Firefly

In my drafts folder I discovered this unpublished blog post from last summer documenting Firefly music festival. I can't believe this was a year ago! Four days of music definitely had it's ups and downs. The days were long and hot, but the music was so good! Among my top were some of my old school favorites like Weezer and Third Eye Blind. Of course, I also enjoyed bands I had only heard a couple songs by that totally rocked it — Cage the Elephant, Young the Giant, City and Colour and of course the major headliners: the Lumineers, Imagine Dragons, Outkast and the Foo Fighters. I've been to camping music festivals before and this time around I was determined to see as many bands as I could. When going with a big group, it's often hard to get everyone to agree on which bands to see, so I often found myself going off alone to sit in the back of bands like Ziggy Marley, Vance Joy and Shakey Graves. Music festivals are always a marathon of trying to see as much as you can while not getting too tired or dehydrated. While seeing bands alone, I would often put my backpack under my head, close my eyes and enjoy the music blaring from the speakers, taking these low-key performances as my breaks in between dancing and pushing my way through the crowds of the bigger shows.

Earlier this summer I went to the Gentleman of the Road stopover in Seaside Heights. A couple friends and I rented a houseboat through Airbnb complete with ocean kayaks (we crammed four people into two one-person kayaks). Over two days we saw the Alabama Shakes, Jenny Lewis, the Flaming Lips, and Mumford and Sons. The stage was set up right on the beach and it was the perfect venue to be able to dance around in the sand and look up to see all the rides just beyond the stage. Up next? Made in America right here in Philadelphia next weekend and after that I'm headed to Washington, D.C. for Landmark Music Festival!

I'm back!

Well, I'm back! This morning when I was looking through my pictures for a #tbt, I realized how little I've documented over the past year. When I was regularly keeping a blog, it reminded me to take pictures and make mental notes of my surroundings. 

I stopped blogging when my life was in a period of flux - I had just graduated from college, packed up my life and moved to West Philly to look for a job while subletting. I felt completely alone in a new city, though I had friends and family here. It was a summer of waiting - to hear back from employers, to find an apartment, to actually move. I ended up taking a job where I wasn't happy, just so I wouldn't burn through all my savings. It is hard to write and reflect in such a period of uncertainty. In the last year I have moved in with my best friend (our third city living in together), quit the job I hated for one that I love, started creating again, fallen deeper in love, and gotten to intimately know a city that once seemed so foreign. 

I am still in a period of flux, I'm beginning to understand that this feeling might never go away, but this time the uncertainty about the future exciting! In addition to making a big change about my future plans, I have a couple music festivals, creative endeavors and travel goals coming up!

I have tried as best I can to try to put up pictures that show what I've done this last year - exploring Philadelphia, lots of camping, concerts, and travel. The next couple posts will be a combination of new updates and catching up on past adventures, I hope you'll stay tuned!

Magic

Time is flying by at a speed I can't even comprehend. It seems that every time I reference time it seems further and further away. Graduation, moving to Philly...when did it go from last week to almost last month? These photos are from a week and a half ago when my brother and I rode our bikes to the breathtaking Philly Magic Gardens...seriously, one of the coolest places Philly has to offer.

This past week Ella and I went to see the badass Swedish sisters behind First Aid Kit. Those girls seriously rocked it. Between their 70s vibes, great music, and etherial set - it was such a fantastic show! This was followed by a perfect weekend with my boyfriend where we ended up getting lost in rural PA, trekking through suburban backyards, laughing over rest stop cheesesteaks, playing mini golf, and cruising with the windows down. We spent a lazy sunday morning making blueberry vegan pancakes. Though I couldn't physically be with my dad, I took this Father's Day to truly appreciate all the opportunities he's given me, from my education to daily advice, he's one of the most important figures in my life. As a truly self-made man, I still idolize him for all of his great qualities and honestly, just for being a great dad. Happy father's day to all the dad's out there!

No Sleep Til Brooklyn

Forever 21 Skirt, Urban Outfitters purse, Target boots

I bought this 'No Sleep Til Brooklyn' shirt from a little shop near my apartment right before I moved out of Brooklyn. Though I'm not the biggest Beastie Boys fan, I do like having something that links me back there. A couple years ago my mother gave me a Hoboken shirt from when she lived there after college. I like the idea of being able to pass along a place of being.

Last night Francesca came over for a vegan dinner (part of my attempt at good habits). We went for a little walk around the neighborhood and snapped these photos at an old church down the street. The air was thick with warmth and the smell of lilac as we walked along a street lined with big, old houses. The area of Philly that I'm living in is an interesting mix between urban and suburban.

Always Sunny

Greetings from Philadelphia! It has been a crazy two weeks. I graduated from NYU, first at Radio City and then at Yankee Stadium. I was so proud and fortunate to have my friends, boyfriend, and family there to support me. My last couple days in New York were spent hanging out on rooftops and celebrating graduation alongside friends. The stress and fear surrounding packing and moving to a new city was dwarfed by the joy and hopefulness that new adventures bring. Don't get me wrong there were tears (of both frustration and sadness), but in hindsight those emotions weren't as powerful as the joys of graduation and the excitement of moving away from my college stomping ground to somewhere I can start fresh. Since I've been here I've explored my new neighborhood both on foot and on my new bike! Last night I went to see Luke Bryan with my love. That man is one heck of a performer! My boyfriend and I were swaying from side to side while watching Luke's (yes, we're on first name basis) antics unfold. With the beautiful night and songs about sunny days and drinking beer, it was the perfect start to the summer. While I'm currently unsure of what the future holds, I know the warm weather will bring good things along with it!