The American Dream

You know what they say about music being therapy for all different types of moods. On my way to work I have the radio playing when Rise Against "Satellite" comes on. I've heard this song dozens of times, but for some reason never really listened to the lyrics. I turned it up really loud and the poetry really spoke to me (cheesy but true).

~
You can't feel the heat until you hold your hand over the flame
You have to cross the line just to remember where it lays
You won't know your worth now, son, until you take a hit
And you won't find the beat until you lose yourself in it

That's why we won't back down
We won't run and hide
Yeah, 'cause these are the things that we can't deny
I'm passing over you like a satellite
So catch me if I fall
That's why we stick to your game plans and party lives
But at night we're conspiring by candlelight
We are the orphans of the American dream
So shine your light on me

You can't fill your cup until you empty all it has
You can't understand what lays ahead
If you don't understand the past
You'll never learn to fly now
'Til you're standing at the cliff
And you can't truly love until you've given up on it

That's why we won't back down
We won't run and hide
Yeah, 'cause these are the things that we can't deny
I'm passing over you like a satellite
So catch me if I fall
That's why we stick to your game plans and party lives
But at night we're conspiring by candlelight
We are the orphans of the American dream
So shine your light on me

She told me that she never could face the world again
So I offered up a plan
We'll sneak out while they sleep
And sail off in the night.
We'll come clean and start over the rest of our lives.
When we're gone we'll stay gone.
Out of sight, out of mind.
It's not too late,
We have the rest of our lives.

We'll sneak out while they sleep
And sail off in the night
We'll come clean and start over the rest of our lives
When we're gone we'll stay gone.
Out of sight, out of mind.
It's not too late,
We have the rest of our lives.
The rest of our lives

Because we won't back down
We won't run and hide
Yeah, 'cause these are the things that we can't deny
I'm passing over you like a satellite
So catch me if I fall
That's why we stick to your game plans and party lives
But at night we're conspiring by candlelight
We are the orphans of the American dream
So shine your light on me (shine your light on me)

Because we won't back down
We won't run and hide
Yeah, 'cause these are the things that we can't deny
I'm passing over you like a satellite
'cause these are the things that we can't deny now
This is a life that you can't deny us now
~

I feel like I haven't really started living until recently. I've lived my life with this sheltered attitude, the real me only occasionally peeking out with a tattoo here or there or a tipsy Melody getting over being shy and having a blast. I'm finally on the right track. I'm enjoying my freedom, traveling a lot, in school to finish my degree.
One night last week I laid in bed for hours thinking about what exactly 'I' wanted to do with myself. I decided that when I finish school in a year or so from now, I'm going on the road "Easy Rider" style.

I'm going to reward myself after graduation with a few weeks of vacation on the open road. My ex sold my motorcycle, but I'll buy one. Pack a bag with a few essentials, a sleeping bag, and go. Jen is a little weary I might never come back if I go full biker. Mostly I just want to see the country. People are always talking about backpacking through Europe when I really haven't seen much of my own country. Just head out and turn left, when you can't go any further then turn right. I've made up my mind. No one can change it. I'm sure my parents will worry about the safety aspects of being a woman and alone, but I won't be swayed.
I'm already compiling a list of places I definitely want to see.

Perhaps I'll chronicle the trip here on this blog for all of you to enjoy.

\m/

Houston...There is no problem...

This weekend Grayson & I took a trip to Houston for the Free Press Summer Festival, this SOLDOUT music festival nestled in Downtown Houston's Eleanor Tinsley Park with 87 bands playing on 6 stages pretty much constantly over 2 days.

To say this was a concert is the understatement of the century. It was 10x the size of Rocklahoma from the weekend before.

We started the weekend off on Friday after work. I met Grayson at her loft and dropped off my car and we road tripped it down to Houston that night, arriving around 1a.m. to our hotel the Houston Marriott Downtown. We slept in until around 10, and got up and ate some lunch. Braving the Houston downtown traffic was a nightmare for two small town Oklahoma girls. We pretty much white knuckled our way a few miles down the road. We saw a cute little tattoo shop downtown and decided to go and have a look before we went to the festival, seeing as the first band we were really wanting to see wasn't until 5ish. We walked in and they told us they could tattoo us both for $20. We couldn't turn that down.

They mostly just wanted to flirt, and he wouldn't even take my tip. We promised next time we were in town we'd go by and see him. ;)
We valeted the car back at our hotel (everything is valet in fancy schmancy Houston) and walked the 8 blocks to the festival that day.

We moved across all 6 stages, and saw: Alabama Shakes, Arctic Monkeys, 2 Chainz, Passion Pit, and ended the night with Calvin Harris.

Day 2 started with me jumping on Grayson's bed to wake her up around 10. I was hoping to get in a little Houston culture other than the festival (ie The Space Center -cause I'm a science dork) but Gray was really dragging. I don't blame her, we'd already braved the whole afternoon in the 95° weather yesterday. Finally got her up and around and we checked out at noon. She wasn't really into the whole science geekery, but I managed to talk her into the aquarium, which was only a few blocks away. We had lunch at the restaurant there, and talked her into the shark tour.

Then walked back to the festival and saw some really great bands:
Mavis Staples, Cat Power (one of my faves), Of Monsters and Men, Macklemore, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (THE BEST), Social Distortion, and Bassnectar.

Have to say getting to see Cat Power was really awesome. Apparently she's had a rough year, usually cancels or doesn't show up to gigs. She looked cracked out on something, mumbling in between songs and almost crying at one point, but the way she sang was amazing. And I hate to say it, but I wouldn't be surprised if she passed soon, and I feel privileged to have seen her. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals were the best of the whole weekend. She was energetic and amazing. They covered Black Sabbath's War Pigs, and the crowd was so into it, the energy was a literal buzzing. We drove back that night after Bassnectar's rave, and made it back to Pryor at 5 a.m. on Monday morning, jamming out in the car the whole way to keep each other awake. Poor Grayson had to work, but I took the day off, and spent it napping by the apt pool, reading, and had a late lunch with JEN.

Who's going with me next year?