• 10 Tips for Packing Light & Thinking like a Minimalist

    October 19, 2018 - By 

    Less stuff = less stress. Period. Packing fewer things means fewer decisions to make, less to carry around, and less to clutter a hotel room. Packing light doesn’t mean I spend the trip wishing I’d packed something; the total opposite! It has as much to do with my mental approach to travel as it does my actual preparedness; a combination of developing thoughtful strategies to adapt in the moment and also finding key, versatile items. (See post on staying mentally flexible while traveling here) Learning to pack minimally has been one of the most beneficial aspects of this travel year. Here’s…

  • MONTANA | Savor the Journey

    August 17, 2018 - By 

    The girl on the plane described Montana as “the most beautiful place in the country” and I smiled politely but was not convinced. We arrived at Big Sky at night, and upon opening the curtains the next morning… I got it. Rolling hills, rock formations, mountains, meadows, forests, lakes… and all huge. The sheer number of beautiful landmarks everywhere is staggering. It’s truly our country at its finest, and I’m so happy to say I’ve experienced it firsthand. I was eager to get out and do some hiking, and it wasn’t until we were being dropped off at the trailhead…

  • Life is short – Go to LA

    June 15, 2018 - By 

    I crash-landed onto my bandmate’s couch after an exhausting but rewarding day of teaching. I had finally stopped, but my brain continued its inner debate about whether a last-minute trip to California simply to “relax” was a good idea. It seemed so silly, yet I found my “reckless brain” fighting hard to convince my “rational brain” to book the flight. I was torn. A series of events had brought the idea for this short visit to the surface, and my curiosity to re-experience this particular city wasn’t letting go. It was a warm Michigan evening and still light out at…

  • THE BADLANDS | Strength in kindness

    May 25, 2018 - By 

    I wish I could say I was pleasantly surprised by the conditions on Pine Ridge Reservation, but unfortunately they lived up to every troubling story I had heard. My heritage is Native, and it’s always pained me to know that the American Indian population is amongst the most impoverished and oppressed in the country. I knew I wanted to help, but until recently I just wasn’t sure what I could offer. Having spent the last seven years teaching music enrichment clinics, I’ve begun to more fully understand music’s ability to access and empower students, particularly those who are struggling in…

  • The Badlands | Solo Travel and Self-Trust

    May 13, 2018 - By 

    I was nervous for this trip. It occurred to me as I was boarding my first flight to South Dakota that I’ve very rarely taken trips alone. I travel by myself often, but it’s almost always to a gig with a bandmate waiting at the other end. This trip out west was my first solo venture funded by my new nonprofit (which I’ll talk more about in the coming posts.) The plan was to perform and teach the students of Pine Ridge Reservation; an area rich with culture that faces devastating hardship. This solo adventure was a new feeling, but…

  • MADISON | Empower Our Girls

    April 15, 2018 - By 

    In addition to some powerful teaching moments in Madison (link here), the topic of women’s equality presented itself in several ways and caused me to think harder about the topic. This post is a bit of a departure from the travel themes, but it was too important not to share. Life always seems to throw me recurring “themes,” or a topic that repeatedly presents itself and gives me no option of ignoring it. In this case the global conversation about this issue caused me to take note of several examples in my own life and subsequently motivated me to take…

  • MADISON | Slow Down to Stay Passionate

    April 11, 2018 - By 

     We had a short time and busy schedule in Madison, WI, so we resigned to pretending we weren’t actually there. The Moxie Strings fell in love with Madison after performing at the Mad Gael Music Fest the summer before. We found it to be a fun, fit, open-minded community that appreciates art and great brunch. I wish we could say that on this trip we toured the stunning Capitol Building and jogged the expanse of trails, but there just wasn’t the time. We spent most of our time teaching and then retired to our quaint Air BnB outside the city.…

  • NASHVILLE | Commit and Enjoy

    April 2, 2018 - By 

    Brilliant photographer Sean Fisher and I chose the coldest day of the year for this photo shoot, and to explore the Tennessee beauty outside the city. Sean is a driven and inspirational artist who I’m lucky to call a friend! (www.fisherai.com) He’s also one of my favorite IG follows: @mr.bootstraps The pictures turned out beautifully thanks to Sean, but the story of that particular day is hysterically bad. I woke up at 5am in a fit of stress about the amount that needed to be done as The Moxie Strings finished booking our summer months. I watched in annoyance as the…