It’s been so long since I posted here, figured it might be good time for a post about what all went down last year…..

2015 was awesome and fresh. The first year I started JAN 1st as self employed, playing music as much as I could, traveling back and forth from Jacksonville, Fl to Gainesville, FL….so many miles and so much time driving, I spent a lot of it praying, thinking, planning, calling, crying, chilling, grubbing…ok ok you get the point! But I basically lived out of my car, kept on the grind and always made sure I showed up on time and ready to go!

There were definitely some down times for me, times where I was a bit too “bored” with my schedule. As a musician, I’ll be busy for one day but then maybe off for days in a row….this would wear on me some and I probably didn’t always make the best use of my downtime. I learned that as a working musician, how you spend your downtime IS key, you’ve gotta figure out your own balance of time spent with friends, family, passions and destruction…for lack of better words. Sometimes you’ve gotta learn the hard way…I wouldn’t say I did this year, it was all pretty painless (unlike my car accident that took up most of 2014…but that’s another post).

I also realized my faith needed a revival. I believed more strongly in God in my youth. It got a little weird as I got older and learned more about, myself…I learned I needed to KNOW what I believed not just believe what I’ve been told growing up, make it personal. I’ve learned to lean on a different type of direction now, I follow my heart and passion mostly…which makes me a bit more emotional and sensitive, as an artist it’s perfect…it’s also living on the edge and thinking a different way than most people. I’ve got some natural intuition and God given love for so many people, I’m learning how to use this as well as give back to the source. I’m kinda rambling but if you want the whole “Faith” story, hit me up in person…fear and trembling.

So as things progressed I finally realized I might need to move to a different town, for work and maybe more networking, opportunities? Everyone said I should do it, but that they would miss me…I would ask myself what kept me in Gainesville for so long? I don’t typically like change, I like to adapt. I like to thrive where I’m placed, which created a weird dynamic over time…it kept me stuck and fearful of change and risk. It’s very much like me to be a bit timid about something new, as I’ve mentioned about change already…but so many awesome people in Jacksonville made this a pretty easy decision over time.

I’m kind of an introvert but once I’m comfortable around someone it’s something completely different. Over the last year I’ve strengthened some friendships and even the idea of friendship and TRUST have started to…make sense? I’ve always been a loaner, but maybe I need people in my life to enjoy it more? Maybe I need more than activity or schedule to keep me happy and fed, I needed closer friends and relationships.

Gainesville is and will always be home base. So many of my good friends live there and some CREATIVE people who really aren’t governed by the types of things that “hold people back” out here in Jacksonville….the mindsets of “success” and “intention” that kinda keep people a little simple, Gainesville showed me some COMPLEX personalities and creative minds. I loved it, still do, going to concerts growing up and seeing familiar faces at house shows and what not, those were some amazing times and I still wanna do that. Plus most of my family now lives there, making it the perfect place to go back and visit for old times sake!

Sooooo, I eventually made some plans to make the move. I underestimated some of the commitment to the decision back in early 2015, leases and moving, all not familiar things to me…plus this is a NEW town and a BIG town…compared to Gainesville that is! I realized, I had a small town mind.

2016 was fast approaching and I had a feeling it would be early in the year, make it a fresh start. Coming into late December I made final plans to do it and waited till after holidays to spend time with family in Gainesville.

Jan 28th was our move in date, I now live a few miles from the beach and transitioned from house life to apartment life. As I’m typing this it’s only been a week, I can hear cars driving by my bedroom window and my neighbor walking above me….only time will tell if I can fully adjust to all these changes, but I think I’ll be alright, I like to adapt.

-DT