Chase Bliss 10th Anniversary / EQD Day! (Patreon)

WOW, what a wild past two weeks it's been!! Sorry for the lack of updates; things have been absolutely nuts. Russ and I drove our rental car out to Minneapolis, Minnesota on the 25th, and we drove 23 hours straight (we stopped for food and rest stops, of course!) but we didn't stay in a hotel until we got to Wisconsin. I don't know where we find the energy to make those road trips in big chunks like that, but I'm really glad we got there in just one day, because that meant we had an extra day to hang out and meet Joel, Eric Nyffeler, and the rest of the Chase Bliss team! 

I honestly don't even know where to start in this post, because SO many things happened. This was my very first time in Minneapolis, but definitely not my last! I had such an amazing time -- we ate veggie hot dogs during a BBQ outside of Chase Bliss HQ with Steve from Empress, we ate Tibetan Momos with KNOBS, Courtney, Joe, and Zack, I fell in love with $8 breakfast burritos at this new place called Relish, we went to the Mall of America®, I sweat through my shirt walking around the outdoor Minneapolis Sculpture Park in 97 degree weather seeing that big spoon with the cherry, and I found my new favorite art installation called Pedicord Apartments at the Weisman Museum.

Also, we got to meet GONZO, the Chase Bliss shop dog!!!! Gonzo is legitimately the best behaved dog I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, and he was a true joy to be around.

Some fun things I learned on the trip:

-I LOVE drinking La Croix. I never tried it before, and once I did, I was hooked! I can't drink soda anymore because it gives me an ocular migraine, so this is a great substitution. It's like flavored TV static!

-My new favorite tea is Pu'er (I had thought it was Oolong before), specifically this type of Pu'er. I found a hidden gem in Minneapolis called the Northeast Tea House, where they make authentic tea using the 'gongfu' method  of brewing. Apparently they're one of only three places that makes their own house-milled matcha, and I tried some when I went there with Courtney Swain and I swear it tasted like the sea. It wasn't salty, but I don't know how else to describe that taste. It was bitter but delicious. 

-I'm feeling so inspired to start learning Japanese! Courtney is from Japan, and now Steve from Empress Effects and some Chase Bliss folks are starting a little study group. I'm thinking about enrolling in a college course if I can (I just have to find the time...!). I've always wanted to learn, but especially now, because I did an interview with EQD Japan and they mentioned how wonderful it would be to fly me out there sometime for media stuff. I would LOVE to learn at least the basics of Japanese so I don't look like a total idiot! 

-I ENJOY WATCHING FRIENDS?!? I never gave this show a shot before, but the hotel TV had limited channel options and it played every night on Nickelodeon.

-I ENJOY SWIMMING?!? I never thought I would, and honestly, it's been about 3 years since I've been inside a body of water. But I gave it a shot, and I'm really glad I did. I never went underwater because of my tinnitus (I don't want to make it worse or get water trapped in there), but that was totally fine, because I doggie-paddled my way around the pool for exercise. We had some pool parties with Courtney, KNOBS, Steve from Empress, and some amazing Chase Bliss folk, and it was a BLAST!!! 

-Our community is awesome. I mean, I already knew this, but this trip really solidified it. I got to meet so many people from our Discord (like Sheldon, Evan, and Sonja!!!) and I had such an amazing time at the Harp Petting Zoo. I was really proud of everyone who was brave enough to come up and try the harp through effects, because I know it can be super intimidating, especially if you've never tried it before!

Russ and I arrived in Minneapolis the morning of the 26th, and we left the morning of August  4th in order to get to EQD Day in time. We drove about 13 hours and stayed in a hotel about 2 hours away from Akron because, FUN FACT, this first weekend in August is a CRAZY BUSY time in the Akron / Cleveland area. Apparently there's like, sports events going on, along with a big tattoo convention. Last year, when Russ and I went to JHS, we passed through Ohio and wanted to stop for the night but ALL the hotels within a 2-hour radius were booked up so we ended up sleeping in our car. No shame! Keep it in mind next time you're planning a trip out to Akron in early August!

At EQD Day, we got to meet so many awesome people like Nick from Oneder Effects, Cello Azul, Plumes Guy (although me and Sam go way back), and we hung out with Dan from OBNE! Meeting the OBNE team in person was amazing, because on Saturday night last week after the Chase Bliss show we all went bowling at Memory Lanes and had an incredibly fun time. I found out that Russ is... not a *great* bowler, but after I showed him the technique, he blew past me in the score and got 3 strikes. He legitimately said to me, verbatim: 

"Why didn't you tell me I just had to roll it down the middle? This is easy!" 😐

We just got back to the studio yesterday, and I'm still recovering. My face broke out badly from all the travel and shitty fast food eating, so I did some self-care with a face mask, did my 2 weeks of laundry and, for the most part, unpacked and put everything away. Russ started working on some pedal closet renovations, and I returned the rental car this morning and paid our Illinois tolls, so everything should be all set! It feels weird coming home and jumping straight back into work, but I'm excited about all the fun stuff we're doing. 

ALSO, if anyone is based in Portland, Maine, I made an original 2 hour soundtrack for this exhibit called ENCOUNTERS. I finished it before I left for my trip, of course, but this past weekend was opening weekend for the exhibit, and it runs until September. I'm going to do my best to make my way up there to see it in person, but if I'm being honest, I have my doubts that I'll be able to have a free weekend... Back to the grind!

Hope to see y'all on Wednesday during the livestream! <3