why I love the road ✦
There's something about a long open highway that makes everything feel possible. Windows down, a good playlist rolling, the world stretching out ahead of you — that's freedom.
Road trips taught me that the journey really is the destination. Every mile has a story.
dream roads to drive ✦
- Route 66 end to end
- Pacific Coast Highway, California
- Big Bend, Texas at golden hour
- Blue Ridge Parkway in autumn
- Overseas Highway, Florida Keys
the perfect road trip playlist ✦
I love so much music. I can't even make a perfect playlist here. But I do love the classics, something that really fits the mood of the trip, like Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver when exploring the mountains, Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd on open highways. Or Beachin' by Jake Owens with some Jimmy Buffett for beach trips.
a road trip memory ✦
My favorite road trip memory is our Appalachian road trip. We made stops in LA, MS, AL, and TN to explore hiking, food, waterfalls, Dollywood, Anakeesta, the Smokey Mts. It was a wonderful adventure of scenery, laughs, park rides, treetop trails, off-roading in Jeeps, and bears!
Second best is probably the roadtrip to CO, staying in a local mountain lodge in a hallmark style town, exploring Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, and climbing Manitou Springs. That was one steep climb up but so fun! And the hike down Barrs trail is beautiful- esp in late Fall. 🌅
about this shrine ✦
As a songwriter, there are songs that stop me in my tracks — lyrics so true, melodies so perfect, that I feel them in my bones. These are the songs I hope to write at the level of one day. They inspire me to keep writing, keep feeling, keep reaching.
Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp✦
"Oh yeah, life goes on. Long after the thrill of living is gone. "
There's something about this song that will just take you back to being 17 with your whole life in front of you. I love this song.
I Feel Lucky - Mary Chapin Carpenter✦
“The moral of this story, it’s simple but it’s true. Hey the stars might lie but the numbers never do. I feel lucky.”
I love this whole song. It's one of my Top 5. It's witty. It's hopeful. It's fun and fun to sing with. I would love to write more like this.
Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton✦
"I'm barely getting through tomorrow, but still I won't let my sorrow bring me way down"
I've got to give Dolly her flowers. A life long songwriter who has graced us with many hit songs and one of the jolliest souls too. Hard Candy Christmas is probably my favorite.
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd✦
"If I leave here tomorrow. Would you still remember me? For I must be traveling on, now. Cause there’s too many places I’ve got to see."
When I heard it on Freemont street in Vegas with all the graphics zooming the canopy, it introduced a whole experience. This song resonates with the free-spirited parts of me.
what makes a song transcendent? ✦
Transcendent songs aren't perfection. They're truth - a deeply human one, past the fad and wit of today. It's a truth that resonates with the soul of its time, and still 50 years later, it's just as true and deeply resonating to a different generation. Every songwriter would love to be a part of that.
why I love all things vintage ✦
There's a warmth to old things that modern life can't replicate. The grain of a film photo, the crackle of a vinyl record, the curves of a '57 Chevy — it all feels more human somehow. More intentional.
Vintage isn't just an aesthetic to me — it's a feeling. Slower, warmer, realer.
vintage things I adore ✦
- Classic American muscle cars
- Film cameras & polaroids
- Vinyl records
- Drive-in movie theaters
- Old diners with jukeboxes
- Vintage postcards
era I wish I could visit ✦
I would like to visit the 1950-60s, briefly, just to see what that time was like - when drive ins, vintage diners and cars were the norm. I would have a burger, a shake, and watch a drive in movie. 🎞️
vintage finds & treasures ✦
My vinyl record collection is probably the most vintage thing I own. 🕰️
a love letter to love itself ✦
Love is the thread that runs through every lyric, interaction, memory, and connection. Not just romantic love — but the love between friends, family, strangers, the world, and even within ourselves.
Connection is what makes us human. And music is a direct line between one heart and another.
love languages ✦
- Great company, food, and conversation
- Laughter over shared moments
- The memories that warm and recharge my soul
people I'm grateful for ✦
K who keeps me laughing with a witty perspective on life and situations. E who is probably the most wholesome, loyal, supportive person I know. My aunt who has a sunny spirit, gives the best hugs, unconditional love, and has the best laugh. I'm blessed with so many great people. It's impossible to capture them all here! 🌹
songs about love I return to ✦
- Faithfully - Journey
- I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner
- This Kind of Love - Sister Hazel
- (Everything I do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams
Again, so many songs can go here. But here's some timeless romantic ones from the top of my head.
a quote about love ✦
“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride.” — Pablo Neruda 🌹
love as a songwriter ✦
I think nearly all songs are ultimately about love in all its formats - romance, God, friends, family, pets, self, life, events, memories, the exploration of it, and the loss of it too. If I'm telling a story with connection, it's influenced by love.💕