In the beginning.......

It all started with a cover band show.

And what amazes me before I really got into the scene was that I could've cared less about it. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE music, but I was more about the original songs and what they had to offer. While I have to admit now it's kinda cool that I see bands who play all my favorite songs from childhood (and adulthood), at the time I felt that cover bands were a waste of my time.

In fact, I felt they were a COMPLETE waste of my time! A recent college graduate, engaged to my West Point sweetheart, I was ready to embrace being an Army Wife. I had no time to waste on frivolous things like going to the club or a bar for amusement. I had to worry about formals and deployment dates. It felt like living in a constant state of panic, because here I was, only 22 years old, having to worry about my fiancee never coming home from his deployment. While it was a little less than two years off, it scared me senseless. Never had I had to worry about adult responsibilities of this caliber. I was still focused on my new full-time job and making ends meet as I moved out of my house.

I was soon to find out post-West Point that my life was not going to go in the direction I had thought. Just after a year of being engaged and four years together, my ex ended our relationship while posted at Fort Sill in OK. There was no conversation, no interaction of any kind. Just a text message explaining that he did not feel the way a future husband should feel about his future wife. The pain in the end tore me apart in ways I refuse to re-hash here, but I know ended up better for me. I started to hang out with friends more and re-connect with the world I had come to let go of for so long. And when I started to go back to seeing cover bands, I felt at home.

As I learned, time changes perspective, people come and go, and even I started to respect and admire the musicians who took their time to play my favorite songs. In fact, if it hadn't been for returning to shows, I don't think I would have been dating my current boyfriend, Matt. That's him, kissing my face. Strangely enough, he's a cover band musician himself, performing in one of the biggest cover bands in NJ. I don't know where I would be if it had not been for his ability to remind me that while one door closes, another one opens right before you. I would not be the person I am today had it not been for him. Where my dreams in my previous relationship were encouraged then discouraged, Matt has always supported anything that I decided I wanted to do in my life and because of that, I've found my niche.

And after almost a year of my boyfriend performing in his current band, I decided to start a blog to process all those thoughts and moments that I've learned and experienced. Whether it be the crazy girls who come out and drunkenly jump out on stage, to onstage antics that provide much laughter and fun, there's always something to be learned from each experience I have had in this current chapter of my life!

And so yes, while it all started with a cover band, I've gained so much more than that! I've had the opportunity of a lifetime to make several new friends, travel to places that I never thought I would go, and partake in those special moments that only those from within the "family" can only appreciate and love. I'm grateful that for once in my life, I opened my eyes to new experiences and traveled outside of that comfort zone I had grown accustomed to. I hope that maybe, just maybe, you'll get to see the world through my eyes......and maybe it'll teach you new and exciting things, just like it taught me.

So starts a new chapter........

~Jenny Rockstar~