Summer 2020
Hi blog friends!
I’m sorry to have disappeared on you guys over the last two months. I think we can all agree this summer was a little strange. I can hardly believe that we’re already in September. Trying to navigate my life, my music, and the general unknown of things right now… well… if I’m being honest, it’s left me feeling tired. I’m sure you can probably relate. Almost every response I’ve received to the question “How are you doing?” has been “Oh, you know… just hanging in there…”
I’m finally starting to feel like things are looking up in my little corner of the world.
I’m back in Nashville after July threw me some curveballs. I had planned on spending most of July in TN but life had other plans. I ended up going home a week before my planned family vacation to be with my best friend, Abbey. Walking through heartbreak with someone you love is never easy… but let me just tell ya, salt air and the ocean sure does help with that process.
We spent the week with her family watching Star Wars movies, eating a bunch of amazing food, playing with her cute little nephew, tanning on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and having long talks about our lives. There’s no one else I would rather binge watch all of the “Kissing Booth” and “To All The Boys I Loved Before” movies with. It had been a few years since I had gone with her on her family’s vacation and it was something I didn’t know I needed until I was blessed with the opportunity.
After that, I met my parents at our beach and we kicked off our own family vaycay. One minute you’re enjoying a beautiful day on the beach, the next you’re hunkered down riding out a hurricane…. literally. Curveball #2 hit us hard… Hurricane Isaias came straight for our beautiful island. I can’t say it was the most relaxing vacation our family has had, but it was the most memorable. We were safe. All our friends on the island were safe. It was quite the experience. We still had a great time. We ended up visiting with my cousins who were staying at another beach near us. I love my family more than I can express, so even though it was an eventful vacation, I’m really thankful for the time with them.
Shortly after we arrived home, I woke up one morning to our house shaking. Curveball #3 was in the form of an earthquake that almost all of NC felt. Thankfully, we didn’t have any damage where my parents live and it wasn’t nearly as terrifying as the hurricane, but I think I’ve hit my natural disaster limit for the next 10 years. (Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Earthquakes… oh my… haha). I came back to TN to get as far away from large bodies of water as I could because a Tsunami is not going to be my curveball #4.
Once I came back to Nashville I tried to settle into a routine. I’m not gonna lie, job hunting and the general feeling of not knowing what exactly to do music wise was starting to make me feel a little depressed.
Thankfully, I was invited to go kayaking with one of my best friends in Nashville. I’ve adopted her family as my own. We had the best day floating down the Harpeth River talking about boys (breakups are apparently going around right now..), life, and our weird dreams that we keep having at night. Rain is the kind of friend that would make anything the most fun experience. I’m really grateful for her friendship over the last four years.
I’ve had some fun wine nights turned into songwriting nights with another one of my best friends, Ericca Latza. You might be familiar with that name because she wrote “Are You There?” with me at the beginning of quarantine. She’s from North Carolina as well and she gives me a piece of home in Nashville. When we are together laughter never stops. We celebrated her birthday in August… and pretty much any small victory we have had this year… mostly making it through the week without crying haha. She understands the hardest parts of life in Nashville and is the voice saying, “I’m with you. I understand how you’re feeling.” when I really need to hear it.
To end my summer on a high note, I was asked to play in a writers round at The Listening Room Cafe. If you’ve read some of my previous blogs you’ll know it’s a venue that is an honor to play in Nashville. Thanks to my friend, Justin Love, I got to sing on a beautiful stage for the first time in months. My parents even drove all the way from North Carolina to come to the show. My mom wasn’t able to make it the first time I played there but she was there for the second time! They had to leave the next morning but I cherished every second of having my mom and dad with me. Loved doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt this week.
From Left to Right - Taylor Hughes, Justin Love, Me (Carson Hill haha), and Matt Marinchick.
Thank you to Ericca Latza for taking photos and keeping my parents company during the show!
My mom finally made it to one of my Listening Room shows!
I wanted to share some of my favorite moments from the past couple of months with you guys because when I was thinking about summer 2020 there were several things I could have focused on that were negative. I think we can all agree that this year has been one bad thing after another. But in all of those tough moments, my mind kept going back to the things I loved the most about this summer, and it turns out there’s a common theme…. my friends and my family.
Every bad day has been counteracted with a text/call/FaceTime/girls night from or with one of the three ladies I mentioned above. Every moment that has felt hopeless to the point of tears has been met with a call from my mom, dad, grandparents, or sister. For every bad thing that’s happened this year, I’ve been given some equally special moments with the ones I love.
I feel really, really, really grateful for my friends and family.
So, I wanted to give them a little shout out and tell you guys about my crazy, weird, and amazing summer. I don’t know what the last few months has looked like for you, but try to focus on the good things. Once you start counting what you’re thankful for I bet you will realize it outweighs the heavy, tough moments.
I love you guys!
I’m starting back up my Facebook Live concerts, blog posts, and music related videos on Instagram and YouTube. Keep your eyes out for them!
Let me know some things you’re thankful for this summer! I’d love to hear about it.
xx Carson
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