LIFE CHANGES
Hello readers!
Welcome to my first official “blog post!” I have written many blogs over the years, but they have always been related to travel. My posts were usually a re-telling of fun, exciting, sometimes disastrous adventures while travelling around the world with friends, family, or by myself. Here, I hope to be able to invite you into my life – to share stories, thoughts, and feelings as I go through the peaks and valleys of my musical career, marriage, maternity (and soon, motherhood).
Life has changed a great deal for me in the past 3 years. I got married to the love of my life, Spencer in 2018, one month later I lost my mom to cancer, the musical project that I was part of, “Leaving Thomas” came to an end in 2020, and Spencer and I are expecting our first baby to arrive in July, 2021. Oh, and then of course, COVID - something none of us could’ve predicted!
I have been thinking a lot about change over the past week. Winter continues to melt away (literally) and the hours of daylight I get to enjoy increase steadily each day. The winter has felt bleak, dark, and sometimes lonely for me. My regular winter vacation to somewhere warm obviously didn’t happen this year, so this season has felt longer than usual for me. (I can’t explain to you how much I hate winter. Truly, I despise it.) But I went for a walk today and took a moment to appreciate the sun shining on my face for a full hour. The warm wind was rustling my hair (because for once, I wasn’t bundled up with a toque, scarf, and parka on) and it was absolutely glorious. It would be an understatement for me to say that I am ecstatic that spring is arriving in full force. I am already seeing little things that make my heart so happy like flowers blooming, kids jumping in puddles, and Spencer working away at building my dream deck (this definitely makes my heart the happiest and most excited…) Each year, I always think the season of spring feels like a new beginning! And for me, I feel it is appropriate that the next chapter in my career is also going to begin soon!
Over the past 3 years, I have been writing songs (most of them with Spencer and two very good friends and talented writers, Chris Yurchuck and Aaron Pollock). Songwriting has offered an outlet to cope with reality, celebrate the good things in life, and keep a musical record of the different seasons I’ve experienced - the highs, the lows, the joy, the sorrow, and everything in between. My first solo, full length album that will be released is going to have a total of 14 songs on it - all co-written by yours truly. My goal is that the album will take you on a musical journey through my life over the past few seasons, and also give you some insight into the thoughts and feelings I have now as my identity as a woman has evolved since my last solo release (at the age of 21). WOW! Times flies. I will not be releasing everything at once, but on May 7th, my first two songs off the record will be available and I truly cannot wait for you to hear them.
Music has always been a place of refuge for me. Songwriting, recording, and performing are three of my favourite things to do. Obviously, with COVID, performing is not on the books right now (which has been very difficult for me at times as I am always looking for opportunities to entertain…and believe it or not, “tiktok” just doesn’t satisfy that desire the same way a crowd full of real people, singing along to music I’ve written, while I play with a live band and sing at the top of my lungs does) so for now, I am happy to provide you with some new songs to enjoy. I am hoping that despite not being able to perform, by sharing these songs with you, I am able to connect with fans and friends again through music. In times such as these, it really is amazing that I can create music, and with just a few steps (that require lots of hard work, dedication, and talent from an entire team!), I can share it with the world.
As a listener to music, albums always gave me the ability to escape the world around me. My reality was usually a pleasant one, but there was something about listening to an album that still takes me to a different place entirely. I now know that music is a gift not only for the consumer but the creator as well!
As I enter my third trimester (eek!) and begin to release this musical project to the world, I am embracing the life changes coming my way. I know that life will continue to change (even just seeing the changes in my body over the past few weeks have been pretty crazy), but I’m trying to embrace it and recognize that change is a good thing – it forces us to grow, adapt, and experience new adventures and challenges that we would never have the chance to enjoy if we always stayed within our comfort zone. (And yes, I do think it’s important to not only accept challenges, but to try to ENJOY them as well.)
So I’m raising my metaphorical glass, (filled with a non-alcoholic beverage, of course) and saying CHEERS to the past, the creation of new life (in both music and human form), and new adventures (and sunny days) ahead!
