, but I’ve certainly taken them for granted over the years…just assuming they’re always there. But upon our return to Sweet Home Chicago, I realized how truly lucky I am to live in a city I love, surrounded by water and people that I cannot help but have on fantastic time.
It might have taken all of July for me to realize this, as well as a northeastern adventure, but I’m going in to my 27th year with a much better grasp on life. And I for one, I am eager to see what awaits next.
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And here’s the lastest Mumford & Son’s song (saw them in Maine last week), which I think is so very fitting:
Hanna (Non)Tana 