oh my goodness. i just found this video on youtube of the sigur ros concert at benaroya hall in seattle, WA.  i went there for my fall break two weeks ago to see them and visit a friend. the video is of the first song they played in their show that night. when they hit the first note, i remember being so moved and i cried. at the very first note. It was such a beautiful moment and it's completely inexplicable why.  and I'm watching the video again and tears are streaming down my face. I can't describe why it moves me so much. but anyways...just wanted to share the link for anyone who might want to watch it.  maybe it's the memory of actually being there that makes it so special. i think i can call that night one of the best of my entire life. if i leave you with anything, all i can say is GO SEE SIGUR ROS LIVE. it will make your life. 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pgMwseoWrx8

somethings in the air tonight

does something ever inspire you so much, reach so deep into your soul that it hurts? is that something like truth? like how truth hurts? i don't really know. but that's how i feel sometimes when i listen to certain music or watch certain films. but i haven't figured out what to do with that sort of strong feeling & overwhelming inspiration yet. in fact, the only way i react every time is to write (& listen to more music and watch more movies). that's all i do. and i want to turn that into something productive. so hopefully it will carry over to my screenwriting endeavors that i am currently embarking on. fingers crossed. 

life is scary & exciting right now. definitely not boring or stagnant. thank God, but seriously. things are changing. i feel it in my bones. i should probably go read my horoscope and see what the planets are up to these days...

recent notable discoveries...

1. astrology-so neat. i believe our personalities are influenced by the way we were raised, what culture we've grown up in, etc. but astrology is really fascinating. when i actually dug into a couple astrology books in the new age section at Barnes and Noble the other day, I found them to be pretty damn accurate about me. crazy. kind of creepy, but super interesting.

2. arrested development--already mentioned this one, but seriously. love it.

3.pandora.com--you just set up a free account, type in your favorite bands or songs, and in doing so, you create your own radio stations that automatically stream songs from similar bands. awesome.

4. coffee (iced americanos to be exact)--to the max! i've always had a tiny bit of an addiction to it, but it's reached an all-time high. i'm up to four shots of espresso (at least) a day. oh boy, i'm in trouble.

5. Jonsi Birgisson's (of Sigur Ros) side project with his boyfriend Alex Somers. It's a picture book called "Rice Boy Sleeps" and i absolutely love the art in it. i haven't bought it yet, but i suppose it will be worth it. i feel really in tune with what is visually and aurally inspiring to me right now in my life. and this is definitely a beautiful and inspiring little booklet. [www.riceboysleeps.com]

I had this conversation the other day with one of my closest friends. It made me realize that i'm in this place in my life right now where i'm searching and discovering and making my beliefs, opinions, and interests my own. i mean, i guess we're always all going through this sort of thing if we're actually living our lives, but i feel like my senses are heightened to it all-beauty, terror and all the little things. God is really present in this world. i have phases of doubt, but it only enhances the experience when i am reminded again of His power and His beautiful love. i get caught up in figuring it all out too often, but i'm learning to be at peace with not having all the answers. 

hopping into puddles...

hey blogging world. it's been a long time. i was a xanga fanatic back in the day. (come to think of it, i need to cancel my account still. oops) anywho...i've been meaning to create a new blog... reason 1: i need a creative outlet for my thoughts and interests and things. reason 2: my preferred choice of creative outlet-ing is not quite up to par yet.  i want to write music and make movies. still workin on that. i'll let ya know how that's goin.

 so here i am. i think everyone has a story worth sharing. it's nice to know we're not alone in pursuing our dreams, facing our fears, & dealing with all the in-betweens and grey areas of life. so. for those who may find some encouragement, hope, humor, etc. out of my every day experiences and thoughts...this is for you.

now for my actual entry...

i'm currently hooked on two albums:

sigur ros-med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust ("with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly")<3

&

coldplay-viva la vida

after my recent bonnaroo experience and the release of these two brilliant albums, i feel like my summer has been really inspiring so far, musically speaking. the beginning of coldplay's "Lost!" ahhh that beat, not to mention everything else about that album. love it. and i could listen to med sud over and over again. i can't get enough. i will probably have these albums rotating in my car's cd player for the next month or so. all of these songs are my summer anthems. thank you, Lord, for gooood music!

Ralph Vaughan Williams (one of my favorite composers) wrote once that when you hear amazing music, it gives you this feeling that you've heard it before, that you are in the company of a friend or something. it's new and original, yet it is completely connected to something inside of you. so true.

my life right now consists of being a total bum (when i'm not at my two jobs haha). i guess i deserve some R&R. so i've been spending all of my spare time in my pajamas catching up on all three seasons of arrested development.  i'm on season 2 disc 2 so far. my inner monologue now sounds like ron howard.  also notable is one of michael cera's side projects: Clark and Michael (clarkandmichael.com).

goals this week: don't try to cut down on caffeine. don't try to workout. don't try to please everyone.

reasoning for goals this week: everytime i consciously try to nix coffee, to lose weight, and to please everyone I FAIL. so maybe if i just live my life not so intently focused on myself, i might actually get some things that i want--like health, happiness, and occasionally dessert :)

 i love summer in my hometown. i miss nashville though, terribly. after moving away for college, i am constantly in a state of missing a town and a group of people. it's bittersweet, but really more a reminder, i suppose, of how blessed i am to have people and places to miss. 

finally, i feel as though i should explain my blog title "hopping into puddles" so i'll go ahead and leave you this to ponder and enjoy.