Music, Travel, and other things I like.

WINTER WEEKEND IN VANCOUVER Canada is cool! When I count how many countries I've been to, I always throw Canada in there because I've been to Niagara Falls and family camping trips that I'm too young to remember. But I just spent a weekend in Vancouver, British Columbia- so now it really counts! TRIP DETAILS: Starting location- Santa Maria, California Destination- Vancouver, British Columbia Dates- February 9th-12th Airline- WestJet Weather- 30-47 degrees F mostly sunny, no rain Budget- less that $800 (for 2 people) Travelers- Me and my boyfriend Kyle (thanks for the xmas present 😎) FRIDAY We flew into the Vancouver airport on a Friday morning. The flight from LAX isn't so bad and if you're lucky enough to get the window seat you can see picturesque mountains (and Mt. St. Helens!) over the Pacific Northwest. The airport is very organized and Kyle got his checked bag before I could make it through the bathroom line.  I was excited for the public t

I recently took a flight from Santa Barbara, California to Chicago, Illinois. I was visiting my family  for a month and was not about to leave my guitar behind. I was concerned at first because I thought that bringing an instrument aboard would come at a price. I was wrong! I called customer service at United and they said that musical  instruments can count as your free carry on. The first part of my trip, from Santa Barbara to LAX, was on an express plane with no more than 15 rows of seats. While I was in the waiting area, I was informed that my guitar would not fit in an overhead compartment and need to be checked. I was a little worried when they put the pink tag on my case that read ‘fragile.’ I paid a lot for my Alvarez acoustic electric guitar and I didn’t want to see it  tossed around with other luggage. Before walking up the steps to the plane, I handed my guitar to a man who put it on a cart with the other luggage that was going to be stowed under the plane during the

      I am from a small town in rural Illinois. I enjoyed growing up there and I am proud to say I am from the midwest. My family would always take vacations around the US when I was little. I guess I was too young to appreciate the luxury at the time, I just thought every family did that. We went all around in that black Ford V8. But no matter how far we went, we always came back to the same place; Johnsburg, Illinois. Pismo Beach, CA       When I was old enough to venture off on my own, I took every opportunity I could. I went away to college, studied abroad, and spent summers traveling. And I still kept the same family tradition and came back home to Illinois.        Last year, I decided to relocate to the central coast of California. It was a big move mentally and physically (3 days of driving!). I didn't know anyone here upon arriving. I had a job teaching music at a school and a room to rent. At first it was exhilarating; everything was new. No one knew who I was, so I