I slept in my bed last night. I did not get up until half past noon. I looked in my own fridge today. It was empty (probably cause that’s how I left it). I checked facebook on my own computer. I showered in my own shower.

Basically all I’m trying to say is: we made it home. And this trip has been amazing. I’m just in one of those “I love the whole world and all the nice people in it” kind of moods right now. So many stepped up to help us out on the road. It’s amazing how people you’ve never met will take you in even though you’re a bunch of snot-nosed music kids who play in a band and roam around in a big green van (that occasionally sputters and probably needs a new fuel pump). We got to meet some amazing new friends, many of whom let us stay at their houses for free, and cooked us meals and provided splendid company.

After our first show at the Purple Fiddle (which was super fun; full house, boisterous crowd, and great hospitality) we had a day off and we got to relax in Manassas, VA where some of the aforementioned new friends put us up in their beautiful house. We spent the day swimming in their pool and resting our road-weary bones in their hottub, and spent the late hours of the night outside by the fire eating chocolate cake and playing music with our hosts who can play nstruments we can’t, like violins and clarinets, which makes it all the more fun.

Next day we got to meet up with some of our favorite buddies in Leesburg, Va: Cadillac Sky. After we opened up for them they closed the show out with a huge jam that went on for almost 20 minutes where they called all us Vespers up there and we each took a solo. Phoebe shook her curls and her tambourine with more vigor than you can imagine. Bruno banged away on the keyboard so hard that Ross couldn’t resist dropping his fiddle and joining him. Taylor practically played “Moby Dick” right there in the middle of the song when it was his turn for a drum solo. It was crazy. We met some great people at that show too and got invited to play a house show the next night for someone’s 40th birthday. We all ate at IHOP that night with Cadillac Sky and Taylor challenged them to eat a piece of bread in 30 seconds. Ross and Matt both tried, their eyes got huge about 15 seconds in (as did their cheeks), they both mumbled something along the lines of “You guys suck!” and then they both failed. We just laughed, and Brian and David and Panda laughed with us, mostly cause they were secretly pleased with themselves for not accepting the bread challenge and being made fools of.

Next day this amazing couple named Ed and Elisabeth we had met the night before drove us all to DC for the day and showed us around. My favorite thing was the Lincoln Memorial. I never knew Abraham Lincoln was so tall ;-) Next they drove us to Olive Garden and bought us all probably the best dinner we had during the whole trip. Something I’ve learned: when you’re on the road you never know when your next good meal is going to be so whenever you’re offered real food, you over eat and make yourself sick. It’s inevitable. Ed and Elisabeth let us sleep at their house that night. Something else I have learned: when you’re on the road you never know when your next good night’s sleep is going to be so whenever you’re offered a soft bed you oversleep and make yourself lazy. Side note: the next morning when we finally got out of bed Ed made us the most amazing french toast I’ve ever eaten in my life.

At this point we had a couple days off and we traveled on to Richmond to hang out with Taylor’s and Bruno’s cousin Audrey, who of course had found friends who offered us their house for lodging for several days in a row. People are so nice! We had alot of fun on those days. Went to Virginia Beach, and to Busch Gardens, and thankfully no one threw up. Check out Facebook and Twitter for pictures.

I got horribly sunburned on the beach, and the next show we played in Ashland was fun but somewhat painful because everytime I played an instrument the weight of it pulled on the strap which was on my shoulder which was toasted to pink perfection. It did turn into a nice tan though.

Our next show was really fun too because the venue was so pretty and the staff was so nice. The Clementine Cafe in Harrisonburg had a huge lounge for us downstairs where they served us amazing mashed potatoes and bruschetta and let us relax and be pampered until we had to play. The crowd that night was pretty rowdy and the bands that opened for us were great. Met great people, had a blasty blast, and spent the night in an adorable bed and breakfast.

The next day we got to meet for the first time our friend Barry Louis Polisar, renowned children’s author and songwriter, also known for his cut “All I Want is You” that plays during the opening credits on the movie Juno. Phoebe and I covered that song a while ago for a Barry Louis Polisar tribute album, and we’ve been internet friends with him ever since. Turns out, he lives in Maryland and ended up coming to our show at the Friendly Inn, and…of course, offered us a place to stay at his house that night. So, we got to shake hands face to face with the amazing BLP and he sent us home with a bunch of his CD’s to listen to and his books to read.

The van barely made it home. It sputtered. We changed the spark plugs. It sputtered some more. We limped it home anyway. 12 straight hours from Maryland to Nashville, and we had to make it home in time because we all had tickets to see Arcade Fire. We seriously walked into the Ryman right as the opening band was finishing up, and let Arcade Fire thoroughly inspire and awe us. Then we went home to our beds.

And I write all this to say: thank you to everyone who was a part of this little tour. Your love and hospitality made it what it was and we couldn’t have done it without you. Take care of each other.

-Callie

P.S. We’ll see all our Nashville buddies on August 22nd at 3rd and Lindsley for the Nashville Sunday night broadcast on Lightning 100. Can’t wait!