Feel the sun on your face.

Some mornings you need to find some “me” time, wander off the bus, out of the venue and into the real world.  So I put my headphones in my ears, turned on my favorite playlist, pulled up my map app instead of my Uber app, and started walking.  Where was I walking to, you might ask, and if you know me, you already know the answer. I was off to find an outside table, good coffee, and the best croissant Savannah GA had within walking distance. I don’t know if my turkey and Swiss was the best croissant in Savannah, but it was good enough, the coffee was hot, and the table was outside.  

As I sat outside, soaking up the Vitamin D, I couldn’t remember the last time I felt the sun on my face. I couldn’t remember the last time I sat by myself just drinking coffee, looking for some words. I took another sip of my hot coffee and decided it was a long time ago, too long ago.  As I finished my croissant, I almost felt human, and I realized how I forget to take time for myself on tour.  I am always telling the cast and crew that it is essential to do little things for yourself when you can, but I rarely take my own advice.  But, as the Lumineers sang in my ears and I watched a man in a kilt cross the street, I knew I had to be better at taking my own advice and finding some me time more often while on tour.  

This touring stint is a long one for me, and while I love this cast and of course, the crew has become like my second family, I’m tired. I’m always weary when I tour.  I’ve been away from home since the middle of September, and with a brief time home at Christmas, I won’t see Nashville until the end of January, and that makes me sad.  It’s the weird little things that I miss. I miss driving my car, driving my car anywhere, to the grocery store, to my chicken’s houses, or my favorite bakery.  I miss the familiarity home brings. Then I miss the big things like my husband, my chickens, and my own bed.  

But as I drank the last of my coffee, I realized I was thankful for my job, my friends, and this weird life I live.  It’s not ordinary by any means, but it’s mine, so I grabbed my wallet and started walking back to the venue, thankful for the hour I took to myself, thankful for the croissant and thankful for the sun.  

So, go out there and find yourself some sun today, if even for a few minutes, stand there and soak it all in and then get on with your day.