Home Sweet Home

Pittsburgh, PA

I can’t believe that the day is finally here!  It feels like I have been waiting since last year to perform at home and it’s finally here! 

Nothing will ever beat the moment when the plane touches down at my home airport and my stomach fills with butterflies because I know that when I get off the plane, my Dad will be there waiting for me at the gate.  And as we made our way down to baggage claim I was greeted by my Mom and Grandma, but the real surprise was when my Sister came to welcome me home too!  Ah it’s so good to be back and I haven’t even made it home yet!

As we traveled home, the butterflies come back just as we pulled onto the road that took me home.  Stepping foot back in the house I grew up in just makes everything else fade away.  Nothing else seemed to matter; I was home.  Of course I knew it was going to be crazy busy with appointments and work related engagements, but the fun part was catching up with everyone that I hadn’t seen in so long.  Not to mention driving around the area to see what has changed and making sure to hit every spot I loved so much growing up in the country!   Most of the time the smaller the place, the better it is at least out where I am from.  They are like hidden treasures everyone knows about and has to take people from out of town to.  And like most treasures, they are far away from busy city streets that are packed with people.  

Ah…Fresh air!  It’s so nice to be able to be outside and breath and only worry about what animal I may come across on my run instead of whom.  And I may spend much of my tour life in the big cities, but at heart and when I come home I am so much a country girl.  But those days are few in number and just like that I was headed back into the City of Bridges for the show week. 

Even though I normally don’t make it in to Pittsburgh very often, it’s always nice to be around hometown, friendly people.  And words will never be able to explain what it feels like to be able to perform on home ice in front or your hometown until you are actually able to do so yourself.  It’s magical.  The energy is amazing. 

And I just want to thank everyone that made my trip home the best that it could be.  It was great to see everyone and celebrate the missed holidays.  A huge thank you to those that made it to a show and saw me after!  It’s always nice to see familiar faces. I also can’t thank all those that have supported me through it all.  It means so much knowing that no matter what I do, how far I stray from home; that I am always welcomed back and will have so many to count on and lean on through it all. 

Missing Pittsburgh already…

Off to the south and sunshine though…