• Colorado mountains, handling uncertainty

    COLORADO: Finding Calm in Travel Uncertainty

    July 20, 2018 - By 

    Most mornings I wake up feeling like I know next to nothing about the conditions I’ll face or how the day will unfold. This level of uncertainty is waring, and has created a need for me to be that much more diligent about the things I can control. Honestly, rather than this crazy travel year making me more relaxed, I feel like it’s given me a certain amount more to “worry" about, because being overly-prepared is often the only way I’ll stay healthy, reasonably comfortable, and get things done in the face of so many unknowns.

  • Find cheap flights and book smart travel online

    How to find cheap flights and book smart travel online

    June 2, 2018 - By 

    I love air travel, but it can be so stressful. You can’t be late, but airlines can. It’s expensive, so there’s a lot on the line. Booking flights has to be done early and is very permanent (most airlines charge a $200 change/cancel fee), so it’s kind of a perfectionist decision-maker’s worst nightmare. This year I find myself having to make a decision most weeks about where I’d like to spend my 1-2 days off, and it’s really hard to predict that months in advance! Here are my tips for finding cheap flights, avoiding fees, and booking smart: Embrace Southwest.…

  • 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…

  • IRELAND | Keeping Perspective

    April 25, 2018 - By 

    My last posts touched on the importance of staying passionate and keeping a perspective on my role in the world, not just my day-to-day travel life (link here.) This helps me keep moving forward in a globally relevant way, and also keep a clear view of how incredibly lucky I am. I sit pretty high in the world. Perseverance and hard work have a lot to do with it, but there are also many things that I was handed and I think it’s important to acknowledge them. I am vacationing in Ireland at the moment, perched in a recliner overlooking…

  • 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…

  • Use Routines to Reduce Travel Stress

    March 29, 2018 - By 

    Handling uncertainty has been one of the hardest but most necessary skills in this travel life. I face uncertainty daily in schedule, sleep patterns, paychecks, band dynamics, meal times, etc. For that, I look for consistency anywhere I can. Routines and familiarity are key. Here are some of my daily tricks: Start your day the same way. Your mind and body will be able to handle far more travel uncertainties if you feed it some consistency in the morning. Plus, it just feels good. Self-care is key! My morning: Something physical (stretching/physical therapy/workout), a cold shower, and a little time enjoying…

  • Nashville | Wait for Option C

    March 26, 2018 - By 

           Hello from Music City. As a fiddle player I’ve always been curious about the Nash scene, but also pretty resistant to what I thought was a cut-throat and highly competitive town. I just didn’t feel the need to throw myself in the shark tank. I’ve had the chance to visit a few times over the past year, and I’m incredibly lucky to have been shown a side of this town that completely changed my mind. Don’t fret, (heh) music row is as glitzy and industry-driven as you’d hope, complete with large-scale honky tonks, label execs, and celebrity-sightings. (Your Nashville vacay…

  • ALASKA | Plan to Un-plan

    March 19, 2018 - By 

    Anchorage– It’s our final day on The Last Frontier. I sit in my hotel room around 9am, and the sun will be MIA for several more hours. There’s something nice about the illusion that you’ve gotten an extreme head start on the day. The band had a particularly fun day-off yesterday, mostly because we left the day completely open-ended. I’ve talked a lot about pre-planning in the last few posts, but the next step in easing my travel stress has been learning to let go of the plan altogether. Traveling means all days look different (that’s why we love it),…

  • How to plan ahead and make travel easier

    March 14, 2018 - By 

    Even if you’re not a “planner,” making a few decisions ahead of time means less to be decided in the moment and a clearer head to enjoy travel. Here’s a list of things I do before tours to remove as many decisions as possible in my daily travel life and ease stress.  The last two are probably the most important! At my mom’s request, the list is also accompanied by more pictures from our Alaska adventure. Enjoy! Start planning early. Carve time at least 3 days before you depart to make your pre-trip decisions. Be well-rested and clear-headed. When you…