Growing up is a weird thing that we do everyday. This past year has been one of those “weird” ones with a lot of ups and downs. I think the weird thing about growing up is how things just fall into place without any warning. I remember turning 20 on tour filling in for my friend’s in This Condition at a show in Rhode Island. We were on tour with a band called For The Foxes. At this point of my life I did not know what I was doing since the band I originally toured with weren’t touring and focusing on other projects so that left me in an odd position. An odd position where I either had to reevaluate my priorities. At this point last year, my mother had just moved down to DC and I didn’t know a soul. I either had to go to school, find a full time job, or find a way to keep playing music full time. All I’ve ever wanted to do was play music full time. During this tour, I was asked by Nick of FTF to fill in for bass on their upcoming tour in March. Luckily it worked out perfectly that I was able to. This led me to be able to do multiple tours with them in the future. However right before my first tour with FTF, my father passed away. Due to being so occupied, the last time I have seen him was when I was on tour with SSDC passing through Chicago in April 2010. I was devastated cause I was going to see him when I got home in May after the FTF tour. I had to keep moving forward with my life however and this opened my eyes to what I wanted to keep doing. After multiple tours with FTF, by fall Mikey and I were asked to be full time members. This has changed everything in my life for the better as I see it.
Most of my days being 20 has been spent traveling, hanging with friends, playing music, late nights, smoking a lot of cigarettes, writing a lot of songs, and meeting a lot of amazing people. I guess the only point of making this post was to let you know that this past year was the craziest year of my life thus far and I just wanted to inform all of you how fortunate I am to have met all of you this year. So THANK YOU.
On another note, now that I am 21, this means no more hanging outside the bar while everyone else is inside having a “blast” haha. It always sucked being the youngest one on the road or even in general. This past year has made me realize that while growing up, you lose a lot of old friends, make a lot of new friends, but those who have stuck around, are there to stay. You all know who you are.