Summer Music: Get Downloading!

Clearly, I have not been very good at maintaining a blog since starting graduate school, but I recently discovered (and rediscovered) a couple bands that I really need to share with you. Most of these finds have been through NoiseTrade, which has been my primary source of new music discoveries in the last few years.

1. Jordan Ruiz
(FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD HERE)
If you are remotely interested in bands like Bon Iver, Iron and Wine, or Josh Garrels, then you should DEFINITELY check out Jordan Ruiz. His music is beautiful, smooth, and calming without being boring - which in my opinion, is difficult to achieve. His new album, The Mountain, is a wonderful soundtrack to life: road trips, studying, reading a book, or just relaxing with friends. I highly encourage you download it today.

Be sure to check out his first album, Sundial Heart, which is available for free download as well!

2. Nickel Creek
(band website)
Sadly, this album is not free, but that's probably because it's selling like hotcakes without any extra publicity. Nickel Creek is an amazing Grammy-winning folk band that took a seven-year hiatus and finally came back into the scene in April. Their newest album, A Dotted Line, is upbeat, whimsical, and ironic all at once. Check out two of my favorite songs on this album below. And, go buy A Dotted Line!

3. Twin Forks
(FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD HERE)
Remember Dashboard Confessional? Of course you do. 

Well, the former lead singer of Dashboard Confessional has started a new band called Twin Forks. It has a folky, newgrass flare which is intertwined with a voice that will flood you with memories of breakups and power ballads (or maybe that's just me...). It took me a few listens to get used to, but I like it now, and I think it makes great summer driving music. Go ahead, download! It's free, what do you have to lose?

I hope you enjoy my music suggestions! Until next time, blogosphere.

H

Local Natives Concert

Here's a video from the Local Natives concert last night! The song is "You and I" from their newest album, Hummingbird.

Breathe It In

Here's a song written by my good friend, Robyn. Performed by the band Breathing Colors.

Tunes for Spring

As you can probably tell by my dwindling posts, school and work this semester have not given me much time or mental capacity to blog. But, I did want to send a little something your way in celebration of spring and the approach of summer! Here's a pretty cover of "Wrecking Ball" by Sarah Blackwood (from the band Walk Off the Earth) and friends. I believe you can still download this version for free here.

And...here's one more for the road! I have a crush on John Legend's voice, and you all know how I feel about Lindsey Stirling. :) Enjoy.

Phone Provider Survey

Please help settle a disagreement between my husband and me regarding which cell phone provider we should choose. Our current contract is ending soon, and we definitely want to leave our current company. I created this short survey to gather some feedback from others about their own phone experiences. It will only take about 2 minutes to complete: Phone Provider Survey. Thanks for your help!

My Mild Obsession: Lily & Madeleine on NPR

I Am Mountain

It has been a ridiculously long time since I posted on here! Clearly, my school brain does not have much room for fun writing. Sadly, fun reading has gone out the door as well. I suppose it should be just another motivator for finishing school as soon as possible. Fortunately, I am not yet at that point where I ask myself, "Why did I CHOOSE to go back to school?!" However, I have a feeling that sentiment might appear in the next couple months. :)

In a quick summary, school is good, work is good, and overall, life is good too! I was able to go home for Christmas, which was really nice, and now I'm just suffering through the bitter Midwestern cold. I don't think I need to expand on that.

Here's a song I want to share, called "I am Mountain" by the band Gungor. Enjoy!

Love,

H

Get this song for FREE here.

The Civil War[s]

If by some strange chance, you haven't heard of The Civil Wars, consider this your introduction. Maybe if you used to (or still do) listen to CCM, you are familiar with Joy Williams who represents half this band, but if you want to hear something with that same sound, this band is not for you.

In case you don't know, this pair has been feuding and the two haven't spoken in over a year...yet, they were still able to record this new album (oh, the wonders of technology). Anyway, if you're not familiar with The Civil Wars, you should go look up their first album, "Barton Hollow," because it's amazing. They were not fighting at that time, and their vocal chemistry is pretty awesome. I haven't listened to their new album in entirety yet, but what I've heard so far can be summed up by this review on iTunes: 

"...run through with riveting tension, enigmatic beauty, and smoldering emotion." 

Sounds like the perfect soundtrack for this transition to the dark, cold winter that approaches us. :)

Enjoy.
H

New Music Friday: Track 5

What?! She's posting again? That's three days in a row! 

You're welcome.

Can you tell I'm taking a break from all social media except blogging? It's an experiment in humility. You see, I was looking back on my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook feeds for the last...while, and I realized that almost everything I post is some form of bragging. Which is lame. I now try to ask myself the question: "Does anyone care?" before posting something on the internet. We'll see how long that lasts. Like most people, I really love myself. But for now, I am not signing in to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I hid the apps on my phone and removed the links from my bookmarks in attempt to remind myself of this, and I hope that will help stop me when the urge to post strikes. You may just find that my blog is blowing up, but I figure this is a lot more intentional than the other forms of social media. If you are visiting my blog, you must at least like me a little. ;)

With that said, here is my song of the day! It's by Andrew Belle, although it's somewhat reminiscent of early Coldplay (aka the best Coldplay). He just (or will soon) released a new album, and this is the single, "Pieces." A mi me gusta.

Download this song for free!

Ciao.

H

Sunrise

Did anyone else catch the sunrise today? I am loving the colors! I made myself late for work because I just had to run outside and take a picture. This is totally unedited. :)

Happiness >= Money?

I want to start out by saying that I am NOT trying to toot my own horn in this post, rather; I just need to get this off my chest.

It feels like I always take jobs in which no one knows what to do with me. I can’t tell if I am under-applying for positions or misunderstanding the job during the interview or maybe I’m just desperate, but I still don’t feel like I have found a “good” job. I realize that I’m only 25 and have been out of college for roughly four years, but why do I always end up in positions that come up lacking? Am I too much of an idealist? Am I not picky enough? Or am I just trying to make myself fit in with the “business culture” of which I really have no interest in joining?

Is it okay to just take a job you enjoy and not worry about money or title? I have always thought so, but now for some reason, I am starting to doubt this. Is happiness all that matters? Do I sound crazy for even asking that? Because here’s the thing: I am very happy in my current job. I love my schedule, my coworkers, and even the actual job duties. I just don’t love the pay and title. Honestly, friends, I have backtracked to my post-college days in those two areas, and it hasn’t bothered me too much until now.

For how long do you value experience over things like money and status? Is there a right answer? And why am I suddenly questioning my values?

Part of me thinks I will look back on this in 10 years and LMAO at the silliness of this question. I really hope I do.

H

And BOOM, now it's fall.

Hi friends.

I'm sorry it's been so long since I wrote on here. These last two months have been full of activity and change! I don't even really remember the month of August, except that I went on an amazing trip to Washington state to visit a lifelong friend and her husband. We had a wonderful time exploring all the neighborhoods in Seattle and then spent two days in Spokane, where they have been living for the past few years. We had great weather, ate interesting foods, and drank a good amount of coffee and alcohol (not together). :P It was unlike any trip I've taken before, because we didn't make any plans ahead of time and just played each day by ear. It was lovely. Here are a couple pictures from that trip.

Another piece of news from August is that we moved again! We're only living about 15 minutes from our old place, but we had a really bad experience with our landlord this past year, and we decided to move to a more corporate-run apartment complex. I'm liking our new place a lot, and we plan to stay here for at least the next two years. 

Oh, also...I finally started graduate school! This semester I am taking two classes, one online and one on campus, which has worked out really well so far. I'm enjoying both classes and don't feel overwhelmed [yet] with my schedule. I am still working at the hospital three days a week, which gives me a nice balance of time at home and in the office. I have to say that I feel very satisfied with life right now. It has only been a couple of weeks, but working part-time with school was a really positive decision and I am so thankful to have a husband that supports us in a way to make that possible. He is quite the catch. ;)

That's all for now. Enjoy the fall weather, everyone! I hope you are all doing well.

Much love,

H

New Music Friday: Track 4

I have some new jams for you. I just discovered this artist recently by downloading his free music on NoiseTrade (which I am promoting for the thousandth time...). It looks like his EP is still free, so you should definitely go check him out! His name is James Bay and he's from the UK. He has a beautiful, earthy voice that makes me feel all gooey inside. ;) Do I really need to say more?

Happy Friday!
H

Confessions

I'm going to be honest with you. My spiritual health has been severely lacking over the past couple years. I could make an unending list of excuses for reasons why that is, but I won't waste your time. The point is that I've been doing a crappy job of maintaining a relationship with God, and I am sick of it. Things have been bad for so long that I can't even really remember when I last felt filled with God's love or peace. At most, I would feel apathy and at worst, bitterness. And maybe those two should be switched around.

Anyway, I guess I'm writing this as a type of confession. It's so easy to hide spiritual issues, especially when you are surrounded by Christians at home, church, and work (but not work for much longer). It's also hard to talk about it when you can't really identify the main issue. It's not just a simple "I'm struggling with ___. Can you pray for me?" Honestly, I don't know the root of my issue. I don't think I am mad at God, struggling with some big secret sin, or doubting His existence. Maybe I'm just feeling stagnant?

One of my main motivations for wanting to change is the start of friendships with my new co-workers. After a two year gap, I am finally interacting again with people who weren't necessarily raised in the church. It is refreshing! It also brings new challenges of how to "come out" about my faith with them. Does that sound ridiculous? I know it shouldn't be so difficult, but it is! I am very out of practice. And unlike in high school, I now have a solid fear of pushing people away by telling them what I believe. You can go ahead and judge me for that, but I feel pretty strongly that it's a sensitive subject and I want to approach it the right way. I've learned that many people have had some terrible experiences in the church, and they automatically associate Christians with those experiences. I don't want to be another person who pushes them away from God.

I have talked with a couple co-workers about my faith in a general way, mentioning my church and that my husband went to school to be a pastor (thanks for that "in", Toby :] ), but I know more is to follow. Does anyone have examples of GOOD experiences talking about faith with co-workers? How do you avoid awkwardness? I do not want any Bibles ending up shoved down throats.

Maybe I just need to start with getting my own beliefs sorted out. I'm working on it.

Thanks for listening! I will keep you updated as things progress. Have an excellent week.

H

Beachy

Hey there, blogosphere! 
Long time, no update. I'm fairly certain most of you are my Facebook friends, so none of this will be very earth-shattering news. However, it's been awhile and I figured it was time to post a little something again.

First of all, I went on vacation! I spent a week in St. John, US Virgin Islands with my husband, parents, sister, and brother-in-law. It was a wonderful week full of swimming, laying out, eating, snorkeling, beaching, laughing, and stargazing. The trip was a much-needed break from reality, and I greatly enjoyed it! Here's a taste of the scenery.

In other news, I have officially turned in my notice at my old job and my last day is August 9. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and I decided it is really for the best. I have enjoyed working there, but I don't think UGM is a place where I will be able to grow. Now that I have figured out what I want to do with my career, I realized that the organization is nowhere near ready to have someone come in and evaluate their programs. There is a lot more I could say about that, but I won't. I felt really sad about leaving at first, but now, I just feel relief. It's time for me to go.

I am really excited about this next month. I start my grad program in September, but before then, I will just be working three days a week at the hospital. We're planning a trip to Seattle/Spokane for mid-August, which should be really fun! I've never been to that part of the country before. :) 

And one more exciting thing...this fall, I will have 4-DAY WEEKENDS! I CAN'T WAIT! I know the whole reason for doing that is so I can work on school, but I still can't help seeing this as a little vacation. I've only been working full-time for 3.5 years, but still, having a flexible schedule sounds like heaven right now. We'll see if I still think that way in six months... ;)

Well, that's all for now. My life in a nutshell. I hope you all are enjoying the summer! I highly suggest going to the beach. 

Always,

H

Back to the River

I know I've featured this band on my blog before, but I really think they deserve another post. Here is an actual music video of Lily & Madeleine featuring their song, "Back to the River." I love so many things about this song and video, not the least of which is the fact that it's filmed in Indianapolis and rural Indiana -- two places I know well. :) It makes me feel nostalgic for college. I figure any fellow alumni will feel the same.

Enjoy!

H

Evolution

I don’t have too much news to report, so this blog will likely just be more of the same chatter you’ve heard from me before. However, I noticed that some people DO actually check my blog on a regular basis, so I figured maybe I should give them something to read!

I guess I should share that I am doing a lot better than I was a couple months ago. You may not have been able to tell, but I was in a fairly dark place this winter/spring, and I am so glad it is over. I’m not saying that I wake up each day feeling happy-go-lucky (I mean honestly, does anyone?), but the overall darkness/blues/sadness is gone. I want to say that I am still not fully “myself,” but I have also considered the possibility that I really just have changed. I’m not the same person that I was even three years ago, and I’ve decided that’s okay.

I am currently reading a book about marriage that describes how marriages are always changing, evolving, because individuals are always changing. That is not an idea I have really recognized before, probably because I am not a huge fan of change. I like to think of myself as the person I was when I felt I was at my BEST. My PEAK. Do you know what I mean? (Are you making fun of me because I’m only 25 and talking about already passing my peak? If so, I don’t blame you. I’m sure I will look back on this and laugh at me too.) I think my personal peak was my junior year of college. I had a ton of close friends, I was in a great routine spiritually, I did well in school, and I felt incredibly confident.

But, you know what? Life changes. I’m not that person anymore. I have different (and fewer) friends, I often struggle spiritually, I’m starting a new chapter in school, and I am nowhere near as confident as I was then. And I’m sure all of these things will change again soon! I also have a ton of new wonderful parts of my life that didn’t exist back then, and I definitely would NOT change places with myself if I could. This is who I am now, and it’s time I just accept it.

On a brighter note, I have been trying to seize the day a bit more. Because I can’t just hop on a plane and move to California tomorrow, I’ve decided to try and live it up where I am. I’m constantly looking for events and activities going on in my city to fill my weekends so I don’t end up just sitting on the couch the whole time. So far, that has included some concerts, an outdoor art festival, and two off-Broadway shows (coming up!). It’s been really fun!

I think that’s all for now. Hopefully I didn’t bore you too much with my self-reflection. Thanks for reading!

H

Tick Tock

If I had to sum up my feelings over the past month in one word, it would be restless. No matter how quickly the weeks pass, how the weather changes, or how I spend my free time, I still can’t get past this intense feeling of restlessness. Perhaps part of the reason is because I have quite literally been having some trouble staying asleep at night, so I am lacking quality sleep. Another reason may be because I work a long week, but don’t have a lot going on at either job currently. The hours seem to tick by VERY slowly no matter where I am. And wherever I look, it seems that everyone around me just can’t find enough time in the day. They are so “busy,” “crazy,” and “stressed.” Seriously, I would be all too happy to share some of my hours with them. Then my day could be a little shorter and theirs could be longer – it sounds perfect! ;)

I’m sorry for whining, but I am just wondering: what am I missing? Why am I really feeling so restless? A lot of wonderful things are happening…

1.      It’s [pretty much] summer.

2.      I’m going on vacation in 2 weeks!

3.      I finally found a good church and a small group.

4.      I’m feeling more comfortable in my new job.

5.      I start grad school in less than 3 months.

And yet, the feeling persists.

H

New Music Friday: Track 3

This song sounds like summer. Hopefully, I will get to experience that sometime soon. *Sigh*

Have a great weekend, everyone. :)

H

PS: Anyone else think this band kind of sounds like DC Talk?

Exploring

Since moving to the city, my hubby and I have greatly enjoyed exploring our neighborhood and finding the best views within walking distance. A few weeks ago, we discovered this little dirt path leading off from the sidewalk and into the woods. So obviously, we followed it! Here is what we found...

I love this city.

H