the buried life.

There is so much to talk about right now, but for the moment- why don't we all just stop and smell the flowers for a while, little lambs? Today I want to know one thing....

What's on your Bucket List? So much time goes into what is "expected"...What everyone is "supposed" to do with their life, when the real question is; What do you want to do with your life? 

So often we forget how limited our time really is on this little ball of fun...life tends to go by in a blink. 

 I think it was the great philosopher, Ferris Bueller that said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Today, in honor of a lovely friend, who at the present moment is in ICU in Barcelona, Spain while she, her parents, the incredible medical staff, and her family and friends back here in the states, fight for her to get well and fulfill her own bucket list- (Check out Anne's story here...

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/annemahlum

She's an amazing girl, who needs all the support she can get)

I dare you to ask yourself, what do you REALLY want to do before you die? Let your heart do the talking and dare it to look inside and ignite a fire to live your life's passions. If you need a little help, take a look at these cats- The boys of THE BURIED LIFE ...Their show is a hit on MTV (and a personal favorite of mine) and they've devoted themselves to fulfilling their bucket lists, living their buried lives...The name of the show is taken from one of the most amazing poems I've ever read, "The Buried Life" by Matthew Arnold, here is an excerpt;

But often, in the world's most crowded streets,
But often, in the din of strife,
There rises an unspeakable desire
After the knowledge of our buried life;
A thirst to spend our fire and restless force
In tracking out our true, original course;                        50
A longing to inquire
Into the mystery of this heart which beats
So wild, so deep in us--to know
Whence our lives come and where they go.

So that's the question of the day... What do you want to do before your kick it?

Think long and hard, doves. Talk soon!

xoxo - j.

Week 1 or "We'll decide how smart you are in a few months"

Tomorrow I celebrate one week anniversary in Indiana. I'm finally in a healthy relationship. I know, I know- save your applause for the end of this presentation.

Indiana is really lovely. That's the best adjective I can use at the moment. My family is so funny and awesome and crazy. They've welcomed me with open arms and we literally have not stopped laughing since I got here! There are so many things to tell....let's do a rundown:

My aunt Judy, is a nut. She was the first fam I saw at my arrival. She was soooo excited to see me and immediately wanted to give me a tour of my cousins' house and then of the city. My house tour consisted of showing me my bedroom. and that was it. Two days ago, my cousin Jessica finished giving me the house tour Aunt Judy forgot about 5 minutes in. :) Oh, and I'm still waiting on the city tour...we're about to start putting money on how long it takes her to remember about the city tour time forgot(even though I've pretty much figured out where everything is already...). I absolutely adore being able to spend so much time with my cousins and their kids. Steve and Jessica are hilarious and it's been so nice to start developing this adult/ family relationship. Jessica and I have really started bonding and it's been really nice to feel like I not only have my family around, but a friend as well. Steve and Jessica's kids are OOC. I'm slightly obsessed;

Garrett is in 4th grade and your typical boy; he plays pee-wee football (Go Vikings!) and he loves action figures and video games (I totally whooped him in Madden '08 the other day. I'm pretty sure he let me win though). There is one thing that sets young G apart from other boys- he hates almost all food....seriously. The only things he will eat are spaghetti, chicken nuggets, pizza, and tostitos lime chips. That's it. I'm positive he would like a lot more- but he hates all food except the aforementioned purely out of principle now. He's like an old man extremely set in his ways.

Ava is in second grade and is such a hoot. She plays soccer (Viva Italia!) and loves dress up and Polly Pocket and shopping (We're planning a girls only shopping excursion as we speak). To put it mildly, this is Ava's world and I'm just living in it. She speaks her mind and is not afraid to do anything to make any situation go her way. She's sweet as she can be though.

AnnaKate is the baby. She just turned 1 in June. She's the weirdest baby I've ever met. She talks constantly, like the girl doesn't shut up. and she always wants to be held, but as soon as you pick her up, she wants down. The two words she really knows are "Up" and "Mom" and says them 100 times a day. She laughs all the time which is such a joy as there's not much better then laughing baby. Oh and she's a human vacuum.

So far this week, I've been shopping (naturally)- H&M has never treated me so well....It was quiet and clean and well stocked and amazing. Of course I went a little nuts, but nothing like the damage I normally do (aren't you proud?). I've sampled the local cuisine- aka- Paradise Bakery (Don't worry, it's definitely a chain, but my parents talk about it all the time and are obsessed with it and so I felt the pressure to go- FYI- it tastes pretty much like Panera) oh, and I went to my favorite Mexi spot- Chipotle. Ugggghhhhh, I love it. There aren't even words to describe the pure happiness I felt when walking into the restaurant. I'm such a nerd. I've also been planning a few foodie trips around the city to some places I've seen on the travel channel...stay tuned for a total foodie post.

I've been to the local watering hole (to be discussed in another post- it's just too good). And I've done a lot of driving and a lot of thinking. I really do like it here with one exception, one which I might add I'm totally working on/ dealing with. Friends. I miss my friends and would like to hang out with some peeps who are around my age. Jessica has been totally been my saving grace in this area, she's been plotting away at all the "cool, young, hip" places she's going to take me in the next few weeks, so I'm pumped about that. Oh and I've joined the local gym, I totally walked in today and was taken a back by the view (wink, wink.) I think I'm going to like this gym and all the new friends I will be sure to meet there...ha ha ha ha.

Well, I think that's really all I have for now. I hope life is treating you well wherever you are and that the quickly approaching fall is sending cool breezes your way.

Oh man, it's music time- This is what I've been listening to in Indiana- These are mostly whole albums....

All Birds Say - Carl Broemel- Carl is the guitarist for My Morning Jacket and this is his first solo endeavor. And it's delightful. "Heaven Knows" is my fave track but the whole album is like the beginning of fall. Such a nice surprise when it finds you.

Love To Live - The Living Sisters- The harmonies will blow you away and the lyrics are hilarious and sassy. The Living Sisters consist of Inara George of The Bird & The Bee, Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, and Eleni Mandell, a solo folk artist. If you like She & Him, you will definitely like The Living Sisters.

Kaleidoscope Heart- Sara Bareilles- I absolutely adore this cd. I actually stopped in Nashville on my way up here to find it. I think it's better than her first album. It's pure piano pop and it's awesome.

Other Albums worth the listen:

A Brief History of Love- The Big Pink

I Learned The Hard Way- Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Volume 2 - She & Him

** These are just songs**

A Fool For You- Ray Charles. I love Ray Charles and I love this song. There's really no point in trying to describe genius. Just listen.

Come Here My Love- Van Morrison. Holy Moly. This is the most romantic, enchanting, seductive song I think I've ever heard. It's from the album Veedon Fleece- you can't get it on iTunes, you can get it on Amazon.com and do yourself a favor and buy it. Ignite a new a flame or rekindle a fire with this bad boy.

Runaway- The National. Oh my gosh, I just love Matt Berninger's voice. I saw them live at Bonnaroo this year and they were amazing, and I'm going to see them in a few weeks up here and I can't wait. This song is one of my faves from their latest cd- High Violet.

K, Love you bye.

-j.

If you don't get lost, there's a chance you may never get found..."

So I've been distant. I know I know, I feel bad about it too, but a lot has happened lately. I've changed directions...scratch that, I've changed locations. Indianapolis to be exact. I've decided a change is gonna come- a change needed to come- a change has come. I've left the place most comfortable in my world for a place that couldn't be more different, but really everywhere is the same ball of HUH?!? when you're are trying to find yourself. So this little blog is going to chronicle this new place now. I hope you enjoy my crazy life as much as I do....

Day 1. September 6, 2010. Birmingham to Indiana= Diving into the unknown. head first. without a life vest. or a clue. oh well.....

I started my journey at 6:30 am. Saying goodbye to Birmingham didn't feel any different- I've done it many a time before- until I started driving North instead of South....Oh- that felt odd. Got lost trying to find the interstate- I think I was subconsciously trying to run from running....psshh not really, I think I just didn't pay attention to the directions. Another offset about the beginning:

RULE #1 (About road trips & soul searching):

SCARY GAS STATIONS ARE JUST AS SCARY AT 7:15 IN THE MORNING.

And why do all products taste YUCKY (and by yucky I mean barf inducing) at scary gas stations. You would think they would at least make sure their drinks and assorted snack foods were extra delicious to compensate for the fear....wrong.

So here I am, heading north, wondering about what is actually going to be in store for me on the journey.

Here is a run down of the states I traveled through...

ALABAMA:

The first half of the state was MIZZZZZZZZ. More traffic than I'm pretty sure I've ever witnessed in a million years of driving that route. North Alabama was just lovely- It was early morning and barely a soul on the road- Until I tried to take pictures while driving and then of course it was Semi- City. Not cool, you big dopey 18 wheelers! It isn't enough that I'm terrified of you people when I'm driving responsibly- why creep up on me when I'm recklessly swerving on I-65, trying to snap a pic of 2 billboards, side by side that said:

1st sign:

"HELL IS REAL."

2nd sign (right beside #1):

"SHOWGIRLS CABARET! TRUCK PARKING! DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS!"

That's good stuff right there.

TENNESSEE:

Are you from Tennessee, cause you're the only TEN-I-SEE... Of course the favorite state to be in is the one that always passes by the fastest...isn't that life, though? I Love Tennessee. I think it's because we're so a like...

- High Peaks & Low Valleys

- A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY, A LITTLE BIT ROCK N' ROLL.

- Broken hearts, but the joy that always stays with you because you know you had "it", even if it was for but a moment.

- An excessive love of rhinestones and adornments (3 CHEERS FOR A MAGPIE!!!)

- The love & adoration of beautiful men. You can't swing a dick in the state of Tennessee without running into a beautiful man.

- AN OVER ABUNDANCE OF BOOTS. NATURALLY.

....Sometimes I think I could stay there for real.

On to- UNLUCKY (kind of) IN KENTUCKY:

Kentucky: So, the one good thing about Kentucky- I passed the BIGGEST "Adult Gift Store" I have ever seen. It was the size of the Macy's flagship store in Herald Square in NYC. No lie.

The only thing one thinks of when one sees a structure such as this, is most eloquently put by my friend Lacey;

"I BET YOU CAN FIND ALL SORTS OF GOODIES IN A SEX SHOP THE SIZE OF A WALMART SUPERCENTER. REAL FREAKY SHIT."

you took the words right out of my mouth.

WORST PART OF KENTUCKY: SPAGHETTI JUNCTION, LOUISVILLE KY.

I'm not sure I can adequately describe the roads (Narrow, run down, every every 15 feet is a 5 foot crater...errr, I mean pothole) or the drivers (You are either the tortoise or the hare and neither of you can drive worth a hot shit. If you fall into neither category- as I do- just go ahead and consider running your car off the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge on your way out of town.)

Oh, and they they call it Spaghetti Junction for a reason. The roads twist and turn so much that- yep- you guessed it- it'a look'a like a big bowl'a pasta...I might petition for Louisville to be renamed CARB CITY. Imagine?

**NOW LEAVING CARB CITY: TAKE THE 5 LBS. YOU GAINED FROM STRESS EATING ON SPAGHETTI JUNCTION WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO....**

INDIANA: Destination state reached. Indiana is the state of farms, and fields, and old barns, and fields, and farms, and old barns...and there's sort of these random cities dotted through the state, almost like they were plucked from obscurity elsewhere and just dropped in the middle of a field. in Indiana.

So that's the ride up. Pretty uneventful, yet a totally random (and great) experience, I will never forget. I can officially cross of my bucket list: Solo road trip. done and done.

Of course you don't think I would leave you without a little Americana Playlist, do you? Never! These little gems were played at random on shuffle during my time on the road....

1. Big Country- Bela Fleck & the Flecktones

2. I Cut Like A Buffalo- The Dead Weather

3. Blindsided- Bon Iver

4. Atlantic City- Bruce Springsteen version

5. Home- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

6. Silver Springs- Fleetwood Mac

7. Holding On- David Gray

8. The Woman For Me- Raylund Baxter

9. Now That You're Gone- Ryan Adams

10. Kiss The Bottle- Lucero

11. Wedding Bells- Lissie

12. Double Knots- Living Sisters

13. Mama, You Been On My Mind- Jeff Buckley

14. Fader- Temper Trap

15. Countdown- Phoenix

More to come on my (mis)adventures. Until next time-

xoxo. j.