Friday, August 24, 2007

home again

I'm finally home again after an exhausting...but wonderful...summer tour. I love music, in case you hadn't noticed. It's been such an awesome experience to share mine with so many wonderful people. One of my favorite things about being a musician is that I get to meet new and exciting people at every show...guaranteed. It's something I look forward to. I love the fast pace and I love facing new situations every day that force me to grow as a person. Yes, even flight cancellations...alone...in Paris.

So, what's next? I plan on sitting down with the ol' guitar a lot these upcoming months and writing a lot of new material. I have so many experiences, emotions, and ideas percolating in my head. They need to come out. And I'm sure I'll be doing plenty of shows on top of that. I'm not one to turn them down. The future is exciting.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

if it's nae scottish, it's crap

Hallo from the land of my people...Scotland. Oh my, I love it here. Every single piece of land in Scotland is beautiful...stunningly so. I'm looking out the window of the B&B across green rolling fields dotted with grazing sheep. All the houses are straight from a story book, including the one I'm in...and I just laugh to myself every time I look outside because I can't figure out how one place could be so amazing. I feel some songs coming on. Unfortunately, my guitar is in Germany...and I'm 1600km away (that's right, I said kilometers.) My hands are feeling the deprivation. Sometimes you don't realize the significance of something or someone until it's gone.

I've seen lots of ancient castles and villages and abbeys here in Scotland, but that thing that has impressed me most (other than the scenery) is the people. Everyone is friendly, helpful, congenial. There's a slower pace of life. Most people are willing to help each other out. It's fantastic.

I could do without the poor exchange rate though. Man, this sterling thing is killing me.

Well, it's late. Off to bed.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

bonjour from paris

I'm in Paris...and I love it here. I'm not one to like big cities. Usually they just overwhelm me and make me anxious. Not Paris. There's something different about it. Paris, je t'aime.

My show in Germany was fantastic! I want to give a huge thank you to all of the people who came out to the show, despite the fact that many of them couldn't understand a word I was saying. (Thanks to my good friend Matthias for translating!) Fortunately, music is the universal language. I hope I said something that was meaningful to you.

I love Europe. With a few language courses and some time, I could definitely see myself living here. There's a different pace of life that I find refreshing. Now, I'll be honest. So far I'm not a big fan of German food. Every possible liquid is carbonated...including water. German ice cream, however, is another story. I could eat hazelnut ice cream until the day I die. Germany itself is lovely. I was a little surprised to see so much farmland. I guess I had ideas of what Europe should look like and it surprised me...pleasantly.

I'm in Paris for another couple days, hitting all the spots one must hit when in Paris. So far I've been to all the places I really wanted to see, including the cathedral that I've wanted to visit since I was sixteen, Saint Chappelle. It was so worth it, better than I had ever imagined it would be. Went to Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, La Basilique de Sacre Coeur, Versailles. Today's adventure is the Louvre...and scouting out some excellent pastries. There's a creperie stand right outside my hotel. I've had a crepe sucre for breakfast every day. If I could, I would transport this little stand back home and sit it right outside my house. Yum. But now I need some suggestions from you knowing Parisians or Paris regulars...where are some great places to eat?