I Heart Music, July Playlist

On a recent bad day I flashed back to a specific time during the hospital stay following my transplant. I was by myself in my room, feeling really sick and my spirits were down. The room phone rang, my mom was on her way down and would be there soon. She could tell I was having a rough day and desperately wanted to do anything to make me feel better. She suggested a little music therapy. I was being stubborn and told her that, no, I didn't want to listen to music-"it wouldn't help!" But a few minutes after hanging up with her, I put on my headphones, popped a c.d. into my metallic blue portable player, and instantly felt better. Two things: 1-mother knows best, and 2-music always makes me feel better.

Music holds so much power in its amazing ability to calm, inspire, create emotion, form memories, generate associations, transport a person to somewhere else, and much more. I am fascinated with everyone's unique preference toward different styles and sounds, and the wide range of meanings music can hold for each person.

So many songs are tied to specific memories of mine...if I hear any Enya song, I am immediately taken back to one of my sickest points in the hospital and have to get away from the sound. Eric Clapton's "Leila" reminds me of my dad, a song he frequently sang and played on his guitar when we were kids. John Mayer is my comfort food of music. The Last Kiss Soundtrack, specifically Joshua Radin's "Paperweight" takes me back to Brent and my first date, the CD I had playing in my car. "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt reminds me of the time I called the local radio station to request the song and the DJ told me to look up to my ceiling to check for spiderwebs, I was around 9 years old. "Ready or Not" by the Fugees makes me think of my brother, Nick, he listened to it when we were kids and wanting to be just like him, I of coursed liked it too. Shaggy takes me back to our weekends out at the desert house in Ocotillo Wells sitting by the fire on Saturday nights with the stereo blasting. Ratatat makes me laugh everytime, thinking of Nick and his friend's dance video to the song in Australia, which then inspired Andrea, Brooke and my take on the video.

Pandora + the Broken Bells station = lots of new music I have fallen in love with.

Here's my June Playlist:

Broken Bells "The Ghost Inside"

Blind Pilot "One Red Thread"

Angus & Julia Stone "Paper Aeroplane"

Phoenix "Armistice"

Florence & the Machine "Dog Days"

RJD2 "A Beautiful Mine"

Mumford & Sons "Little Lion Man"

Andrew Bird "Imitosis"

So on that recent bad day I listened to my July playlist and BAM! I felt better. ♥

{Picture taken in Central Park, New York City, NY}

Show Me Your Bones

My mind is going crazy...overflowing really. I am not capable of writing out a full post, so here is what I'm thinking about el segundo dia del marzo:

• My back is causing me excruciating pain. Starting last week my lower back has been absolutely killing me. Nothing makes it feel better...ice, TENS unit, any position, walking, sitting, driving, and lately pain pills make me so sick it is not worth it.
• If you have not heard of Kina Grannis you should check her out. I can't get enough of this song My Time With You, but I love all her other songs as well. "Message From Your Heart" is the song she got recognized with, and instantly reminds me of San Francisco...where I heard it first, and oddly enough it was during the time I was taking anatomy.
• Fun fact: today is the birthday of Theodore Geisel, or Dr. Seuss. He would be 105 today.
• Even though I am not leaving for San Francisco until Thursday, I am feeling really anxious and totally unprepared about the trip.
• Can I mention my back again? That is pretty much dominating my thoughts.
• I made fish tacos last night and they turned out great...very easy to make. I got the recipe from Real Simple, but added a few things. I added fresh cilantro, hot sauce, and mango-papaya salsa.
• I can't wait for the season finale of The Bachelor tonight. One of my guilty pleasures.
• Saturday Brent and I had brunch with his friends in Long Beach at a crepe restaurant. I have not had one in a long time but forgot how delicious they are!

I can't think anymore. That's all for now...hope it was a tolerable Monday.

Don't Doubt It

Tragic Kindom was the very first CD I ever bought. I thought Gwen was so cool and I listened to the album nonstop. One day, I called into a local radiostation to request Spiderwebs. The DJ said to me, "look up at your ceiling. Are you looking up?" I said yes. "Are there spiderwebs on it?" I can still sing along to every song on that CD. Return of Saturn was No Doubt's fourth album, and it was released 3 months after my diagnosis. During my treatment, I had total body irradiation- 3 times per day for a week. Each session lasted about 15 minutes, while I stood against a plexiglass wall, in a hospital gown, not allowed to move an inch. They told me I could bring in a CD if I wanted to listen to during the sessions. At this time it was early May, and the CD was still fairly new and was the only one I brought. A few times the radiologists would have to remind me to stay completely still...my head was bobbing slightly to the tunes. Surprisingly this album does not hold a negative association for me, and I can listen to it without any bad memories. When No Doubt released their fifth album Rock Steady in December 2001, I was a Freshman in high school. I spent over half of the schoolyear in a wheelchair, and a few weeks after I was able to stop using the wheelchair, No Doubt put on a surprise concert at my high school! All day there was a crew putting together a gigantic stage next to the football field, but no one knew what it was for. I heard rumors floating around from Avril Lavigne, to Linkin Park, to the weirdest one-a Pokemon show?!?! Promptly at 3:19 when the bell rang, the band started playing "Just a Girl" . It was for a show on MTV called Jammed that did not last very long but it was where bands played surprise concerts at different locations. Ours was the very first episode. The concert lasted about 45 minutes, and when we watched the show, we found out there had been hidden cameras all over campus to catch peoples' reactions and record everyone running to the concert.

One of my favorite memories is going to a No Doubt concert with Andrea. My dad gave me 2 tickets to see them in Orange County for my 15th birthday. It was my first concert, and it was incredibly fun. Our seats were really far away because it was a huge venue, but we had a blast. Since Rock Steady, the group has not released any new music, and have not played together much since Gwen's solo career. But they just announced tour dates, and guess who is going? Andrea and I have great seats to see them perform in San Diego May 22nd! It is crazy to think of how much has changed since we saw them 6 years ago. I was 15 and Andrea was 21. Now we are 21 and 27, both in relationships, both have been to college, both living in southern California, she started her career, I have had more surgeries than I care to acknowledge, and we are both happy and healthy. There are a few musical artists I can no longer listen to because they remind me too much of my transplant. But for some reason, No Doubt is an exception. Not only did it get me through some hard times, I have all positive associations with their music. Gwen and crew hold a special place in my heart and always will.

Happy Friday!!