It’s less than 24 hours before we leave for Columbus, OH, and I haven’t been able to sleep for thinking about the tour. It’s like the night before Christmas. It’s like first day of school. It’s like a first date with that person you’ve been crushing hard on for over a year.

I cannot wait to get on the road!

Lists are coming together: what to pack lists, cheap motels to stay at on the road lists, lists of things to get done before leaving town (pay rent, do laundry, find that inflatable air mattress you think you have…SOMEwhere in your apartment).

Nate and I have been practicing, just the two of us, and it’s been such a great experience. There will be one date where it’ll be only the two of us, so we’re feeling out the sound — lightening up in some places, bearing down in others. Guys. Nate is going to play Ukulele on a brand new song that we’ll be debuting on tour!!! And that’s just one small part of the things growing out of these practices!

After a few calculations, it looks like we won’t be taking Big Black Mariah from Bandago on tour with us this time. She’s a gas guzzler and not in the budget for how many band members are going east with us. Instead, Betty White (my little blanca Jetta) will be our chariot, possibly with a rental trailer from Uhaul attached!!! Super stoked. It’ll be her first big road trip! Although Nate’s Mazda hatchback gets incredible gas mileage, the idea of four of us crammed into a small-ish car for almost two weeks started to seem like a recipe for disaster. That, and Nate didn’t seem completely confident in the Mazda’s towing abilities.

And, so, with a travel soap container brand new from Target, tons of bags of homemade kale chips for the road, new packs of strings, a new kick drum drum head, and ribbons upon ribbons of excited an anxious anticipation fluttering around in our eager bellies, we’re almost ready to go!!!

See you gorgeous people so very soon!!!