2014!!!!
Hello there! I'm a whole week late with this blog post. Ironically, that's one thing I'm going to try to be better at this year. Wow, it's hard to believe it's 2014 isn't it? We all make new year resolutions. Most of the time we don't keep them for more than two weeks but at least it's a start. I'd like to think a new year is a new start for everyone. During Christmas break I found one of my old sketch pads in my closet. At the beginning of last year I decided I would make a goal list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2013. I had totally forgotten all about it. When I started looking at some of the goals I had written I was truly surprised by how many of them I had actually done within the year. Considering I'm the type of person who dreams big, a lot of the goals were crazy. But that's the thing about a whole year, stuff that seems impossible can actually happen.
For example, see number 1? Open for a big name artist. I checked that off my list in the first month of 2013. I got the chance to open for Edwin McCain. Not to mention it also helped me check off Meet someone famous. He wasn't the only famous person I got to meet either. I also got to talk to one of my songwriting heroes. Passenger. I got to tell Mike Rosenberg that he was a big inspiration to me and in return he gave me one of the biggest hugs I've ever received from a person. If you had told me that would happen last new years I would have thought you were lying,
(Meeting Edwin McCain!)
(Seeing Passenger!! Best night ever.)
Another thing I crossed off my list pretty early in the year was Perform in Arenas & Stadiums. I performed the National Anthem at four 'Monster Jam' shows and played several sets at two meet & greet pit parties in both Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, and the PNC Arena in Raleigh. Not to mention I also performed the National Anthem at the Charlotte Knights Baseball Stadium. Not exactly the kind of stadium I was talking about but it still counts. That was definitely something I thought I wouldn't get to do even when I wrote it on my list. Singing in an arena is one of my new favorite things.
I never did get to visit L.A. or tour five different states, but I did Perform in a different country. Three different countries actually. Last spring I went on a trip to Ireland, Scotland, and England. I was lucky enough to get to play at a pub in Dublin, courtesy of a very nice guy who let me play a couple songs on his guitar. I ended up playing the piano and singing at our hotel bar in Scotland (that one was very interesting...) and I busked on the side of the street in York, England. Some of my best memories of 2013 are on that trip. I definitely want to go back and play some places in Europe. That's going on my 2014 goal list.
(Singing at Foleys Pub in Dublin, Ireland)
(Me and my dad on Hadrian's Wall in England)
Be on another talk show was crossed off in November when I was on WCCB News Rising. That same TV station interviewed Ian Somerhalder a few weeks before I was on (that's just how big of a deal it was). Get my full song played mainstream happened thanks to Divakar on 106.5 The END.
There's still a few things that I didn't finish on my list, but looking back I've accomplished so much. I've gotten the chance to do so many things I didn't think were possible this past year plus some things I didn't even imagine getting to do. I guess I just wanted to share with you all how many crazy good things can happen to you in one year. It's okay to make goals and resolutions that seem impossible. The point isn't getting them all done, it's having hope and aspiring to be something great. Who knows? They might actually come true if you work hard.
I know a lot of you have had ups and downs this past year. The end of 2013 was a little rough for me because I lost someone very important to me. My cousin Mike died of cancer December 9th. It's been bittersweet to look back at all these amazing things that happened this past year because he was always right there when they happened. He's supported me from my very first youtube video and performance right down the watching me on TV for the Thanksgiving day parade. No matter what happened in 2013, make sure you do something great in 2014. Good things and bad things will happen. Just be grateful you have a whole other year to make a difference.
Thank you for all the amazing support in 2013. I'm looking forward to so many great things in this new year. I have been blessed beyond words. I love you with all my heart!
xx C
P.S. You'll have to wait till the next new year to see my 2014 goal list! :)
Maybe it's not my weekend but it's gonna be my year - All Time Low