Category Archives: Jonas Brothers

I AM the MOM

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Today’s Blog is sponsored by Evolutionary Women
www.evolutionarywomen.org

For more information on becoming a sponsor go to www.livealifeworthcelebrating.com.

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I am the mother. At night, I dance and sing and clap and cheer at the concerts. I talk with people and I have a good time.

During the day I plan out the next day’s drive. I look a week or so in advance and arrange places to stay.

I make phone calls back to Baltimore. Checking with my friend, Karen who is handling details at my house. A radiator pipe started to drip. A contract on the house not working out. I look at the bank account and calculate how many concerts we can plan in advance. I arrange the food, fill the gas tank, anticipate the next oil change, review the weather.

It is an honor to be of service. And at the same time, I am walking a new path for myself. I am sending e-mails to authors from our book Conscious Choices: An Evolutionary Woman’s Guide to Life. I e-mail around the authors around country while I support my daughter in her dream. She is amazing! I watch her determination with the blogs and answering e-mails. It is my joy.

And everyday I ask myself, what is my purpose? Am I here only to support her dream or am I also laying a foundation for me?

There is a balancing act for most mothers. The question I have asked myself many times, “When am I me and when am I a part of “she.” When am I the mother and when am I a separate person, named Andrea.

The first time I fully realized this loss of identity was when my oldest daughter was about two years old. I was sitting in the baby pool at a public pool and the mothers and fathers began to introduce themselves, sort of. The questions focused on the children. Words like, “ahhhh, she is so cute. How old is she? What’s her name?” No one asked about my life, my interests, even my name!

It was okay at first. I adored her, my daughter, Mary and then Liz, Cooper and Hannah. I loved to talk about them, my bundles of joy. I still love to talk to them and about them. They are all amazing individuals. (Cooper died in 1993. A story for another day.)

As the mother, I was identified as Mary’s Mom, Liz’s Mom and now Hannah’s Mom. No one knew my name. A N D R E A …

So, what does this have to do with the concerts? Hannah and I lead separate but intertwined lives this summer. I am known as Hannah’s Mom at the concert venue or as the mother who is traveling to 45 concerts with her daughter.

I am thrilled to support her and I am aware of the things I put aside every day. The book draft from last summer that is waiting for the submission paperwork to an editor, the six blogs in draft form that I haven’t had time to finish because I am running the errands, doing the driving, coordinating the next places to stay. Paying the bills, finding the food, cleaning the car. And as thrilled as I am to support her and watch her and love her, I have moments of asking, what’s in it for me? Like Kevin Costner in the Field of Dreams, I am brought to the edge every day financially, emotionally, physically, spiritually.

I am not complaining. I am bringing into awareness the needs that must be met in some way or I will become resentful. I am aware that I love the concerts, the Jonas Brothers, Honor Society, the Wonder Girls and Jordin Sparks. I am aware that I love the journey with my daughter. I love the driving, the traveling, the listening and something is stirring in me. Words that must be written. A path that is opening for me.

In this awareness, I am sitting in a Panera Bread location in Baltimore this morning. With all of the errands that still need my attention and getting Hannah to the Honor Society Verizon event early, I am taking 30 minutes to drink a cup of coffee and write a blog for me.

I must have my own individualized expression. Sometimes the only way to get it is to decide and to commit to a time for me. I am letting go once again to trust that everything will happen today in the perfect timing.

All is well.

Posted in Andrea Hylen, Baltimore, coffeeshop, Hannah Hylen, homeschooling, Jonas Brothers, jonas watch, Panera Bread, parenting

Concert 11- Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Thanks to the Tucker Family: Shelly, Pete, Gaby, Ethan and Sammy for sponsoring the blog today.

For more information on sponsoring a blog go to www.livealifeworthcelebrating.com.

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July 8, 2009

Concert 11- Minneapolis, Minnesota

A comedy of errors. Today started out the opposite of yesterday, as far as being in the stream of life and yet, I am focused on the comedy and irony of so many of the details. I went from stress to adrenalin flow to laughing. Sounds like a crazy woman, eh?

We were driving from Omaha, Nebraska to Minneapolis, Minnesota. We left an hour later than we had planned. There was one area of construction after another so it took us two hours longer than the google map estimate. We found the Quality Inn hotel in Bloomington and in record speed, we changed our clothes and freshened up.

Heading into Minneapolis, I missed the exit. Trying to weave my way back to the correct location, we found a huge crowd and a big stadium-type place.

Two clues should have told me that this was the wrong venue. One was the signs pointing to something called the Metronome. The venue was at the Target Center. And many people were wearing Minnesota Twins shirts. I laugh again, as I think about this. I can remember thinking that this must be something people do in Minneapolis. They wear baseball shirts where ever they go. I am still chuckling about this!

A word of wisdom, if you go to a concert and the crowd is wearing shirts with a baseball team and you don’t see anyone wearing a band T-shirt, you are at a baseball game NOT a concert!!

By the time we discovered this, I had paid $20 for parking and Hannah had tried to get into the stadium with her Jonas Brothers ticket. I was already walking towards the stadium. Oh, and my phone died. Totally, it will-not-start-ever-again!

The parking attendant refunded the parking fee with no problems and gave us directions to the Target Center which I kept calling the Staples Center (I had LA on the mind.)

When I dropped Hannah off at the front of the venue, she said something to me about focusing on the positive and I made the decision to look at everything that had gone right that day.

The scenery was beautiful all day.
Fresh cup of coffee from Starbucks mid-afternoon.
Beautiful hotel for a reasonable price.
Hotel check-in was done in record time
Refund from parking at the baseball game.

Found the Target Center easily with the new directions.
Followed two cars to a parking lot which was had easy entry
Parking cost was $9.00 instead of $20.
Followed the signs to the Center that took me on a skywalk.
Saw the Honor Society manager and met some of his family friends and had a nice conversation.
Great seats. Center of the stage, 11th row.
Arrived five minutes before the Honor Society started. Didn’t miss a thing.
Sat next to a lovely woman. Her husband is a Minneapolis police officer. They have a connection to Jordin Sparks manager, I think a cousin. And she was there with her daughter and two friends and she danced the whole time!
On my other side, were two teenagers. One of them watches Hannah’s youtube videos and reads her blog. She was excited to meet me and here our story.

As I said earlier, I dropped Hannah off while I looked for parking. We had agreed to meet at the Starbucks across the street because I didn’t have a phone! to let her know where I would be parking.

I had about 15 minutes to sit and watch the crowd. There were other parents waiting for their teens. When they connected, the girls had bright, glowing, tear stained faces. The parents faces brightened as they watched and listened to the joy of the girls. Lots of nodding and smiling from the parents. The girls were so happy and talkative.

There were groups of teens and young 20’s with arms interlocked and still singing a Jonas song as they walked down the street. There were mothers holding the hands of their 7 and 8 year old daughters, as tightly as possible, so as not to lose them. An occasional chain of young girls and a mother or two with arms tightly linked to form an invincible chain of protection. And of course, in the background, there were waves of screams as the possibility of a view of a Jonas Brother happened.

The concert was great. I was tired. And this moment of sitting and watching the crowd was a beautiful way to end a day that was pretty good after all.

Posted in Andrea Hylen, Hannah Hylen, Jonas Brothers, jonas watch, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Concert 9-Provo Utah STADIUM OF FIRE!

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Tricia Kramer, L.Ac.
Acupuncture Body+Mind+Spirit
National Board Certified
Baltimore, MD 21208
and
Media, PA 19063
by appointment
410-484-2020
www.acufinder.com

Thank you to Tricia Kramer for sponsoring the blog today

For more information on sponsoring the blog, go to www.livealifeworthcelebrating.com

*********************

Concert 9- Provo, Utah, Stadium of Fire!

Happy 4th of July 2009!

Here is the story of The Stadium of Fire, the Jonas Brothers and the Fourth of July 2009!

The tickets went on sale in March 2009. These were the first tickets announced for the summer Jonas Brothers concert tour. The announcement caught my eye for several reasons:

1. The Jonas Brothers
2. 4th of July
3. Utah (we are planning on moving from Baltimore to California.)

With all of the real estate traffic through the house, I thought it would sell quickly and we would be moving to the west coast. Even without going on a Jonas tour, it felt like it would make sense to plan a west coast 4th of July. Hannah was hesitant to purchase the tickets because we couldn’t find any good seats. We went back and forth talking about this for months.

A few days ago, we finally decided to go to Utah, skip the Edmonton concert on July 2 and Winnipeg on July 5 and take our chances with tickets.

We found tickets the day before the concert and both of us love, love, loved our locations in the stadium. Hannah was a couple of rows from the edge of the catwalk. I had a front row seat to all of the festivities on the field, section 34B. If I was watching a football game, it was probably the 50 yard line, first row, behind the coach. It was great to see all of the pageantry. People dressed in time period costumes that coordinated with a flag from that era, like the Civil War. A variety of kids with flags and fire batons entertained with enthusiasm and smiles.

I was reading the event program before everything started and I saw that the event was going to be broadcast via satellite to thousands of military bases around the world. Tears sprang to my eyes. I felt the magnitude of this all evening. With each wave of entertainment, music, prayers and finally the fireworks, I could feel the power of this. A stadium filled with people who were sharing the evening with military personnel all over the planet. We are all One.

I sat with two teenage girls who are cousins and on the other side, a mother with a pre-teen and a toddler. Each of us with our own story of how we arrived here. One of the cousins decided to attend this event at the last minute. She had the better seat and the two girls were trying to figure out how to sit together during the evening. Our seating was benches with backs and I told them that we could all squish in together. They giggled and made fun of things throughout the evening. Only once, as we practiced the Star Spangled Banner with one of the Osmond sons leading us, did I say anything “parental” to the girls. They made up words and were laughing throughout the whole song. I gently shared with them that the reason we were practicing was because this would be transmitted to military locations all over the world. We would be sharing the evening with people who are fighting for and protecting our freedom. I could see that they felt the impact of that and I also felt their respect for the military during the singing later that evening. They were really nice girls and I knew that they weren’t meaning to be disrespectful.

Our host for the evening was Glenn Beck, a radio show host on the FOX network. I really appreciated how he created an atmosphere for everyone, including me, a tree hugging, liberal. He talked about how it was time for each of us to focus on our similarities and to come together as a country. Amen, brother. I believe that when each of us finds peace inside, it will create peace on the outside.

SheDaisy was the opening band. I had never heard of them. I enjoyed the music but I am not sure which songs they sang. I searched for them on YouTube today and found a variety of songs, included, “What This Woman Needs.” I really like this song.

Then, the Jonas Brothers came on the stage. Woo Hoo! I missed these guys. It had been four days since I had been at a concert and I was ready. I danced and sang and jumped up and down for the all of the songs, as usual. I had fun with the pre-teen, Mom and toddler on the other side of my seat. The toddler kept holding her arms up to me. When the boys sang Play My Music from Camp Rock, I picked her up, sang to her, danced and twirled and dipped her. It was a blast!

As soon as the set was over, the Fireworks began! Whoa, baby! Last year, I was on a hilltop with all of the fireworks far away. This year, I was right under the fireworks. They were ca-razy close. The woman next to me got a hot ember in her ear and there was a glowing chunk that landed at my feet. I loved it and it was a little freaky at the same time. I was careful to guard my eyes. We all had pieces of fireworks on our body.

I have to say this was the coolest fireworks I have ever been to for several reasons:

1. The satellite and feeling the connection to people all over the world.
2. The Jonas Brothers
3. Long, amazing show
4. A choir that sang patriotic songs during the fireworks.

Next to the Jonas Brothers, my favorite songs to sing in a crowd are songs about loving this country. I always feel a connection to the whole world when I sing these songs. I have to do a separate blog on the patriotic music because this is getting so long and I have much more to share!

After the Jonas Brothers the sequence of events were fireworks and a few recorded songs, “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Defying Gravity” were two.

Next came a Flag Retirement Ceremony. I wish I had the specifics but it was something like this. The flag had been used for 7 or 8 years. It was torn and needed to be retired. There were about twenty to thirty people who carried the flag onto the field and it was placed in a huge incinerator and burned. When the burning began, a huge blast of fire shot up a wire framed torch. It took my breath away, it was so powerful.

And then, a Patriotic Pyrotechnic finale with amazing patriotic songs.

These are my favorite moments in the concerts. It is when I feel the connection to everyone. Imagine being in a stadium where the majority of the people are sending love, commitment, honoring and respect throughout the world. Imagine how we could shift things on the planet if we all joined together and sent forth this kind of love. How would things change?

Posted in 4th of July, Andrea Hylen, fireworks, Hannah Hylen, homeschooling, Jonas Brothers, jonas watch, military, Provo, Utah

When was the last time you took a leap in your life? Happy Independence Day!

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Tricia Kramer, L.Ac.
Acupuncture Body+Mind+Spirit
National Board Certified
Baltimore, MD 21208
and
Media, PA 19063
by appointment
410-484-2020
www.acufinder.com

Thank you to Tricia Kramer for sponsoring the blog today

For more information on sponsoring the blog, go to www.livealifeworthcelebrating.com

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Letter sent to Family and Friends on July 4, 2009

Hello everyone!

Hannah, my 16 year old daughter, and I are on a journey. Some of you know last summer, we traveled to 15 Jonas Brothers’ concerts and drove 10,000 miles. For both of us, it was a journey of healing and reconnecting to the world. Since my husband/her father died, we had both been isolating in many ways and this brought us into the world again. Both of us remembered things about ourselves that had been forgotten in the grief.

I discovered a passion for writing and am continuing to express myself in this medium. In Hannah, I began to see her ability to self-organize and respond to questions on her blog from girls all over the world. I also saw the talent she has with photography, film and editing.

When we returned home, more ideas continued to bubble until I realized that it was time to sell the house. In the journey of selling the house, Hannah and I decided to travel this summer and follow the Jonas Brothers and have an even deeper experience before moving to California for the next life adventure.

There was one hitch in the giddy-up, the contract on the house fell through right before the trip. The question was, “Do we go or do we stay?” It would have been easy to stay and to wait for a buyer. To stay in our comfort zone and feel safe in Baltimore. It would have been easy to see this as a “sign” to give up on our dream.

But, for anyone who knows me well, playing it safe would never have been an option. It was time to do the trust walk out in the world, especially when all of the doors had been opening for us in that direction for months.

I asked myself, “Do I stop trusting now because I don’t have all of the answers and because I don’t see all of the steps in front of me?” Or do I climb to the top of my three-story house and leap?

We decided to leap and go on this journey, opening to how far we could get.

I made a commitment to the first three Jonas Brothers concerts. Dallas, Tulsa and Denver. As soon as I made the commitment, I received an invitation to stay with two friends along the journey. A potluck/book discussion was created for me to speak in Arkansas about Creativity and the book Conscious Choices. In Tulsa, a reporter found us through his daughter and we were featured on the front page and the music section of Tulsa World, the city’s newspaper.

In three weeks, I have seen three stopping points and then something shifted with a place to stay, an unexpected check, the sale of some books. It looked like we were out of money in Denver, in Tacoma and in Vancouver. And here we are in Salt Lake City with enough funds for the next week that will bring us back to Baltimore before heading north to NYC and Boston.

The idea of asking for sponsors came to me when we were on the road about ten days ago. I created some website pages, sent an e-mail to a small group of women and then wasn’t sure how to proceed until yesterday.

It came to me to ask. Write this letter and send it to every person in my life who I have touched or who has touched me. The next idea was to create a family and friends special and ask for sponsors, support and adventurers to come along with me and sponsor the blog with money and resources.

My victory is your victory. My YES! to the Universe, is your YES! to the Universe. My adventure leads you to your adventure.

It takes courage to step out of your comfort zone and risk everything. I am learning to relax more on this evolutionary edge and follow the ideas and the guidance. Every step leads me to the next step.

(This is funny. The ad on my Facebook page in this moment reads, “Be more than a Leader. Be an influential leader. Learn how to create solutions that make a difference!”)

This is what my daily life is right now. More than having fun at a concert, I am talking with people and encouraging them to reach farther for their dreams. I have made a big leap and I can see that it is in the small moments of this leap that I am having impact on the individuals I meet, my daughter and myself.

You can support this adventure in several ways:

1. Sponsor a blog. (Look at the note titled Sponsor Categories for Friends and Family)

a. List your family- The DaGrava family

b. List your business with .jpg logo and website

c. List a favorite charity- It could read something like, The Gardener-Rosemary family encourages you to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation www.komen.org

d. Congratulate a family member: The Brown family congratulates Luke on graduating from middle school!

e. Gather money with a group- sponsored by the soulvoyagers or volleyball team 22.

f. If you are an author, advertise your book or advertise a tele-class, workshop or retreat.

2. Buy some copies of Conscious Choices- the link is on my website-www.livealifeworthcelebrating.com

3. Connect us with an agent to help us find a publisher and for an advance on our books. (Two about the Jonas Brothers concerts from a Mom’s and a daughter’s perspective and one is about the spiritual quest that happened for me last year, as I learned to open to inspiration.)

4. Connect us with gas cards, meal cards, free hotels and tickets to Jonas Brothers concerts. And other sponsors.

Our largest population is teenagers and their Moms. From our experience last summer, we have large numbers of teens during the summer and then there is an increase of Moms when I write articles in the fall and winter. The Moms read the blog from now until next summer.

The blogs and sponsors will be on-line until June 1, 2010.

Here are some of our numbers since June 22, 2009 (except for Hannah’s Youtube account which has been growing over the last year.)

Hannah’s blog- www.hannahhylen.blogspot.com 2-3,000 hits per day

Her Youtube ranking one day was 6 (June 23, I think) and one day was 16 (June 21)- This is videos viewed in a single account in one day of ALL videos viewed on YouTube.

Hannah’s YouTube account- 5,529 subscribers and 128,067 channel views. One of her videos has 266,000 + hits from a week ago!

Jonas Watch Fans on Facebook 600+

www.livealifeworthcelebrating.com- 1,500 hits per week

www.andreahylen.blogspot.com – 1800 hits in the first two weeks of the blog.

If you feel a connection with this, read over the sponsor details in the next note, sign up and spread the word.

We are contacting media ourselves now and following the inspiration of how to live a life worth celebrating and share the adventure with you, too!

In gratitude,

Andrea

Posted in 4th of July, Andrea Hylen, Hannah Hylen, homeschooling, Jonas Brothers, jonas watch, Utah

Concert 8-Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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Thank you to my sponsor for today’s blog.
www.evolutionarywomen.org

Authors’s Note. I added a description of the Passport journey and a few things about worrying vs trusting life to this blog. As we finish packing up and cleaning our house, I am tweaking some of the drafts that were never published. We go to settlement on our house on Nov 16th and then hopefully a week in Europe before heading to California in the middle of Dec. When we know the details we will share the specifics.

This was the 8th concert of the summer and the second concert in beautiful Vancouver. The day after this concert was Canada Day.

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Concert 8- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
June 30, 2009

Vancouver is beautiful. Everyone who has visited here or seen pictures says how beautiful Vancouver is and it is true! Lush green forests. Mountains that rise from deep blue bodies of water. Nature is woven into the tapestry of the community.

Hannah and I are staying with one of the Conscious Choices authors, Laura Mack and her husband Andrew. Laura wrote a story in the CC book called, “Finding my voice and finding my community.” Laura is the embodiment of community. (I first met her when she was in Baltimore for a convention and stayed an extra four days to attend the first east coast Evolutionary Women Retreat.)

Laura and I started the day with coffee and then an hour walk from her home to the village of Deep Cove. She told me that the weather we were having was the perfect summer weather in Vancouver. Sun, light breeze, low 80’s. We walked through neighborhoods that led us to a dense forest with a paved path. The sunlight occasionally peaked through the trees to warm our faces. At the bottom of the hill, we found the cove. A brief hello to their boat, The Lovable, stopping to breathe in the beauty and then back up the hill. It was a walk that made me think I would have a very tight gluteous maximus if I could do this hour long walk everyday.

When Laura and I arrived back at the house, Hannah and I tried to connect to the wireless system. They had just switched to a new internet provider and for some reason, neither Hannah nor I could connect. Our plan B gave us an opportunity to drive into the little village in the opposite direction of the cove. We spent an hour at a lovely coffee shop called Bean Around the World. Good coffee. Delicious apple, poppy seed muffins. Big, round, wooden tables.

We drove to General Motors Place, the Vancouver arena and walked around talking with people. It was another quiet day. It felt like a weekend even though it was Tuesday. The next day was Canada Day, a day of independence and a big holiday, like our 4th of July. Across the street from the arena, I found a bench to sit on and I reflected on the challenges we had overcome to be here in Canada.

One of the things was the expired passport. Here is the story of the passport. As you know, the month before leaving on this trip, we cleared our entire home. On our third day on the road and the day before our first concert of the summer in Dallas. I woke up early to organize the blog, update my website, start a fan page and respond to a long list of phone calls and e-mails to people in Baltimore. I checked our next few stops and looked at the passports.

Long pause… Mouth open… Eyes wide… Breathing stopped…

In one hand is my passport. All is well.

In my other hand is Hannah’s passport with bold, red letters CANCELLED.

We brought the wrong passport. We were scheduled to cross the border to Vancouver, on June 29, ten days from then. No one else had a key to the storage unit at home in Baltimore. And even if they did, where would I tell them to begin to look for it? The storage unit was packed to the ceiling. For all I knew, it was recycled with the trash.

This summer I was planning on weaving book talks with authors from a book I co-authored called, “Conscious Choices: An Evolutionary Woman’s Guide to Life.” Even if we skipped the Jonas Brothers concerts, I wanted to visit and spend time with Laura.

After a trip to a local passport center in Dallas, a phone call to the US Government and a series of pushing buttons on the automated reservation line, Hannah and I had an appt in Aurora, CO on June 23 10:30am. This required leaving the Jonas concert in Tulsa, OK about 15 minutes early and driving through the night to arrive in Denver by 10:15 am to check in.

Hannah and I drove through the night to get the passport. We arrived 30 minutes early. Everything went smoothly at the office. It was challenging to drive, yes. But, Hannah stepped up to the plate and drove for 2 hours following the directions I had for her. I had an opportunity to let go and trust her. Early in the morning, when I had taken the wheel and had been driving for hours, I listened to my body and pulled over to sleep for 45 minutes in the parking lot of a Comfort Inn. I saw an amazing pale pink and blue sunrise through the rear view mirror. I heard birds chirping as I sped along the highway. I saw the mountains coming into full view in Denver. I had these experiences because of the missing passport.

The woman who helped us at the passport office was nice and friendly and supportive. Everything happened with ease and grace. I had more than enough information to support the processing of the passport.

As we climbed into the car to drive to Longmont, Colorado, I thought about how much time I had spent worrying about this. I had two nights when I woke up in the middle of the night. I began to think about the worrying. Had the worrying supported this process at all? Did the worrying get us to the passport office on time or did I waste precious time on something I had no control over? All I really could do was show up with the requested paperwork and be in the moment of the Yes or No.

I asked myself, why can’t I just trust life to bring me my highest good?

Yes, I have experienced loss of loved ones and some of my dreams have not come true. I have had my share of disappointments. But, I also have had a pretty amazing, magical life. I have received some strong intuitive thoughts that have led me to jobs, friends, homeschooling my kids, and of course, to the jonas brothers concerts with my daughter.

I ask myself, “Why can’t I trust life to support me? Why must I worry and fear that things will not work out?” None of the worry or fear actually brings me good stuff and it actually takes me out of enjoying the present moment.

I arrived in Longmont, Colorado and realized that I had my friend’s UPS address and not her home address. She is in Hawaii. I called her. She answered her phone and gave me her home address and directions. I easily found the key, entered her lovely home and had a comfortable bed to sleep on for an afternoon nap.

Why am I holding so tightly onto the details of life when I have so much proof that I am supported?

And here I am in Vancouver. A beautiful city. A guest in a home filled with love. Sitting on a bench enjoying the people and the city. Ready to see what will be another amazing, heart centered Jonas Brothers concert.

Today I have money in my pocket. Food in my belly. Time to watch, listen and dance and sing. A place to sleep. Gas in the car. a healthy body. A smart mind.

I ask myself this question:

Do I want to know all of the answers so I can watch the movie of my life or am I here for the ride?

I choose the ride.

Posted in Andrea Hylen, Bean Around the World, coffeeshop, Conscious Choices: An Evolutionary Woman's Guide to Life, Hannah Hylen, homeschooling, Jonas Brothers, jonas watch, Vancouver

Concert 6- Tacoma, Washington

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6th concert: Tacoma, Washington
June 28, 2009

Author’s Note: Going back to the beginning. This week two blogs. One was the 5th concert in Portland and now this one in Tacoma, Washington, the 6th concert. (June 27 and June 28, 2009) If anyone has videos or pictures from either concert, go to Jonas Watch Fan Page on Facebook and post them. Thanks!

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Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. – Mary Mannin Morrissey

Concert 6: Tacoma, Washington
June 29, 2009

I messed up. I made arrangements to sleep in two different homes in Seattle.

Instead of Sleepless in Seattle. We were Sleep-Full in Seattle!

Yesterday, on the way to Portland, I realized that my friend Chad lived in Seattle, not Portland. You may say, how much of a friend is he if I don’t know where he lives?

Chad and I had been in a Transformation Circle together. It was a year long personal, transformation program with Barbara DeAngelis. Our group of 30 people met in Palm Springs and in Sedona several times for weekend retreats. We wrote to each other on a yahoo group. We spent hours and hours on coaching calls on the phone. I knew some of his deepest desires, his greatest pain, and the joy of seeing him heal and transform. He knew my old story and had seen me emerge with a new life, too. I had visited with other circle members on the East Coast but I had never visited the West Coast members. And somehow, I got it into my head that Chad lived in Portland.

Then another friend from Baltimore, Karen Porter, had a friend in Seattle who jumped through hoops for us to stay with her. Karen’s friend was going to be out of town. She changed the sheets on the beds, made arrangements with the neighbors to serve as support for getting us into the house and setting the alarm. Several weeks of going back and forth. I would imagine she had food or something to welcome us. She is that kind of welcoming hostess.

I thought we were staying in Portland on June 27 and in Seattle on June 28. So, on the way to Portland, I looked at Chad’s address and saw that it was Seattle. I was so mad at myself. After a little bit of driving and thinking, I decided we would stay with Chad for both nights. It would give me a chance to visit with Chad and would give Hannah another full day to rest. I wrote a note to Karen’s friend and apologized for the mix-up.

It was a long drive from Idaho to the Portland concert and to Seattle. We had one time zone change and gained an hour on the clock but not in the body. Ten hours of driving with dinner and a 3+ hour concert in Portland in the middle. As we rolled into Seattle at 3am, Chad was waiting up for us with Tanner, his dog. Tanner had lots of barks and kisses for us. He was very excited to have visitors. (I meant Tanner, but Chad was happy to see us, too!)

After a few hours of sleep, I woke up early to check e-mail and finances. We had made it farther than I had thought we would a week ago. I was checking on bids on my house, looking at bank balances, estimating the expenses of the next week. My parents were willing to loan me some money to pay the mortgage and house expenses. This would give me time to think about current bids on the house and allow for the realtor to contact the 27 people who had expressed interest in buying the house. It would give Hannah and me a little more money for a few more concerts. We could finish the concerts on the West Coast and head towards Baltimore. Today was also a day of coordinating the details of places to stay and tickets for the next few concerts.

The idea of sponsors came to me a week ago. It could be someone who was interested in being a part of the adventure, something I had done for other friends and their kids over the years. It is wonderful to support someone with a dream.

It could be a company with a product that was in integrity with our values. It would have to be a product we would use. American Eagle or Urban Outfitters clothing stores for Hannah. Ann Taylor Loft or J. Jill for me. Apple Computers. Panera Bread Company. It would have to be a win-win for everyone involved.

In this economy, advertisers are looking for unique opportunities. How do they get information about their products out to their target audience? I have been a part of many events that had sponsors for conventions, expos, and theater productions. I wanted to talk with Chad to see if he had any ideas about companies or how to contact them.

I was feeling impatient with myself and a little frustrated that I was so far behind in my blogs. Between driving and staying with people who we wanted to talk with, there was little time for sleep. Blogging consisted of jotting down notes on pieces of paper, napkins, hastily typed into the body of the future blog. I was looking for time to sit down and write.

When Chad woke up we talked about finances, going for the dream, the transition we were both in and our willingness to find new ideas and opportunities. We talked about the sponsor possibilities and we talked about the companies Chad was interviewing with for his next consulting job. He was weighing the pros and cons of travel, moving, selling his house, commuting and what to do with Tanner if he was working part time in another city. Chad had sold some of his furniture while thinking about selling his house and moving. Hannah and I had slept in our sleeping bags on his carpeted guest room.

We decided to let Hannah keep sleeping while Chad and Tanner gave me a tour of the city in their jeep. We drove to a park with an overview of the Space needle, Puget Sound and an overview of the entire city of Seattle. Tanner got a bit of a walk and we all enjoyed the beautiful day.

Chad and I talked about going to the gay pride parade, but we opted for driving through some of the neighborhoods and getting some good coffee and bagels. Both of us needed some time to slow down and let the ideas flow.

When we arrived back at Chad’s apartment, I woke up Hannah so she could shower and get ready to drive to Tacoma, an hour away. Chad and I continued to talk about our lives and brainstorm ideas for jobs and income for another hour.

When Hannah was ready we drove to Tacoma. It was an easy drive and we arrived really early. It was a Sunday and was quiet at the Tacoma Dome. After picking up our tickets from the will call office and I took a long walk around the community.

Hannah won a Sound Check pass for today by purchasing tickets in advance through her Team Jonas account. She was randomly selected to win. This was one of the reasons we were so early. We wanted to make sure we arrived on time, found parking and picked up the Sound Check pass.

I heard some music down the hill and joined a group dancing with Radio Disney. Cha, cha slide, and a little macarena.

Standing by the Verizon Wireless bus recording studio, the members of the Honor Society slipped out a side door of the exhibition hall and appeared right next to me. I talked with Alex, the drummer and reminded him who I was. Recognition in his eyes and a smile with the words, “That is so cool!” popping from his lips. I hadn’t talked with him since Denver, but he remembered. You could see it in his expression. I got a few pictures from the back. They were all facing the crowd and I was in the mix of people behind them.

It was still sunny and 85 degrees with a slight breeze blowing across the water. The wind was gently swirling my hair and waving the flags on the flagpole. The tree made sounds of quiet rustling sounds whispering a sweet song. I decided to half sit and half lean on a wall and watch the crowd. The wall was slanted, like a right triangle. I had one leg straight like I was standing and then sat on the wall with the other leg at a right angle slanted down the hill. The Tacoma Center was on the top of a hill overlooking Commencement Bay. From this angle, I could watch all of the people walking up the hill and think.

I needed silence. My mind was racing with questions and I wanted to find a stillness to hear the answers. For me the silence is best in nature. I can take a quiet walk. Or I can sit and watch the birds, the flowers, the trees, the wind, the clouds and the sky. As I sit in that still connection between myself and something greater than myself, the questions begin to appear.

Jonas tickets. How to get free tickets. Contests.

Warren from Verizon Wireless walked by me. I jumped off the ledge and slid next to him, keeping the pace of his long stride as I asked him about the Verizon Wireless contests. “Where are the Verizon contests for tickets? Last year I sat near a row of Verizon marked seats that were empty in Indiana and I saw the same thing in Denver, four days ago.” He didn’t know anything about ticket contests and the seats in Denver may have been for company employees who didn’t come to the concert. He said he would look into it.

Back to the leaning wall.

A woman approached me with information about diabetes. She was wearing a long, flowing skirt with hair to match the flowing energy. Her name was Maggie and she was traveling with her daughters, Jennifer, age 17 and Aribelle, a toddler. They were passionate about educating people about diabetes and raising money for research. They were planning on traveling to most of the concerts this summer, too. Another group of adventurers with a passion. I wonder how many of us are doing this. I would like to hear the stories of everyone.

As I sat on the wall thinking, some of the songs started to play in my mind. I could feel the possibilities of the theme songs for the summer. They are another clue to the journey. I could write a book about my life and in each of the joys and challenges there would be a song. Don’t you feel this way, too? The music is a touchstone, a part of the memory. The music is there to soothe, awaken, heal, get you moving, crying, laughing. Music. Ah, music.

My Summer Songs of 2009:

From the Jonas Brothers, the song is, “Fly With Me.” The song really taps into the place inside of me that has stopped believing in dreams and adventure and love. The words, “To believe once again,” make my heart do a flip flop of joy every time I hear the words.

From Jordin Sparks, the song is, “One Step at a Time.” Losing the contract on my house has placed me in a state of one step at a time. The words, “It’s your faith that makes you stronger, The only way you get there, Is one step at a time.” This is the message for me right now. How much faith do I have? Am I listening to the inner guidance of the silence of my day? Yes. I am listening to hear the next steps and open to the path. Lots of opportunities for growth here. Let go. Live in the present. Quiet. Listen.

From the Honor Society is the song, “See U in the Dark.” This is stirring something in me that is ready for the next chapter in my life. I am closing the chapter of homeschooling Mom. Wife of Hurley. Baltimore resident. I am ready to move into this next chapter and it is scary at the same time. The words, “I’ll never see you the same, The veil has been lifted, now I see you’re gifted, My whole perspective has changed.” This summer I want to explore the questions, “What are my gifts? What is the next step for me? How do I support Hannah in the last two years of school and begin to explore my own new life?” What’s next?

Nobody by the Wonder Girls is just pure fun for me right now. I love to dance with them!

This is the beginning of possibilities. How many concerts will we make it to? How will we do it? I want the answers and I also want to relax into the moment of now. More will be revealed!

Finally, I entered the building. It was an interesting concert. The seats felt like I was in a large auditorium in a college. The feel of the metal bleacher stands with folding plastic seats. I was on the side, diagonal to Garbo, second row. Not a floor seat, but a side seat. I was able to see the band members walk from the side of the arena to the stage. It was hard to take pictures of the stage with all of the people walking around and standing up to dance. I did get a picture of Big Rob, the Jonas Brothers security guard, and Christa Black, string player, and Miguel, one of the horn players.

The Honor Society seemed different. Their energy expanded and filled up the stage. Alex was getting wild with the drums and Michael stood on the drum frame and then jumped high into the air. Andrew twirled his guitar. The crowd went crazy! They are figuring out how to play to a large audience. Great to watch them grow.

The Wonder Girls wore red dresses.

Jordin Sparks continues to change clothes and hairdos. I have to admit that I really love that. It’s funny because I do not put effort into clothes or hair, but I love watching her and the band members change their look every night.

The Jonas Brothers. What is there to say…Fly with me!

Posted in Andrea Hylen, diabetes, Hannah Hylen, homeschooling, Jonas Brothers, jonas watch, Tacoma, Washington, wonder girls

Concert 5- Portland, Oregon

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Thank you to Evolutionary Women for sponsoring the blog today. www.evolutionarywomen.org

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Concert 5: Portland, Oregon
June 27, 2009
My first Jonas Party!

Author’s Note: It has been fun to re-live the summer of 2009, by going back and finishing each blog. This concert blog was in the beginning when we did not know if we would make it to 45. I couldn’t even think that far ahead. All I could see at this point was the next few concerts. This was the first concert with the Wonder Girls. The Honor Society had not really owned the space on the stage yet. Jordin Sparks was getting better and better, but she was still tentative with some of the moves. And the adventures were just beginning. At this point, I didn’t know that I would see Lauren in Las Vegas in August and then in Baltimore in Sept. She is a soul sister who cheered me on to victory each step of the way. I am grateful for this new blossoming friendship. At the end, there is an idea about love…

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The more willing you are to surrender to the energy within you, the more power can flow through you. -Shakti Gawain

I was hesitant about going to this concert. We had been go-go-go-go for a week. Hannah had been sick for two days and she seemed to be getting worse. I have been asking myself is she sick or just run down from the travel?

Thank goodness we were at Nicola and Brad’s house when she got sick. They are the aunt and uncle of my daughter’s fiance, Jesse. They had welcomed us into their home for 48 hours of Hannah’s exhaustion. It was a nurturing environment where Hannah was able to rest before the Nampa, Idaho concert and Portland, Oregon concert. We were comfortable, fed, loved and safe here.

Now we were leaving Nampa with full bellies from a pancake, bacon and egg breakfast. As we loaded the car, Brad lovingly packed a lunch for us. Peanut butter sandwiches with snack bags filled with grapes and protein bars and water. We were equipped with all the food we needed for our drive to Portland.

We didn’t have Jonas tickets for the Portland concert yet and I asked Hannah, if she wanted to go straight to Tacoma, and skip the concert in Portland. Did she need time to rest?

She was determined to go on and would not even consider missing this concert. Please understand that we feel it a privilege to be on this trip and we both feel a responsibility to the fans reading the blog and following along. There are girls all over the world writing to us. They are following our journey and waiting to hear the details. So many girls would love to do this. Just as the Jonas Brothers would not skip a concert because of a cold, headache, or sore throat, we weren’t going to skip it either. Luckily, Hannah could sleep in the car all day.

One other thing happened today that encouraged us to go on. We received a spontaneous invitation to dinner in Portland, Oregon. Lauren, an enthusiastic Jonas fan and a Mom, had been following our story and reading the blog. She was going to the concert with her 13 year old daughter, Kaleigh and a group of their friends. They were having a Jonas pizza party and a barbecue. She sent me an e-mail and asked if we would like to join them for an early dinner. We purchased our tickets on-line and called Lauren when we were a few hours from Portland. She was so welcoming and enthusiastic when we connected on the phone. I couldn’t wait to meet her.

When I walked into their home, I felt like I was back in Baltimore, my hometown for the last 25 years. Lauren’s home was a combination of my two friends, Susan Gardener and Dotti Drumm. The layout of the house was just like Susan’s home. I knew exactly where the bathroom was located on the second floor. There were art spirals on an archway and a variety of art projects made out of everyday items, the way Dotti, a creative folk artist, would have in her home. And the food, drinks, activities, all made me feel like I had been transported home to the East Coast.

The girls were gathered around a table in the backyard with art supplies and T-shirts. They even had a T-shirt for Hannah to decorate. Another reminder of the community in Baltimore. We would have all done the same thing, reach out to a traveler and welcome them, feed them, hand them some art supplies and chat away.

I felt like Lauren was a soul sister. As soon as I met her, I was sharing the events of the last few weeks. It all came tumbling out. The joy, the fear, the journey and everything I had bottled up inside. I was in a home with a girlfriend and I shared it all!

As she offered burgers, veggie burgers, and pizza with pepperoni pieces cut into Jonas, I found myself clapping my hands with joy. One pizza read “Jonas Brothers.” The other was a heart with the word, “Nick.” Appetizers, drinks, laughter and stories, were rolling through the yard and the house, as we talked and listened to the Jonas Brothers music on an I-pod. We were at a Jonas party!

Our community of Jonas fans are on-line or at the concerts. I have never had an opportunity to create, host or attend a Jonas party in someone’s home. I was so happy! How had this fun landed in my lap so easily? What a gift!

Kaleigh’s friends and their Mom’s were weaving in and out of the house. Stories of their day, arranging the details of pick-up, soccer games, SAT events this weekend. Who would drive, what were the plans, how could they support each other? Lauren’s friend, Kathy, received free tickets at the last minute and had entered “Jonas Land.” She wasn’t quite sure about this but was open to the adventure. Jim, Lauren’s husband was sacrificing his birthday for the evening, although I am not sure he had a choice. (Next time call the Jonas Brothers about the scheduling, Jim! Happy Birthday!)

The only bad thing was that Hannah was still sick. I was sorry the girls wouldn’t get to know the real Hannah and she was too tired to fully engage with them. She was dragging and withdrawn and sleepy. We decided to drive our car to the Rose Garden Arena so we could head straight to Seattle after the concert.

We followed Lauren as she wove through the back streets of Portland, avoiding rush hour traffic and to a secret parking spot. I tried to drop Hannah off closer to the arena but when that didn’t work, I swung around in a circle to the amazing on street parking a few blocks from the arena that Lauren had guided us to. All I needed was $2 in quarters compared to $20 and only one extra block of walking. This is another reason to connect with the local fans. They will find the bargains in parking and food!

The doors were open and the lines were already moving when we arrived. We stood in line together and then split up to go to our seats. Hugs and more hugs as we departed.

I had the most amazing tickets tonight. Two nights in a row! I was right on the corner of the catwalk. It is so strange to lock eyes with the boys on stage while I am singing their songs and dancing. I can understand why the girls scream. The boys are so connected to what they are doing. I could feel the energy in my heart. When they look at the fans, they send laser lights of love and it is powerful.

Here are some of the concert details:

It was great to see Honor Society. They had a scheduling conflict with the Idaho concert and had moved on to Portland. Skip one concert and I had already missed them. It was fun to see their sparkling eyes. I am getting better at The Honor Roll dance.

There was a singing group called The Wonder Girls. I heard that they might be joining the tour for a few performances, but tonight is the first night I had seen them. They seemed really sweet. They sang two songs. First they came onto the stage right after The Honor Society and sang a song called, “Tell Me.”

The strangest thing was how they came onto the stage without anyone really announcing them and then started singing to a crowd that was seated and jabbering away. I wondered who their audience would be. Are they here for the elementary school crowd, the high school crowd, the adults or all of us?

After Jordin Sparks sang they came back onto the stage. This time Papa Jonas announced them and asked everyone to stand up and clap for them. He said that they were from Korea and were invited by the Jonas family to come to the U.S. and perform. They had changed their violet, sparkly, swishy dresses to silver, sparkly dresses that sway to the music. They sang the second song, “Nobody.” I love their coordinated dance moves and the simple, catchy tunes with words like, “I want nobody, nobody but you…”

Jordin Sparks and her band performed in between the Wonder Girls two songs. Jordin was wearing a new dress during her set. It was bright yellow and so cute on her. She is really growing as a performert. Fun to watch her, as she just keeps getting better and better with each performance. I am also enjoying the evolution of her hair and clothing. Every night is a surprise.

As I said earlier, I was on the corner of the catwalk. The two Jonas songs that were performed on this side of the stage were, “Gotta Find You,” from Camp Rock and the rain scene for “LoveBug.” I was making eye contact with the guys and feeling the love.

I started thinking about the impact we can each have on the people and the world around us. I have talked with so many fans who feel that the Jonas Brothers music has healed their hearts. They feel sad or unloved. It could be from the loss of a loved one or an illness or a disappointment in life.

As I sang the songs in the concert, I began to imagine that I was a light beam in the world. I was feeling the love and the music and then I was imagining that I could spread that love to the section I was in and then to the rest of the arena and out into the world.

What if that is true? What if whenever we felt love we began to radiate love to the world. Try this. Think of a situation where you have felt love. Feel the love and imagine that it can flow out of you, like breathing in and out. Breathe in the love. Breathe out the love. As you feel the healing of you own heart, breathe that out into the world and then breathe it in again. Maybe that is the greatest gift of following the Jonas Brothers. The love we feel radiated to ourselves and each other.

Just a thought. How did that feel?

At the end of the concert, Hannah and I quickly walked to our parking space and drove through the night to Seattle. My friend Chad was waiting for us with a place to stay and some good night kisses from his dog, Tanner. This was a day of love and connection. I am grateful.

Posted in Andrea Hylen, Baltimore, Hannah Hylen, homeschooling, Jonas Brothers, jonas watch, Oregon, Portland, wonder girls

Concert 4- Nampa, Idaho

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Thanks to Evolutionary Women for sponsoring the blog today. www.evolutionarywomen.org

For sponsor information go to www.livealifeworthcelebrating.com

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Concert 4- Nampa, Idaho

Brad, my “almost” son-in-law’s uncle, gave me a brilliant tour around Boise. It is one of the cleanest cities I have ever seen. The city is committed to keeping everything graffiti free and clear of garbage. There is beautiful landscaping of trees, bushes and flowers everywhere. There is culture and educational institutions and bike paths and more. I love the historical sections and the way the state capitol is expanding underground. as a way of creating more space and preserving the historical lines of the original building.

We met up with Brad’s brother, Brian. He was confused as to why Jesse’s, “almost” mother-in-law was in town. I told him that I was touring the country to check out ALL of Jesse’s relatives before giving my final approval for the wedding in October. Just kidding! I love Jesse and I love the relationship he has with my daughter, Mary.

I hung out with Nicola, Brad’s wife and Meghan, their daughter all afternoon. We looked at Hannah’s Jonas videos on Youtube and talked about our lives. I also got to meet, Royce, the pug that Meghan is watching for ten days. Then, Oliver, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who rules the roost, started setting some boundaries with this energetic pug.

Here are a couple of highlights from the Nampa concert:

1. Parking is free. Seriously, it is F*R*E*E

2. Closest seats I ever had-Floor, Row B, Seat 4 and I bought them the day before the concert! It was crazy to be that close.

3. A girl named Lindsey came up and asked if I was Hannah’s Mom. It was fun to connect with another Jonas fan. She was going to several concerts in a row with two of her friends. I could feel the community energy building. The groupies unite!

4. The concert was short without Honor Society, the opening band.

5. I expected to see the Wonder Girls but will have to wait for a future concert. I “wonder” who they are!

Good concert, all in all.

Posted in Andrea Hylen, Hannah Hylen, homeschooling, Idaho, Jonas Brothers, jonas watch, Nampa, wonder girls

Concert 2- Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Today’s jonas watch is sponsored by Dramatic Adventure Theatre. www.dramaticadventure.com

For sponsorship information go to www.livealifeworthcelebrating.com

June 23, 2009

It is my goal to post a blog once a day. Occasionally, there will be so much happening, you may see two or three blogs in one day. Or if I am driving for 11 hours, going to a concert and driving another 11 hours, I may miss a day here and there.

Concert 2- Hannah and I were interviewed by Eric Bailey of Tulsa World. This led us to the BOK Center for the concert where we met Sherry Brown, a photographer and Adam, a videographer. It was fun to play with them and pose for some pictures and video.

Adam decided to hang out with us for 1 1/2 hours and he video and audio recorded us sharing memories of the concerts. It was an unexpected, unplanned, surprising time with him. Hannah and I shared things with Adam and with each other that we hadn’t really talked about in this kind of detail. There was laughter and joy and memories. (Another, “trust life to bring things to you that are greater than you can imagine” moments.)

We talked about all of the 27 concerts we had attended and found anecdotal moments with each one. Maybe we will write a book about the first group of concerts and then another one about this summer. There have been some great, funny, crazy moments!

I told Eric a variety of stories about how crazy moms can get when they think their daughters are going to miss the coveted “meet and greet” with the Jonas Brothers. There is something instinctual that happens when a Mom thinks her “baby” is in danger or needs help or is going to be hurt physically, mentally, or emotionally. We go into hyper-drive. I have done it myself.

I told him a story about the DC Metro system. A group of about six home school families were in DC looking at exhibits as part of a learning tool. It might have been the Holocaust Museum and one of the Smithsonian museums on that day. It had been a full day. We were all in the Metro station getting ready to board the train to go to the parking lot and drive home. Everyone was tired and it was crowded. When the subway arrived, we scooted the kids on first so they could have a seat. I was the closest adult to the door when the doors began to close with all of the kids on board and no familiar adults. The subway car wasn’t full, but I guess to stay on schedule, the doors were closing.

I pushed through the people in front of me and threw my body between the doors. My backpack was so big, the doors were shutting on me over and over and I was struggling to get onto the train. People were staring and looking at this crazy woman. I didn’t care. The safety of the children was all that mattered to me. I did make it onto the train. I calmed the children who were scared because their parents didn’t make it on. I got everyone off at the next stop and we waited for the rest of the group to join us. Everyone was safe.

That same instinct comes into play with the meet and greets. A mother or father sees their child, can I say obsessing, over the Jonas Brothers. And then, they win a contest or a random pick from the fan club. It is their moment to meet the Jonas Brothers. They may have arrived hours in advance so that they are ready when the meet and greet line opens up.

Let’s say the meet and greet says 6pm. It is 6pm and the line hasn’t opened. You think that your child is not going to get to meet the boys. No one has any information or experience with this. They don’t realize that the boys were in Canada last night at an awards show and that the interviews of the day have made everything late so they are changing the meet and greet to 7pm. But, the mothers go into survival mode. (I have done it myself!) You think that your child may miss the opportunity. Maybe it will be cancelled and then what will happen to your child! It feels like their emotional safety is threatened.

All is well, folks. The Jonas Brothers are committed to their fans and it is their intention to see all of the girls who have a meet and greet ticket. We can all take a breath. The children are safe!

Here is the link to the article and the slide show of pictures: http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=269&articleid=20090623_270_A9_Adorin801623

Enjoy the adventure, Andrea

Posted in Andrea Hylen, Eric Bailey, Hannah Hylen, homeschooling, Jonas Brothers, Sherry Brown, Smithsonian, Tulsa World

Conscious Parenting: Watch and Listen

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Today’s Jonas Watch is sponsored by Dramatic Adventure Theatre. www.dramaticadventure.com

 

June 22, 2009

Tonight we are going to the concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Then, I am driving ten hours to Aurora, Colorado to get a passport for Hannah so we can continue into Vancouver in a week. I am leading a book discussion and we have two concerts to go to in Vancouver.

I want to share a few things that happened in the last few days. I will write about the concert tomorrow night, after the passport and some sleep.

A few stories to share with you:

Irving, Texas, June 21, 2009

We stayed at a Comfort Inn in a business park for two nights. The staff is very friendly to the hotel dwellers because:

1-they are friendly and
2-many of the people are repeat customers or extended stay customers.

At breakfast, Jimmie, the front desk guy, shared about an event he was going to in the evening with his girlfriend, Brittany. His church has a group called Spokesperson’s (like Toastmaster’s) and tonight was a ballroom dancing event. He was wearing a tuxedo for the first time. One of the hotel customers was a ballroom dancer by profession and spent an evening teaching Jimmie some steps.

Brittany arrived, as we were packing the car to leave. Jimmie in his tux, waiting for his front desk replacement to arrive. Brittany in her beautiful burgundy, long gown. They were adorable. Excited about the event and looking so beautiful in their formal attire, I took their picture with my camera and asked them to e-mail me so I can send it to them.

What an honor to observe this moment in time. The present moment was beautiful and…who knows where this will lead.

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As we were driving from Dallas to Tulsa, a 14-year-old teen told her father, a sports writer for the newspaper Tulsa World, about us. She told him about a mother and daughter who are traveling to 45 venues to see as many concerts as possible. The daughter, Justine was one of the teens around the world who was waiting to see Hannah’s video clips of the concert. The video clips th

Eric wrote to us on Facebook yesterday. at she worked on in the car on the way back to the hotel and stayed up until 5 am to finish editing and uploading. He had the assignment to write a story about the Jonas Brothers concert in Tulsa. Justine and Ashley, a friend, are going to the concert with Eric tonight.

We arranged to meet at the Woodland Hills Mall in Tulsa. And through this arranged meeting, I had the opportunity to watch and listen to my daughter share her thoughts and feelings.

I thought about how this is preparing her for life. Formulating experiences into thought. Meeting people from different states. Sharing the story from her perspective. Meeting people from different cultures- Eric is full blooded Native American.

We met the whole family. Eric’s beautiful wife, his daughter, his son and their precious baby. A snapshot in my mind. I watched as Hannah shook hands with everyone and interacted with the family. I watched as I saw two families connect halfway across the country over a meeting over the Jonas Brothers.

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I was thinking about a story I read in a magazine. Denise Jonas was getting her haircut and Nick Jonas was, I think, six years old. He was singing and entertaining everyone in the shop. One of the customers told Denise that Nick should have an agent. This led to Broadway shows and commercials and writing and performing music in the world.

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Who knows where each of these interactions are leading us? I can imagine Hannah as a reporter, a film director, an actress…But, at the core of all of that is a young woman with a heart who is passionate, caring, determined and hard-working.

I am grateful to be along on this journey. I am watching and listening and singing and dancing.

Enjoy the adventure! Andrea

Posted in Conscious Parenting, Jonas Brothers
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