It's a long way to heaven, it's closer to Harrisburg... or York...

Still pretty excited about recently meeting some of my favorite musicians on the planet, I was talking with my friend Abi in my office yesterday. Pretty much as long as I've known her, we've talked about catching a Josh Ritter show together. Jokingly, I asked her how far she'd be willing to travel for a show.

She said three hours.

Last night there was a show in York, PA, which is 2 hours and 50 minutes from camp.

Too bad it was sold out.




Sometimes I wish I could take a step out of my own life and watch it, because it doesn't feel real. I sent a message to the band's guitarist, Austin, half-jokingly asking why the show was sold out. He actually responded shortly thereafter letting me know that he put me on the guest list, so I should come out. Wait, what?

For whatever reason, I'd gone to the office an hour and a half early yesterday morning, and this was so crazy and exciting that the powers that be didn't mind me leaving early. We quickly showered off the incredible humidity that has already overtaken this part of the state and left Johnsonburg about 4:30. We made it in just about three hours, just in time for doors-- slight rush hour troubles but overall a pretty pleasant drive together that did not feel nearly that long. That's what happens when friends take roadtrips that they are excited about, I suppose. I joyfully reflected on the absurd amount of Pennsylvania that I've seen in the past week.

Historic Downtown York was kind of pretty, and really quiet. We actually didn't go too far into downtown, just to the Strand Capitol Theatre, which had a parking garage right across the side street from it. Everything was old and made of bricks though, which I think Fredericksburg, VA (did you know there's one in PA too? I did not, though I did know about the one in TX, I digress...) really made me appreciate.

The theater was lovely. We checked out the merch table and asked their guy where we needed to go with said passes. And he said, "Oh! You're Austin's friends."


Yeah we were!

The show was great (duh, that's why I keep going). We were surprised they didn't play Harrisburg, since we drove past Harrisburg to get there, but I guess that would have been too predictable. One of the things I love about seeing this band (aside from the fact that they are just. great. performers.) is that I keep seeing them in different places with different friends. I'm so thankful for my friends who get me into great music, and it's so much fun to be on the other side of that, too.

So then, after the show. Right? We had these after show passes that we didn't know what to do with. Poor Austin, I sent him about a million messages before we left camp (ok, really, like three) begging for further instructions because I am just not the cool kid. I don't get put on guest lists for concerts. I don't know what to do! But, Austin was busy setting up or eating dinner or whatever, so we just waited after the show until someone told us to keep waiting-- ok, we were good at this part. And of course, the longer we waited, the more my stomach turned in knots and the more my heart raced and the more I contemplated leaving and letting Abi enjoy everyone's company with me-- and then in walks one Mr. Josh Ritter.

There were two other couples left in the theater, so we gave the first one space while they spoke, and then he came over and said hey. And when I explained how excited I was to get Abi to see him, and that I saw him in D.C. with my roommate about a week and a half before, he actually kind of remembered our conversation and guessed where I was from within about 20 miles (so we know which member of the band actually has geography skills). We talked about summer camp. We got pictures. It was awesome.


This guy just smiles and smiles and smiles. He is so cool. 

 

But of course, Austin was no where to be found! Seriously. The guy hooks us up with tickets to a sold out show and then hides from us. Josh had one of the crew members go look for him on the bus, and he did actually come out to say hello. We'd interrupted his meal, but he assured us it needed to cool anyway and spent some time talking to us. This time I didn't give him any crap for geography, because instead he asked me the geography questions (where are you from? to which I replied, my gypsy ass?). I mentioned that I was moving to New Orleans so we talked about that for a while.

I swear, soon I will talk about New Orleans here. But not now. Except that we talked about NOLA for a while and he recommended a vegetarian restaurant and promised it'd be a cool place to live (not that I doubted that, but I am a little nervous about moving).


I wouldn't smile much either if someone interrupted my miso soup, but he's still a pretty cool dude.
 

Abi and I were exhausted but excited. The drive back definitely felt way longer, but we made it alive into the very humid, foggy hills and forests of Warren County. We barely slept before we needed to get up to work, but we survived the day and are still riding high on the fact that we got to hang out with these people-- and again, for me. How awesome is my life? So awesome. Seriously.


Route 22 at 2:45AM 

That brings the mileage total to about 2000 in 11 days, a lot more time spent on highways in Pennsylvania than I would have predicted, but well worth the time and gas (and besides, those last 300 were on Abi's car). My gypsy ass indeed.