ACL - Recap

 It's never like it was before, but it's always one of my favorite weekends of the year.  Yes, I'm talking about Austin City Limits Festival.  Back in 2005 my friend Jen and I boarded a plane to what could possibly be the hottest and grossest weekend I'd ever had in my life.  I proclaimed Texas was the worst state ever, and I'd never go back.  Well, here I am.  Living in and loving Austin.  So be careful what you say!  

So here we go again!  

Some of my favorite moments:

• "Your group of friends is like a sitcom"
• "I think if you're hanging with Anthony you should start wearing protective gear"
• "Wait, what happened to your knee?"
• "Wait, is that a flip phone?"
• "I've already had a shot of whiskey and a beer... is that ok?"
• Murder Road
• Innovative bathroom situations
• "I'm to the left of the cactus' on sticks.  Come find me."
• Nicole's backup shoes.
• Game changers.
• Everything Avicci, Ben Howard, Bassnecter, Two Door Cinema Club and RHCP.
• Barefoot in the mud.  For two days.
• "There are 80k people here.  I like 12 of them."
• No cell service.  Ever.
• Imperial.  It's the only time of the year I drink it.
• Glow bracelets and rockstar glasses.
• Charging my rockstar glasses - it made total sense.  I swear.
• "This is my friend, Soy Sauce - but his parents call him Mike"
• "Anna is like my battery charger"
• "If it's after 8, text me on this number."

Lessons learned:

• This festival will never get old, but I slowly am...
• Always be prepared, with Michigan ponchos.
• RHCP have way more songs than I remembered.
• Even the best made plans can't plan for fences spontaneously being erected.
• Only surround yourself with amazing people - it makes the heat, the rain, the mud and the expensive beers worth it.  
• Music is still my religion.

ACL Fest - Jeffy Jeff and the Fun Bunch!

Thank you to all my amazing friends who made this weekend incredible.  I'm going to bed now.  Until Wednesday.  

Traditions

Pre-ACL show at ACL Live

4th ACL with this little fun-ness

Love this weekend!

Throw down $40 and parlay this!

I’ve made some ballsy moves in my life – and in nearly every instance, the outcome has been better than I imagined – but I still wouldn’t consider myself a spontaneous person.  At least not until this past Friday, anyway. All thanks to the interwebs, I realized that I had a few friends that would be in Las Vegas over the weekend.  I’m not talking about random acquaintances, but those friends whom I love like some kind of fierce. 

How could I possibly pass up on a chance to see all of these faces I adore, in one place?  I mean when else will your best friend from Austin, one of your closest friends from college, your first friend from Austin, the little brother you wish you had and the handsome Wolverine you met in a beer line in Philadelphia… all be in one place?

“Just do it.”  “You’re only young once.” “Bring it.”  “What do you have to lose?”

So I booked it – at 2pm - and was on a plane 5 hours later. 

Worlds literally collided. College friends, Austin friends, work friends, Cali friends and Las Vegas all together. Each of them came into my life at a separate time and under completely different circumstances.  Most of them have never met one another, and probably never would have had I not embraced my spirit of adventure – but it was as if we’d all been together all along. 

As I boarded the flight back home to Austin this morning – I smiled at the memories I share with each of them individually.  With these friends, I’ve drank far too many $1 Long Islands at Scorekeepers and share a love of all things Wolverines.  We’ve boated in the Pacific, floated on rafts off of Mykonos, Greece only to swim back to shore and see a bottle Corona be violated.  We’ve crushed bud lights, got in the zone and danced like silly fools to some of our favorite bands.  Together we’ve welcomed babies and said goodbye to parents.  We’ve raced down mountains and walked through Rome.   We’ve seen that it isn’t always sunny in Philadelphia.  We’ve discerned that fish do masturbate and that even a stopped train between us and our beds isn’t actually an obstacle.   They've helped me train for marathons, picked me up, hug me hard and always seem to know what to say.

I have so much gratitude for the people in my life – and am so incredibly grateful to all who made this past weekend ridiculously awesome.  Thanks for adding to the memories - I heart y’all so damn hard!

Lesson(s) Learned: 

·      The people in your life are a reflection of you – what do you see?

·      It doesn’t matter where you live, the ones that matter will always be there, in the moment you’re together it’ll feel like a second hasn’t passed.

·      Big risks can yield big rewards.

·      “No meat”, actually means no meat.

·      Plans aren’t always necessary.

·      WV +7
·      Enunciate better with fives and nines
·      I am lucky.  And I’m loved.

Madness

Because I'm really digging this song - and it's rock meets electronic sound.

89 Songs from 89 bands... to Honor one Dear Friend

Friends-

It was about this time two years ago I had the honor of meeting Jeff Bock.  Jeff and I shared a love of college football, ice cold beer and music.  His passion was music - he blogged, he DJ'd, he'd map out his ACL and SXSW schedules with detail that this spreadsheet loving lady adored and every month he'd send his friends, blog-followers and fellow music lovers a mix-tape.  His passion for music nearly matched the strength of his hugs and contagious smile.  

Standing in a crowded room of people whose lives Jeff had touched... we tearfully said goodbye to our dear friend back in May.  

I had an idea to continue Jeff's tradition of making an ACL Mix with songs from (almost) every band - I approached Ben, Jeff's dear friend and partner in mix-tape making, music blogging and DJing crime to see what he thought.  In.  Knowing how many bands were on the roster, we asked Lindsay to help - she knew Bock and shared his passion for music.  About 2 months back Ben, Lindsay and I broke out the lineup and divided and conquered - listening to each and every band at this years festival.  

To honor our dear friend, his passion and this little festival in Austin, Texas that we all love... we present to you our ACL 2012 mix -  for a limited time, download this zip of 89 songs from 89 bands, handpicked for your listening pleasure.  (Shoot me an email and I'll happily send you the link for download).

Much much love!

Anna

Miss you, Bock!

Make the most of what you got!

Perfect song to compliment the last two posts.  The message is amazing.

Disclaimer:  If you hate music, or hate Dave Matthews ... you can start at 2:56 on this, since it's all music up to that point.  And if you do hate music or Dave Matthews, we should probably reconsider our friendship.

Don't ever lose sight...

The baskets on my bookshelf tend to be a collection receptacle for the random small things in my life that if left unattended would just get shuffled around - the basket becomes their home, until a permanent home can be found, or they find their way to the trash.   While I fancy myself a pretty tidy and clean person - I mean, I do make my bed nearly every morning - these baskets are an exception.  They are my junk drawers.  Only at my house, the "junk" ranges from iphone chargers to passports to concert tickets to bills that need to be filled.  Getting the urge to go through these usually takes me getting to a place in my life that's a bit unsettling - either I'm emotional or stressed, or just have anxiety.

This time, I was a little bit of everything - but probably more emotional - I needed some kind of comfort and solace.  Tricky, right?  One thing I know for sure, there are not coincidences - everything DOES happen for a reason.  What I came across whilst attacking those baskets was exactly what I needed to see, and exactly the words I needed to read.  My last post was about if I could go back in time and tell 4-year old me a thing or two... right after I came across that picture...I came across this card.  And just like that... the past was coming to me to tell ME a thing or two.  My mom randomly sends me cards, which I love - the message on this one was perfect for what I was thinking in those moments.  And I know we all find ourselves in these moments, so it's worth sharing.

Perfect timing.  Always.  Trust it.

Dear 4-year old Me:

In moments where chaos seems to be the general energy around me, I tend to clean or organize.  I guess it’s my minds way of finding calmness and peace.  Last week, finding myself in one of those moments, I tackled my bookshelf and the three baskets that live on it.  In one of those baskets, I came across a the innocence of this smiling face.  

I sat there, staring at her rosy cheeks and big smile and started to think about all of the things I would tell her if I could go back in time…

·      Stop furrowing your brow, it takes away from the joy in your smile.

·      Travel every chance you get – the lessons you learn from other people, other cultures and the history of streets you walk on are far more profound than any lecture you’ll sit through.

·      Don’t be upset when someone teases you for having glasses, soon enough they’ll have to wear them too.

·      Relish in your childhood – responsibilities are overrated.

·      Don’t be afraid to be hurt because in those moments you gain strength and appreciation.

·      Laugh.  Often.  And loudly.  Others will see your joy and be drawn to your energy.

·      Smile at children.  Smile at old people.  Just smile.  Even when it seems like you can’t or shouldn’t, smiling brings happiness to your heart.

·      Be grateful every day.  For the people in your life, for the experiences and adventures you’ve been afforded.

·      Don’t be afraid to fail. 

·      Know yourself well and be comfortable and confident in who you are.

·      Listen to music – all kinds of it – it speaks to you in different ways.

·      Do things out of joy, and not obligation.

·      Find the things you’re passionate about, and go after them.

·      People treat you how you allow them to treat you – be cognizant of how you want to be treated – and set the bar high.  You’ll be glad you did.

·      If you’re curious about something, and in a safe environment, proceed with no regrets. 

·      Always assume the good in people.  Forgive quickly, resentment only hurts you.

·      Forgive yourself.  Every step, every decision whether good or bad is part of your journey.

·      Be as kind to yourself as you would be a stranger or your best friend.

·      Surround yourself with people who love you, encourage and support you and make you want to be a better person.  Remember, this is a two-way street, with intersections – and the cast will change as you grow.

·      Love fiercely.  Even when “rules” say otherwise. 

·      Be authentically you – there is no one else quite like you.  By being authentic, you attract authenticity.

·      Trust – trust the timing, the plan, the path and the purpose. 

·      Check in with your heart – your heart will always tell you what you need to hear or see.  Don’t worry, you’ll know when your heart is on-board.  It’s calm and you can feel it smiling from the inside out.  But be warned – sometimes you have to stop to actually feel that.

·      Take care of yourself and make time for yourself.

·      Be at peace in the quiet moments.

·      Don’t worry about things you cannot change.

·      If they mean something to you, tell them – you’ll never know when it’s the last moment you have with them. 

·      Find purpose.  Find passion.  Pursue them both.  Everyday.

Then I stop myself and smile, thinking… ahhh… but aren’t these messages something that the 33-year old me has enjoyed discovering?  Would I be doing the 4-year old me a disservice by cluing her in to the future and potentially changing her path.  At any rate, it was fun to think about… because I’m fairly certain the 33-year old me needed to hear each of those again.

So… what would you tell your younger you?