2014: Wow, I Did A Lot Of Stuff!

Time is a funny thing to me, because we tend to talk about it like it's simultaneously slow and fast, big and small. That event 4 months from now? It's so far away, but it'll be here before you know it. Looking back on a year can make it feel insignificant and fleeting, but we often forget how much stuff happens over the course of an entire 12 months. Here are some highlights from my 2014:

-I saw Billy Joel for the 6th time - my 2nd time at MSG.
-I got my first tattoo.
-I visited Nashville, TN, with my (now) girlfriend.
-I toured the Jack Daniel's Distillery with my (now) girlfriend.
-I saw Bruce Springsteen for the 12th time - the 2nd time with my (now) girlfriend.
-I went to the Grand Ole Opry with my (now) girlfriend.
-I spent 3 days in Washington, DC, & Northern VA.
-I went to my 2nd Washington Nationals game, got drunk on Miller Lites, Dos Equis, and tequila, and then walked though our nation's capitol back to my friend's apartment.
-I visited the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center National Air & Space Museum.
-I spent Memorial Day weekend in Ocean City, MD, saw 3 shows of my friend's reggae band, drank my fill of Miller Lites, and spent 11 hours on the road trying to get back home that Monday.
-I said goodbye to Poughkeepsie High School and the Poughkeepsie City School District for the 2nd time in my life, this time after 8 years of having worked there as a way to supplement my music career.
-I bought my first new keyboard in 6 years: a Nord Stage 2 Compact.
-I played 28 shows with my cover band In The Pocket, including our farewell show on August 16th that required months of planning.
-I played in my 2nd New York Songwriters Circle showcase at the Bitter End.
-I played my last show in my home state before moving out of it.
-After 4 years of group lessons, group lesson, and recitals, I taught my final piano lesson at the Newburgh Performing Arts Academy.
-I saw Wicked on Broadway with my (now) girlfriend.
-I spent a weekend in Atlantic City for the bachelor party of one of my best friends.
-I took a trip to Walt Disney World with my (now) girlfriend - my first in 15 years - and put on what had to have been 20 pounds in 4.5 days.
-After 10 years, I finally had to say goodbye to my 1999 Chevy Malibu. It had belonged to my pseudo-grandmother and was given to me in 2004 after she passed away.
-I moved to Nashville, TN.
-I was a groomsman in my friend's wedding in Sea Bright, NJ. I looked good. I got completely wrecked on Jack Daniel's.
-I got involved in the Nashville Songwriters Association International.
-I went to the 48th Annual CMA Awards here in Nashville with my (now) girlfriend, courtesy of The Doobie Brothers.
-My girlfriend officially became my girlfriend, even though everyone - including you - saw that she was my girlfriend long before then.
-I attended 2 Tennessee Titans games in less than 3 weeks - both for free.
-I spent my Thanksgiving volunteering with Gobble Gobble Give Nashville, then stuffing myself with BBQ.
-I experienced holiday air travel for the first time.

My 2014 was a year full of firsts, seconds, sixths, twelfths, lasts, and more. I'm sure yours was, too, but if you don't look close enough you just might miss it.

Here's to 2015 and the adventures that lie ahead! Happy New Year!