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 won’t disappoint!) But away from all that, there’s a quiet, safe, open-minded, artists’ haven where we make music for enjoyment and help each other find wellness through compassion and connection. I’m so grateful to have discovered this crew and been welcomed in.

When I started my big “no-home” adventure at the beginning of the year, I knew Nashville had to be on the list. I called it “home” for the month of February, meaning I flew round-trip from Nash for gigs every weekend. This gave me the chance to spend my off-days immersed in the community that I’ve grown to love so much.

The decision to travel full-time was the biggest one I’ve faced in recent memory, and a good example of a lot of my decision-making practices in action. I hit a crossroads late last year deciding where home was going to be, and I was feeling very lost. I had made the decision to leave my current home, but no new option was stepping forward.

When it comes to larger, difficult decisions like this, I’ve found that an “Option C” always seems to present itself, but only if I wait. After a scary, torturous, confusing amount of time, a far-fetched option slowly bubbles its way into my consciousness. In many cases, life doesn’t steer me in one direction or another, it helps me ask a completely new question.

Here’s how I figured this one out: I started with taking some deep breaths and reminding myself that I was at the dawn of a new adventure and that “scary” is often a good thing. (A theme in my life. More to come.) Then I added a healthy dose of gratitude: I am able to independently decide where I want to live and have an amazing career that allows me to live anywhere. Whoa.

With these thoughts in mind, I began making a list of criteria to be found in a home, and the top of the list was the community: a group of people to feel both nurtured and inspired by. In appreciating the crew I’ve found in Nashville, I widened my gaze to feel the love and inspiration of my many other communities. My dear, lifelong friends in Traverse City, where I had just left. The pockets of “framily” I feel all over my home state of Michigan. Wider still… Kansas City, upstate New York, Colorado, New England, northern California, Ireland… the list goes on. They are my great friends and truly my family. We’d do anything for each other, and have. I was overcome with gratitude, and crazy Option C began to reveal itself.

I didn’t need a physical home. In fact, relieving myself of the responsibilities of a physical home made me feel alive and empowered. I felt buzzed! This was my year to spend my “home time” with my global tribe. It was an option that would seem totally crazy to most, but I had uncovered my truth.

I’ve recognized this Option C phenomenon in friends when they find themselves asking bigger life questions: “Do we move here, or here?” When it was the person he/she was moving with that was the issue. “I can’t decide between this job, or that job.” Maybe the whole career is to be reconsidered. 

I tell myself this: “When in doubt, wait. I need more information.” So then I ask: where could I get this new information and how long could I wait? Continually assessing: what will make me happiest? Sometimes I’m too quick to make decisions because I’m desperate for certainty, and that’s usually when perfectionist Diana really wishes she had waited. Option C almost always shows up, but usually after a challenging amount of time. It’s scary, and requires a lot of trust. My aim is not to “make a big decision,” but rather wait and be open-minded enough for the truest option to present itself, no matter how crazy it may seem. This is the process that offers me certainty in the end. In this case, rather than asking “where will home be?” I began to ask: “Do I need a home?”  

This is a personal theory, so I’m curious: has there been a “crazy” option in your life that presented itself eventually? Or maybe one that’s in your subconscious waiting for you to act on it?

My next posts from Nashville will include hacks for battling the uncertainty of travel, a feature of an amazing photo shoot with Sean Fisher (teaser above), and a Nashville “Local’s List” of my favorite local spots.

Talk soon, drriifters 💙🌏💨

Diana