Take a Vacation!

"Can't seem to get my mind off of you
Back here at home there's nothin' to do
Now that I'm away
I wish I'd stayed
Tomorrow's a day of mine that you won't be in

When you looked at me I should've run
But I thought it was just for fun
I see I was wrong
And I'm not so strong
I should've known all along that time would tell

A week without you
Thought I'd forget
Two weeks without you and I
Still haven't gotten over you yet

CHORUS
Vacation
All I ever wanted
Vacation
Had to get away
Vacation
Meant to be spent alone

A week without you
Thought I'd forget
Two weeks without you and I
Still haven't gotten over you yet" - The Go-Go's - Vacation

When I was growing up my family took vacations on a yearly basis. Even if it was just Chicago for a week, we took the time every year to get away from the hassle of everyday life to let everything go for a little bit.

It’s good for the mind, the body, and the soul.

Now that I’m older and I’ve entered what many people call the ‘Real World’ I’ve learned just how important taking vacations really are.

Over the last two years my life has been consumed with working, going to school, interning, attending several meetings a week, rehearsals for up coming shows, and keeping a religious life. On top of that I attempt to have a social life.

Although, I’m not always successful at the last one.

This coming weekend, I have a much-needed vacation on my hands. I realize how important it is to give my mind and body a break. I’m looking forward to letting go of the world for a few days to reconnect to myself.

I want to end this by asking, when was the last time you took a vacation?

If your answer is a year or longer, TAKE A VACATION. You will thank me in the end. 

Why everyone should use a planner!

I don’t know about you, but the only time in my life I’ve ever used a planner is for school. I actually did until the day I graduated. However, that was all I used it for! I wrote assignments in, upcoming tests, presentations, drama and band rehearsals. You know, everything that mattered to school.

About a month or so ago, I decided I need a planner for life. And let me tell you, it was the best investment I could have made.

For a while, things would slip through the cracks. I would forget to call someone, or send an e-mail. One time, I even forgot I had to work! Since I’ve bought my planner, I’ve been more organized then ever!

With a schedule like mine, full of meetings, work, assignments and lots of other tasks, having a planner is essential. And it can be essential to you as well. Not only have I completed things I needed to on a more regular basis, using a planner has cleared my head and allowed me to focus more on the things that matter.

I recommend that everyone invest in a planner. I bought mine for only 8bucks! 8 dollars well spent in my opinion, and it can be that way for you too! It takes 5 minutes out of your day to become organized and write in what you have for the week. You’ll thank me in the end.

Now before I end this post, I want to touch on something real quick, my lack of blogging. I’m out and about observing things everyday that I should be writing on. For whatever reason, blogging always slips my mind! From this post forward, I am going to start blogging on a regular basis. So to all of my readers, and to those of you reading my blog for the first time, expect more from me. I’ll have blogging in my planner 4 days a week from now on. David Herndon, this is for you!

Until next time, Joshua LaPeer...out.

"The man who found Jazz"

I was 6 years old when I first heard Frank Sinatra sing “Fly Me to The Moon”.

I’ve tried many times to understand what happened to me that day, but I always end up in the same  place. Right where I started.

There are not enough adjectives to describe the pure adrenaline I felt running through my body in that moment. The instruments, the timing, the singing, it was all perfect.

Little did I know, the feeling I felt that day would never go away.

From that day on, I surrounded myself in music. Music became a part of me, like a new limb.

Of course, being 6 years old, I had very limited resources. I had to listen to what I found. And what I found was a collection of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley that belonged to my grandma. I listened for days to all of the music I found. I couldn’t get enough; I had to have more.

So I did what any 6 year old who just discovered music would do…I stole a few CD’s from my cousin.

Naturally, being a naive 6 year old, I thought all music was what I had already heard. Standard pieces performed by men I thought of as gods. Boy, was I in for a surprise.

The first album I listened to from my cousin was Green Day’s Dookie. To me, that album was it. That was the cd that made music a part of me.

Did I love Sinatra and Elvis? Yes, and I will always appreciate their music, and what they did for music (in fact, I still listen to both!). However, the energy Green Day had, simple 3-chord structures with lyrics that never left your head, was home for me. Bands like Queen, Nirvana and Blink-182 quickly filled my ears.

Today, music is still very important to me. Over the years, I have experienced all different types of music. From Broadway to Rock and Motown to Classical, I have a deep and sincere love for music.

Just recently I discovered jazz music. Now, Jazz has always been a part of my life. Growing up, I would put on 90.9 at night and play jazz while I did my homework. Now that I look back at it, that was the problem. I just put jazz on. I didn’t listen.

Thanks to a couple of friends, one, a jazz enthusiast, the other a jazz musician, I have found jazz.

The enthusiast gave me the opportunity to embrace the music. The musician showed me that it’s okay to let it become a part of you.

I’m excited to take this train in life. I plan on fully embracing jazz music because Jazz is now a part of me, like a new limb.

Until next time, Joshua LaPeer…out.